The Menagerie at the Botanic 

 Gardens. 



By H. N. Eidley. 



The collection of living animals in the Botanic Gardens in 

 Singapore dates from the days when the gardens were the pro- 

 perty of the Agri- Horticultural Society. This society was 

 founded in 1859, but not finding sufficient support from the 

 general public to develop and maintain the grounds adequately, 

 eventually made over its property to the Government in 1874, 

 and in 1875 Mr. J. Murton was appointed Superintendent. The 

 Zoological part of the garden seems however to have been at first 

 under the control of Mr. Krohn, who publishes in 1876 a report 

 on the Zoological collections. That year Mr. Cheang Hong 

 Sin presented a monkey house to the gardens, which still 

 exists, and a list of the animals in the gardens was published. 

 It included a rhinoceros, sloth-bear, kangaroos, and other 

 animals, and a number of birds. In 1878 it was decided to 

 dispose of the larger animals and most were sent to the 

 Calcutta Zoological Gardens. Birds, monkeys and small 

 animals were however kept. From 1888 the "aviaries" and 

 enclosures were increased, and till 1902 the collection became 

 very representative of the fauna of the Malay peninsula and 

 islands. No funds were granted by the Government for its 

 up-keep after 1881, but its expenses were paid out of what 

 could be spared from the Gardens Vote. Many of the animals 

 and birds were presented by various donors, so that the 

 expenses were merely feeding, and housing. ' The cost being 

 from about £100 to £150 per year when the collection was at 

 its largest. In 1902, an admirer of Zoological Gardens urged 

 that the collection was worthy of a better class of houses 

 than could be afforded from the Gardens Vote, and an estimate 

 for improved and more ornamental houses was prepared, but 

 it was considered too expensive by the Government, and an 



Jour. S. B. R. A. Soc, No. 46, 1906. 



