13^ 



THE CABINET OP NATURAL HISTORY, 



and from Darfur, is a tall well-proportioned black, and at 

 his own request a little gallery has been erected for him in 

 the stable of his charge, where he sleeps and keeps all his 

 jjroperty. When in attendance he dresses in the turban, 

 vest, and full trowsers of his country, but when he walks 

 into Paris he assumes the European costume, for in his 

 native garb all the children in the streets recognise him, and 

 calling out, '■'■ Jiti! Jilil comment va la giraffe?" hurt 

 his consequence. He is to be found every Sunday evening 

 at one of the Guingueltes in the neighbourhood, dancing 

 with all his might, and during the week he devotes his 

 leisure to the acquirements of reading and writing. 



The two elephants are much grown, and with the Asiatic 

 they do not seem to make much progress; but the African is 

 become very interesting; she performs various salutations 

 and manoeuvres, obeys the voice of her keeper, kneelsdown 

 to take him on her back, and seldom requires any other 

 chastisement than a pull of one of her ears, which are very 

 much larger than those of her Indian brother. 



Two very beautiful aviaries have been completed since 

 my last visit to the Jardin. The one is appropriated to 

 birds of prey, and contains some noble specimens of owls, 

 eagles, and vultures; among the latter is the great Condor 

 of the Andes, (Vidtur Gryphus,) which requires double the 

 space allotted to any of the others. The second aviary 

 contains many rare species of pheasants and other birds, 

 and both of them have not only covered places for shelter, 

 und stoves for heating them, but a large space covered with 

 iron network, in which the thousands who weekly crowd 

 to see them can watch their movements without the least 

 difficulty. Near these are the parks appropriated to pea- 

 cocks, domestic fowls, &c., and in which the crown and 

 Numidian cranes, and the secretary bird, stalk about and 

 dance at sunset, as if under their native skies. The various 

 kinds of deer, the chamois, and other goats, are in high 

 health; the beavers are thriving, as well as all the known 

 species of lama. I was astonished at the fury with which 

 these mild-looking animals fight; and on one occasion hav- 

 ing caused them to be separated, I was much amused at the 

 rage with which they pushed their noses through the rail- 

 ings, till they touched, tliough their attempts to bite were 

 fruitless. 



Without actual study, it would be difficult to ascertain 

 the additions made of late years to the collection of compa- 

 rative anatomy. Several rooms have been added since my 

 first acquaintance with it, in 1819, audit is yearly receiving 

 new treasures from travellers, or the efforts of Baron Cu- 

 vier, who may be said to have created this part of the 

 establishment. The upper portion, containing the prepa- 

 rations in spirits, &c., separated bones, skulls, teeth, and the 

 skeletons of the smaller animals, seems to be crowded; and 



the skeletons of the whales below, among the larger objects, 

 excited my astonishment, that the whole Parisian world 

 should have run mad after la baleine des Pays Bus, when 

 those of the Jardin du Roi are nearly as large, and much 

 more interesting, from the whalebone having been pre- 

 served, and from the correct manner in which the parts 

 have been put together. 



The collection of stuffed animals, at the fivsicoup d' ceil, 

 more completely conveys an idea of its immense riches than 

 any other portion of the establishment. To see thousands 

 of animals in their living attitudes, so happily prepared as 

 to appear in actual movement, and then to pause and find 

 all still and immoveable, gives an idea of enchantment 

 which it is difficult to shake off, till increasing admiration 

 at every step supersedes all other feelings, and till we finally 

 turn from it lost in wonder at the magnificence of creation, 

 and adore the mighty Hand which has formed these endless 

 varieties, and yet bound the whole together in one com.mon 

 link. The division allotted to the stuffed deer, &c., has re- 

 ceived several curious additions of the antelope kind; and 

 there are two tufts of hair, said to belong to the tails of the 

 grunting cow of the East, which is such an object of cu- 

 riosity to naturalists, and which tufts are all that has yet 

 been brought to Europe to prove its existence. The 

 giraffes, camels, and oxen still stand together in this room, 

 and the enormous basking shark has been hoisted to the 

 ceiling. But we feel impatient to get to the birds, the ar- 

 rangement of which, from their size, is more complete than 

 can be admitted among the quadrupeds. The first cases 

 contain the diurnal birds of prey; where the gypactos of 

 the Alps seems in the act of pouncing on its victim, the 

 secretary bird appears to have wallied in from the menage- 

 rie, and the falcon ready to soar from the wrist of the hunts- 

 man. The owls of all countries succeed these; and passing 

 by the splendid parrots, parroquets, toucans, &c., we stop 

 for a long time before the Pdsseres. In this order every 

 ideaof exquisite form, grace, delicacy, brilliancy, and har- 

 mony of colouringseemsverified. Thelyrctails, (Majniira,) 

 the parasol birds, (Cephal&pterus,) the lovely birds of para- 

 dise, the sugar birds, the gems of humming-bii-ds blazing in 

 the light, seem each to demand a whole day's admiration; 

 and then come the Gallinacese, with the red-breasted 

 pigeon, looking as if an arrow had justpieixed her heart; 

 the horned and argus pheasants, &c. The ostrich, the I'ose 

 colored flamingo, the sacred and the scarlet ibis; thekami- 

 chi, said to bleed his sick companions with the spur upon 

 his wing, all take their place among the Grdllse: and next 

 to these are the Palmipedes, from the far-famed albatross, 

 the awkward-looking penguin, the frigate bird, the stupid 

 boobies, to the common duck. 



The two end rooms are still full of bats, quadrupeds, and 



