68 



CHAPTER V. 



THE JARDIN DES PLANTES AND THE GARDENS OF THE 

 LUXEMBOURG. 



We hare nothing in tlie British. Isles like the Jardin des 

 Plant es. It is half zoological^ half botanical^ and nearly 

 surrounded by nansenms containing vast zoological^ bo- 

 tanicalj and mineralogical collections. The portion entirely 

 devoted to botany is laid out in the straight^ regular style^ 



while the part 

 in which are 

 the numerous 

 buildings for 

 the wild ani- 

 malsjhas wind- 

 ing walks^ and 

 some trifling 

 diversity here 

 and there. The 

 place is really 

 an important 

 school of sci- 

 encCj and as 



Conservatories and Museums in the Jardin des Plantes. SUch it is great 



and useful. In 



addition to able lecturers on botany^ culture^ and allied 

 matters_, there are^ I belie ve^, a dozen on various other scien- 

 tific subjects^ some of these gentlemen being among the 

 ablest and most famous naturalists in Europe. Here Buffon^ 

 Cuvder, J ussieu_, and other great men have worked ; and 

 here at the present day, even in minor departments, are 

 many men of well known ability. 



Although the J ardin des Plantes is quite inferior in point 



