ACCLIMATIZATION. 
29 
tire or may be hereafter newly-introduced into France, and may seem worthy 
of interest from their usefulness or ornament.” 
For France, read Europe, and then we shall clearly understand the scheme. 
In the remarks about to follow, I have been painfully hampered by the diffi¬ 
culty of compressing discursive details into journal space ; the whole zoologi¬ 
cal section lias been necessarily omitted ; while at the same time many of the 
topics here barely mentioned form the basis of successive lengthy papers in the 
official Transactions of the Society. Enough however is brought forward to 
guide the steps of future students, and possibly to stimulate their interest; 
and if all the hidden gold has not been dug up ready for the market, at least 
a good plain sign-post has been erected to indicate the mine. 
The Society of the Garden of Acclimatization is thus constituted. Its 
duration is restricted to forty-two years. Capital a million francs (£40,000), in 
4000 shares, of 250 francs (£10) each. Each share gives a right to an equal and 
proportional allotment of effects, and constitutes a perpetual free ticket of ad¬ 
mission. Part of the capital is to be so invested as that at the end of fort}^- 
two years the shareholders shall receive back the amount of their original 
contribution. 
Previous to the actual establishment of the Garden, the committee visited 
and studied the gardens (Zoological and Botanical) of London, Brussels, Ant¬ 
werp, Ghent, Amsterdam, and Marseilles. The nature of the receipts is two¬ 
fold :—1st. The sale of animals, eggs, plants, and seeds ; 2nd. the payment of 
visitors. The Council consists of forty members, each of whom must have 
not less than five shares. After payment of necessary expenses, a reserve fund 
is created of 150,000 francs (£6000); the surplus beyond this is thus divided:— 
five per cent, on shares at interest; five per cent as a sinking fund; and of 
the remainder, half is to be given to the shareholders as dividend, and half to 
the City of Paris as indemnity. Whilst we are on business topics, I may add 
that the Imperial Society took a hundred shares, the banker is M. llothschild, 
and the office of the Garden is at present No. 19, Hue de Lille, Paris. 
The Garden is situated in the Bois de Boulogne, just beyond the fashion¬ 
able promenade; a broad pathway runs right round it. The first building that 
strikes the eye is the establishment for silkworms, where, from May to Octo¬ 
ber, are made the various experiments on the cultivation and introduction of 
silk. By the side of the different silkworms feeding on the mulberry, from. 
France, Italy, Spain, Asia Minor, India, China, and Japan, are seen the new 
species that have been introduced into Europe by means of the Society,—• 
namely, the Bombyx Mylitta (silkworm feeding on the Oak), Bombyx Arrindia 
(silkworm of the castor-oil plant), and the celebrated Ailanthus (Vers a 
soie de l’Ailante), the Bombyx Cynthia vena, about which so much has been 
written, and from which so much is expected. 
Next in order comes the great collection of birds,—not the mere gathering 
of a Zoological garden, but the specimens only of such as are recommended 
either by their beauty or their use. Behind this building are two rows of 
cages ; one used as a sort of waiting-room when regular accommodation is defi¬ 
cient, the othd* arranged as a hospital for sick birds. I must not stop to men¬ 
tion the curious fowl-yard, the pride of the genuine acclimatist, but I may 
just remind the reader that the most useful fowl we have in England is due 
to the prescient acclimatist who first introduced to Europe the domestic cock 
and hen. 
Further on, we find the space reserved for the annual exhibitions ; and con¬ 
tinuing our route, the paddocks of the larger animals, such as the yaks, oxen, 
sheep, and goats, every specimen of which is there to work out the problem 
indicated by the donor. Coming back, the beehives meet our view. In the 
summer, lessons are regularly given upon bee-training and cultivation, pro¬ 
perly called Apiculture. 
