192 THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS OF EUROPE 



Joseph Fayrer demonstrated the venomous character 

 of the heloderm hzard. In this house have been 

 exhibited the largest pythons ever seen. Of the first 

 hving specimens of the Chinese aUigator sent to 

 Europe many years ago, one still survives, and the 

 giant tortoises dej)osited by that great naturalist, the 

 Hon. Walter Rothschild, could not be matched in the 

 Galapagos or Aldabra. 



We now come to the lion house, which cost, with its 

 outside cages, upwards of £11,000. There is always a 

 good collection of the big cats to be seen, but they do 

 not breed well here. 



Just opposite is the splendid collection of antelopes, 

 in my opinion the most valuable animals in the 

 Gardens. Not such a fine representative lot can be 

 seen elsewhere in Europe. Many breed here, and the 

 gnus and elands take turns at grazing on the large 

 grass paddock attached to the house. In the loose- 

 boxes will be noticed sable, harnessed antelopes, the 

 nylgais (remarkably tame), common water-buck, Oi^x 

 leucoryx, and an Oryx heisa, captured and presented by 

 my friend and African-travel companion, Mr. J. Ben- 

 nett Stanford. We now come to the sea-lion pond 

 and those quaint-looking birds the penguins, which 

 stalk about for all the world like wise little old men 

 and women. Passing more duck-ponds, we reach the 

 crane and ostrich pens. Mr. Walter Rothschild's 

 monograph on the cassowaiies was in great measure 

 founded on examples deposited l)y him in this house. 

 Here also are seen the rheas, the winoiess kiwi, and 

 the magnificent Manchurian cranes. 



The monkey house comes next, containing a fine 



