THE EDINBURGH 



JOURNAL OF NATURAL HISTORY, 



AND OF 



THE PHYSICAL SCIENCES. 



FEBRUARY, 1840. 



EDINBURGH ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS. 



We are happy to observe that the arrangements which have so long been 

 pending in reference to the establishment of a Zoological Garden in Edin- 

 burgh are now on the point of being brought to a satisfactory issue, and 

 that the Directors of the Association have found at Broughtcn Park a 

 site which, from its vicinity to the city, exposure to the South, elevation, 

 extensive view, abundance of water, and sufficiency of inclosure, pre- 

 sents many facilities towards its becoming a considerable ornament to the 

 city, and a fashionable place of public resort. 



Those who have witnessed the impulse which has been given to Zoolo- 

 gical Science by the institution in Paris, at the Jardin des Plantes, and 

 examined the accurate drawings and descriptions made from the animals 

 there by MM. Geoffroy-St-Hilaire and Frederic Cuvier, or who, in our 

 country, have rambled with delight over the extensive establishments of 

 the Zoological Society, London, or of Mr Cross on the Surrey side, will 

 require no encomium on our part in favour of these institutions. In fact, 

 they are indispensable to Zoology, whether we regard the improved know- 

 ledge we thence obtain of the forms, dispositions, habits, distinctions, or 

 structure of the several animals, or of the economical purposes to which 

 these objects may, by domestication, become subservient. The number 

 of distinct forms in the Animal World is so inconceivably great, so much 

 obscurity attaches to specific distinctions in general, and so little pains 

 have been taken, except at a very recent era, to develop those qualities 

 which may become useful, agreeable, or ornamental to man, that a wide 

 field yet remains open for investigation and enterprise. The Llama and 

 Vicugna, whose fleeces possess intermediate properties between wool and 

 silk, — the Tapirs and Peccaris, whose flesh might be used to greater ad- 

 vantage than that of the domestic Pig, — the Zebra, Dauw, Dziggtai, and 

 other species of Equus, rivalling the common Horse .and Ass for draught, 

 — all the species of Cervus, Antilope, Capra, and Bos, — with the Seals, 

 a tribe of animals as yet involved in much obscurity, — are among those 

 species which would, in the first instance, afford, from their sizes and dis- 

 positions, the greatest facilities for domestication. 



The taste for Zoological establishments has not been confined, in this 

 country, to the metropolis. Liverpool, Manchester, Dublin, and Bristol, 

 have shown that the provinces duly appreciate their utility; and if the 

 impulse has not hitherto extended to Scotland, it was more from some 

 indefinite notions of the great expense attending such establishments, and 

 a few vague fears that the tropical animals could not survive a northern 

 winter, (all now we trust exploded,) than from any disposition to under- 

 value the importance of these establishments. It is now generally ad- 

 mitted, that such an institution would tend greatly to attract strangers to 

 the metropolis of Scotland, and form a most important auxiliary to its 

 numerous elementary establishments. Of course, it mainly depends upon 

 the support which the citizens are now prepared to give, whether the 

 Gardens are to be laid out on an effective scale or otherwise, and we ac- 

 cordingly recommend all those having the public interest at heart to come 

 forward with their subscriptions, donations of animals, or ornamental 

 shrubs. 



There can be no doubt that Edinburgh possesses advantages for the 

 preservation of the Northern Quadrupeds and Birds, which other Zoolo- 

 gical Gardens in this country do not enjoy, and we hope that the Direc- 

 tors will use every means to render this branch of Zoology as complete 

 as possible. An extensive collection of British Birds would possess no 

 ordinary interest. It is quite unnecessary that each provincial establish- 

 ment should incur the expense of supporting a Barbary Lion, a Tiger, an 

 Asiatic Elephant, or a Giraffe. The interests of science would not be 

 12 



impaired by our leaving these larger and more expensive animals to the 

 metropolitan establishments ; and we trust that the Directors of our Edin- 

 burgh Association will reserve their means for the elucidation of other 

 objects not so well understood, as a wide field remains among the Mamma- 

 lia and Birds of secondary size, to delight and interest the popular obser- 

 ver. In this way, much of the expense of a Zoological Garden may be 

 spared, without diminishing its utility in any sensible degree. 



The collection of the Association, though still in its infancy, presents 

 many objects of undoubted interest. The Monkeys are second to none 

 we have seen, excepting that unrivalled display in the Jardin des Plantes. 

 Among others we observe, Cercopithecus fuliginosus, C. Sabasus, (var.) C. 

 griseo-viridis, Semnopithecus Entellus, Macacus radiatus, M. CynomoL 

 gus, M. Rhesus, Cynocephalus Sphinx, Ateles ater, (rarely seen in col- 

 lections,) Cebus Apella, C. griseus, C. hypoleucus. The Carnivora, 

 though defective for the reasons already given, include Ursus Arctos, (var. 

 Americanus,) U. ferox, U. labiatus, Procyon Lotor, Nasua socialis, (var. 

 grisea,) Meles Taxus, Herpestes Ichneumon, Viverra Genetta, V. Rasse, 

 Canis (Chryseus) Australia;, C. aureus, C. Vulpes, Hyrena striata, and 

 Felis Leopardus, (male and female.) We have likewise noticed Sci- 

 urus cinereus, Dasyprocta Aguti, Cervus Elaphus, (var. Hippelaphus,) 

 and several varieties of the Indian Bull, representations of which, drawn 

 from the living animals, will appear in the course of this Work. Among 

 the Birds, all of which we have not yet had leisure to investigate mi- 

 nutely, we notice Cathartes Aura, Aquila fucosa, Macrocercus Ararauna, 

 Plyctolophus rubro-cristatus, Briss. DromaBus Novrc-Hollandiae, Balearica 

 pavonina, and a great number of smaller Psittacidoe, Incessorial, Accipi- 

 tral, and Gallinaceous Birds. 



We confidently hope that the British Government, which so liberally en- 

 courages the Botanical and Horticultural Gardens of Edinburgh, will also 

 come forward in support of this excellent institution, and that the nu- 

 merous individuals now in the Colonies, especially those who are con- 

 nected with Scotland, will forward living specimens to our infant estab- 

 lishment. Our friends in the country are recommended to endeavour, by 

 traps or nets, or by securing the young, or even eggs, to procure as many 

 living British specimens as possible. To suppose that an object is un- 

 interesting because it is common in some places, is a great, though very 

 frequent mistake. How many persons have never seen a living Otter, 

 Hedgehog, Mole, or Bat, how few have ever dissected one ! Those pro- 

 ceeding to the Whale- Fishery are requested to entrap the young of the 

 Northern Quadrupeds and Birds, the Walrus, and as many varieties of 

 the Seal as possible, — there being no branch of Natural History in which 

 accurate information is more to be desired. 



PIEBALD NEGROES. 



In submitting to attention a representation of a Piebald Negro, supplied 

 by Blumenbach in his " Abbildungen Naturhist. Gegenstande," we shall 

 introduce a few remarks on this phenomenon, interesting in itself, and 

 throwing light on various important points of the physical history of our 

 race. The conception of our readers as to the nature of the occurrence 

 may be assisted by adverting to the not-unusual appearance of Albinism, 

 which is precisely that change which most have noticed in white Rabbits 

 and white Mice, and which also takes place in Man ; in the swarthy Ne- 

 gro, as in the fair European. This variety may be readily propagated 

 among the lower animals, and with equal facility among the lords of the 

 creation, as has been witnessed in individual families, and, on a greater 

 scale, in the Isthmus of Daiien, and elsewhere. Now, in the case of Pie- 

 bald Negroes, it would not be far from the truth to affirm that the affec- 



