SCIENCE- GOSSIP. 



but that it is not possible to do everytliing at once. 

 My point is, tliat not nearly enough is being or has 

 been done in this direction for tlie last twenty-five 

 years. Few of the present premises accord with 

 modern ideas — many are totally opposed to them.'' 

 'I"he Northern Aviary is put down by Mr. Hill as 

 the worst, perliaps, ,in tlie Gardens ; and he con- 

 tinues : " I have seen sometimes as many as five 

 large owls kept in a rectangular liole 4 feet by 

 feet by i feet. (I quote from memory, but these 

 figures are above rather than below the truth.) 

 The birds have scarcely room to turn, and the fact 

 that few of them live any length of time bears 

 out my statement. Further.the aviary having a 

 south aspect, by no means sufficient care is taken 

 to protect the night-owls from the sunlight. I do 

 not think it too much to say that the condition of 

 this aviary has far too long been a reproach." 



There are several other houses which come in 

 for summary condemnation ; but Mr. Hill soon 

 puts aside the question of humanity, and dilates 

 upon the advantages of following the methods 

 adopted in most Continental menageries, where 

 enclosures are built so as not to offend the human 

 eye, and where an attemjit to imitate the natural 

 surroundings is made to some extent. This is one 

 of the points brought forward by Mr. Selous, 

 and it follows that, more room being necessary, 

 for this reason alone the reproacli of cruelty would 

 vanish. An instance cited by both writers is tlie 

 picturesque enclosure for the seals at Cologne, 

 where the rocks, water, and shore are arranged so 

 as to give a remarkably natural eifect. By com- 

 parison with the latter the circular basin, wooden 

 chair, and diving platform at Eegent's Park are 

 sufficiently odious. 



Before going on to discuss the scientific work of 

 the Society, another important popular aspect of 

 the collection of animals is treated upon, which 

 other naturalists have before considered without 

 avail. At present the educational value of the 

 menagerie, even as a mere living museum, is as 

 small as it well can be. The only exchange for 

 the descriptive labels which the modern curator 

 is learning to attach to his stuffed specimens is 

 the fact that the animals are alive, and that one 

 is told their generic and specific names, the locality, 

 date of arrival, and sometimes' the name of the 

 donors, or that the specimen was born in the 

 menagerie. In many cases several distinct species 

 are contained in the same cage, and although an 

 attempt has been made to enable Aisitors to dis- 

 tinguish some of the birds by the attachment of a 

 sketch to the bars, the result is not of much 

 account. A properly constituted guide-book might 

 help in the same educational direction, whicli can- 

 not be said of the present piublication. 



In urging a complete reorganisation of tlie Zoo- 

 logical Society's scientific work, Mr. Hill divides 

 Zoology into {a) Comparati\'e Anatomy, and (J) 

 Bionomics. The elucidation of the former he would 



naturally rather leave to museums, while it must 

 be pointed out that there are otlier societies which 

 might publish the papers that go to fill the 

 costly " Proceedings " and ■' Transactions " of the 

 Zoological Society. '\Ve make a further quotation 

 from the letter in connection with the second 

 lieading : — " Observations on living animals, hy- 

 bridisation, the effects of changes in environment, 

 food, etc., are slowly perhaps, yet surely, becoming 

 recognised as of equal importance in solving some 

 of tlie most important problems in zoology. Can 

 it be said that the Society is making the most of 

 its opportunities in this direction, or that it is 

 doing for Bionomics what South Kensington 

 Museum is accomplishing for Comparative Ana- 

 tomy I If we examine the published work of the 

 Society, it will be hard to answer in the affirmative. 

 Is it not possible that with more enterprise and 

 energy in this direction the Society's Gardens 

 might become a centre of study for animal, as the 

 Eoyal Gardens at Kew are for plant Bionomics ? 



" Furthermore, interest in the acclimatisation of 

 animals grows but slowly in England, the country 

 pafr excellence in Europe of parks, coverts, and 

 protected areas. Is it too much to say that the 

 lack of interest in this most important branch of 

 Bionomics is to some extent due to the lethargy 

 shown by the Society in the study of its problems ? " 

 This imjiortant letter, which has met with wide- 

 spread sympathy, concludes with a number of 

 detailed suggestions to the Council as to possible 

 methods of reform. Five of these deal with the 

 remodelling of certain sf)ecified buildings, and we 

 note that it is advocated that the diving birds 

 living in the Fish House should be kept in totally 

 different quarters, where they can be seen at other 

 times than when in the water, and where adequate 

 space can be provided. The question of labelling 

 is touched upon, and it is lu-ged that a more 

 .systematic method be adopted in arranging the. 

 places occupied by genera and species. Visitors 

 may recall the fact that the clouded tiger is put 

 among the mice, that often the most interesting 

 inhabitants of the Insect House are birds, and that 

 the sheep are scattered all over the Gardens. 



" The work of the Secretary being too much for 

 one should be shared by two gentlemen : one who 

 will direct the Library, Scientific Meetings, and 

 publications of the Society ; the other a practical 

 naturalist, who will reside in the Gardens and take 

 over their entire administration." 



Lastly, it is recommended that funds now de- 

 \oted to the sending out of expeditions to collect 

 dead specimens should be used to maintain one or 

 two trained naturalists, besides the Prosector and his 

 staft', for biouomical investigations in the Gardens. 

 There is little doubt but that all these and other 

 improvements could be successfully carried out if 

 only the younger generation of zoologists would 

 make up their minds to profit by their training and 

 the lead which has been given to them. 



