— 92 — 
Little striped squirrels abound here, and also many wild 
birds (I noted forty -four different species in and about Tri- 
vandrum during the few days I was there), as well as very 
gaily coloured lizards, including Calotes versicolor and a 
red- tailed skink. 
A watchman, armed with bow and pebbles, patrols the 
garden to warn off the Crows, Corvus splendens, from the 
animal’s food. 
The principal buildings in the Trivandrum Public Gardens 
are : — 
Q.) The Library. 
This contains, besides a large scientific librarj , the office 
of the institution, a collection of geological specimens and 
minerals, some valuable archaeological exhibits, and a collec- 
tion of pictures, one of which, a fine painting of the Durbar 
held by H.H, Marthanda Varma at Theketheruvoo_ Trivan- 
drum in 1851, is of zoological interest, as in it a live giraffe 
is seen being paraded with the state elephants. I am told 
that there are records of two giraffes having been in the 
possession of the Maharajas of Travancore about that period. 
(2) The Museum (see p. 94). 
(3) The Reptile House. 
This consists of one great hall, with a door in the middle 
of each side and with large windows to allow of as much 
ventilation as possible. The cases for reptiles form a 
quadrangle on the floor of this hall, the space between the 
cases and the walls forming a passage for the visitors, and 
the space enclosed by the inner sides of the cases forming 
a convenient service yard for the staff. Additional cages 
occupy the four corners of the hall. The special feature 
aimed at in the construction of this house was that the 
reptiles should be always in the shade, sb the whole hall is 
covered by an overhanging roof, designed so that no direct 
sunshine can ever fall on the cages. 
The crocodiles, which love to bask in the sunshine, are not 
kept in this house, but have special tanks allotted to them in 
the open air. The large python is also kept in an outdoor 
but roofed cage. 
(4^ The Lion House. 
(o) The new Monkey House, now in course of construction. 
