The 'Public Gardens and Parks of Paris. 89 



that approaches the Bois de Boulogne — nothing that surpasses some 

 parts of the Bois de Vincennes. 



Of the Pre Catelan, and certain niinor features of the Bois 

 de BoulognCj space forbids me to speak ; and I must omit all notice 

 of the Bois de Vincennes, which is well worthy of a visit, and 

 exhibits some capital arrangement of artificial water. 



The Garden op the Acclimatization Society in the 

 Bois de Boulogne. 



This is a pretty garden and a most interesting place. In it you 

 may study many things, from the culture of the oyster to the nume- 

 rous breeds of domestic fowls, from the various silkworms to the 

 different plants used for bee feeding. I took a deep interest in the 

 hybrid ass — a neat cross between the domestic and wild varieties, 

 albeit he proved useless for the carriage, and kicked it and the 

 harness into "smithereens" when yoked, in consequence of the 

 virus, or what an Irishman would call the " divilmint" of the 

 exotic parent predominating ; I was not insensible to the claims of a 

 Russian dog with a coat like a superannuated door-mat j I laughed 

 at a duck which had a velvet-looking head remarkably like a 

 hunting-cap, and nearly as big, but with a body no larger than a 

 debilitated blackbird ; and was amazed to see a chien with no hair 

 except on the top of his head. But we must let all these things 

 pass, and confine ourselves exclusively to vegetable life — always of 

 great importance, since man first regaled himself upon fruits and 

 green-meat. Doubtless one of the first things the sagacious creature 

 pitched upon was the grape — at least the best varieties of grapes 

 and the best varieties of men are supposed to have originated i n 

 much the same place. To-day it is more important than ever, and 

 the gardeners here were employed in planting the last of a mag- 

 nificent collection of 2000 varieties of vines ! What a grand 

 collection ! It is the famous one formed in the gardens of the 

 Luxembourg, and fortunately saved from destruction by M. Drouyn 

 de Lhuys, acting upon the urgent request of a friend of horticulture. 



