272 



SCIEXCE-GOSSIP. 



NATURE NOTES IX THE RIMERA. 



By John T 



{Cor.tintted J 

 "D EHIXD the Palais de Longchamp, in which is 

 the Museum at Marseilles, described last 

 month {ante p. 247), are the Zoological Gardens, 

 which form a branch of the Jardin d'AccHmatation 

 of Paris. They are small in extent and chiefly 

 used for the storage of different animals which 

 arrive at the port from tropical and sub -tropical 

 regions. These consequently vary a good deal in 

 numbers, both in species and indiv-iduals ; for, 

 after remaining a short period to rest and to 

 recover from the effects of their voyages, most 

 of them are distributed by sale to various 

 zoological societies and private individuals. The 

 cages allotted to birds are often very pretty 

 when occupied by large crowds of a single 

 species. On one occasion I saw an immense flock 

 of several thousand specimens of the little green 

 Australian grass paraquets, which, in the bright 

 snnUght, made quite a dazzling sight. There are 

 some few animals which are more permanent 

 residents, especially in the monkey-house, where 

 they are in excellent condition and apparently much 

 attached to an agreeable keeper who shows much 

 interest in them. 



At Hyeres, between the old town and the station, 

 is another branch garden belonging to the Paris 

 Acchmatization Society which cannot be called a 

 zoological establishment in the ordinar\^ sense. It 

 is chiefly used ■ as a sanatorium for the animals 

 which are too dehcate to be kept in the Paris 

 gardens of the Society, or are unsuited to the ex- 

 tremes of cUmate which are often so sharply felt in 

 the Metropolis of France. Occasionally one finds 

 really interesting and rare animals which are imder 

 any circumstances vs-orth visiting ; as also are the 

 gardens, which are beautifully situated, prettilv 

 arranged and free of admission at Hyeres. At 

 Marseilles the entrance fee is a franc, excepting 

 on Sundays and holidays, when there is music- 

 then it is half that sum. 



At Nice— or, more correctly, in the beautiful 

 suburb of Cimiez— is a zoological garden of not 

 very large extent estabUshed by the late Count 

 Tripier de Lagrange. These gardens are a 

 fevourite resort of the hoUday-making Xicois, 

 especially in summer time. They are well kept, 

 and the animals thrive splendidly in the clear, 

 warm, but bracing air surrounding them. The 

 hons and tigers are fine specimens, and there is a 

 particularly good black variety of leopard, through 

 whose sooty coat the darker spots in the fur are barely 

 traceable. There are several species of bears and 

 some deer ; but, unfortunately, to most of the native 



. C.\RRINGTOX. 



roin page 248.) 



\-i3itors the excellent restaurant in the grounds has 

 greater attractions than the rarest animals. The 

 \-iew firom the terrace in front of this restaurant is 

 magnificent, including the torrential Valley of the 

 Paillon which ends in high Alpine ranges backed 

 by snow-capped peaks. On the opposite side of 

 the valley on Mont Gros, at an altitude of about 

 1,200 feet above the sea, are the conspicuous 

 buildings of the Obser\'ator3- which were erected 

 and equipped by Mons. Bischofisheim, the rich 

 Paris financier, Deputy of the Alpes JSIaritimes, 

 and presented b}' him to the cit%' of Nice ; though 

 he retains control during his lifetime. It is now- 

 a centre of meteorological as well as astronomical 

 obser\^ation. The buildings include pa\dlions for 

 the large and small equatorials, spectroscopical and 

 physical departments, and handsome dwelling- 

 house for the staff, which numbers about a dozen 

 assistants, besides ser\ants. There is also the 

 library, which contains some seven or eight 

 thousand volumes. The Obser\'atory is connected 

 with the city by telephone, it being about four 

 miles out of town. 



Near the flower market in the Rue St. Francois 

 de Paule is the City Free Library (Biblioiheque 

 Municipale) where there are some books on 

 biological subjects, though not very modem or up- 

 to-date in character. The student will find the 

 MS. catalogue devoted to Science di\-ided into 

 sections, and he has only to ask for the book he 

 requires when he ^vill at once be attended to. 

 Botanists who care to know something of the 

 literature of their subject will also do well to %dsit 

 the librarj- of the Agricultural Society, which also 

 includes horticulture, at No. 11, Place Garibaldi. 

 As stated in my notes last month, ]Mons. J. Olivier, 

 at the museum in Place Garibaldi, is a good 

 botanist, and will help those in difficulties with 

 unfamiliar plants. Mons. 01i\der recommends as the 

 best hand-book for the botanist \-isiting the 

 Riviera " Flora Analytique des Alpes Maritimes," 

 by H. Ardoino, which I believe is about five francs 

 in price. It is not illustrated, but the descriptions 

 are easy to understand. 



There are in several parts of the Ri\'iera bio- 

 logical stations more or less private in character. 

 There was a small one at Tamaris, near Toulon, 

 which w as established with the worthy object of 

 gi\-ing facilities to poor students for examining the 

 marine faima, but it does not seem to have been 

 much patronized — if it still exists. 



As a centre both for pleasure and biological 

 investigations few places are more suitable in the 



