72 THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS OF EUROPE 



he has learnt to dance, and will turn round as ofteii as 

 he is told. 



We leave the monkey house, built in pleasing Indian 

 style, and come to the rodents' grottoes and squirrel 

 house. Here are porcupines and hystrices. The small 

 rodents of the squirrel family live with the marmots 

 or mountain-rats, and are to be seen close to the 

 grottoes. This place is built of stone and iron to 

 resist the sharp teeth of these gnawing animals. 



The carpincho [Hydrochcerus cajyi/bara) is in an 

 enclosure close by behind the monkey house. This 

 animal is the largest of the rodents, being 4 feet long 

 and weighing 98 pounds. Here also is a very fine 

 collection of geese. 



Passing the pretty little house of the Director, we 

 come to the splendid and imposing new aviary ; here 

 are all kinds of foreign birds, such as paroquets, etc. 

 The four corners are marked by towers. There are 

 outside cages, and the house is well built and free from 

 draughts. On the south-west side of the house is a 

 large open cage with a spring of water in it, containing 

 wading birds, the ibises, and shore birds, such as oyster- 

 catchers and plovers. Ladders lead up to the roosting- 

 boxes. Each outside cage is provided with a good 

 bath. All the birds are well labelled on the cages, 

 and there are pictures of several of them. 



Above the great aviary is a large glass roof with 

 ventilators. The Cologne aviary surpasses that of 

 Berlin. The cages get their light from the front as 

 well as from above ; by this means you see the proper 

 colours of the birds, and not merely their silhouettes. 

 There are plenty of trees and plants for the enjoyment 



