Natural History of Florida. 



The zoology of Florida is in many respects I 

 peculiar and is very different from tha.t of 

 any other portion of the United States. An 

 effort is being made to secure for the new 

 Zoological Garden in Philadelphia, as large a 

 series as possible, of living animals from this 

 State. Mr. G. Brown Goode, of the Smithso- 

 nian Institute, Washington, is making collec- 

 tions during a short visit to Florida. This 

 garden has been made upon a portion of Gov- 

 ernment Park, Philadelphia, which has been 

 granted by the commissioners of the park, 

 for that purpose. The success of the under- 

 taking — the first of the kind in the United 

 States — has been extraordinary, even in com- 

 parison with the Zoological Gardens of Eu- 

 rope. Since the opening in July 1, 1874, up 

 to the present time, over 200,000 persons 

 have visited the collection. Should the soci- 

 ety have continued success, the collection 

 will form a very important and attractive 

 feature in the Centennial Exposition of 1876, 

 besides being at all times a useful means for 

 encouraging the taste for and increasing the 

 knowledge of Natural History. It is partic- 

 ularly desirable to obtain a large series of 

 Florida reptiles, snakes and turtles, cranes, 

 herons, ibises, pelecans and show birds gen- 

 erally, and fox- squirrels, wild hogs and man- 

 atees. Persons having opportunities to collect 

 or having animals to dispose of, should com- 

 municate with G. Brown Goode, Arlington 

 Bluffs, near this city. 



