i6 
&c., and manufacturers send samples of their work there to be 
exhibited. In one small enclosure they had 2000 small Tortoises. 
I made a note and sketch of anything I thought would be useful 
to our Gardens. The Director was away, so I did not see him. 
I left the same evening by the night train for Antwerp, arriving 
there at 1.30 a.m. Next day I visited the Zoological Gardens and 
attended the half-yearly sale, and purchased a 
Antwerp Zoo. few animals, which are enumerated further on. 
Gardens. Most of the Directors of the Continental Gardens 
were present. I was glad to meet them. In the 
evening Mr. L’Hoest, the Director, entertained at dinner the repre¬ 
sentatives of the various Zoological Gardens present. This Society 
has 6000 family subscribers, and at the Concert of instrumental music, 
held in the Gardens in the evening, I was there. There were 4000 
people present. Like all the Continental Gardens, the main source 
of their income is from those who come to the grounds in the 
afternoon or evening to listen to the band and have light refresh¬ 
ments, and that accounts for the large number of subscribers. The 
concert hall and restaurant is the finest building of its kind I 
have seen in any Zoological Garden. At one end is a large 
fernery. There is also a fine Sea-Lion pond and rockery, and 
they make a very good exhibit. Mr. L’Hoest’s eldest son is the 
Assistant-Director. There have been many improvements in these 
Gardens, mainly in using rock-work to ornament the interior of 
the cages and the banks of the Waterfowl ponds. They also rear 
a large number of Pheasants. 
On the 13th I left for Rotterdam, and spent a day in the Gardens 
there. They have a very good carnivora house, also a large 
enclosed aviary, in which Herons and other birds 
Rotterdam Zoo. nest. There is also a large refreshment and 
Gardens. concert room, and they employ permanently 
three smiths, eight painters, and six carpenters 
besides keepers and gardeners — fifty in all. 
Next day I went on to Amsterdam. These Gardens aie very 
interesting, and one of the finest of their kind in Europe. They have 
a very good collection. In the Echidna cage they 
Amsterdam Zoo. also have shown an egg of the animal in spirits, 
Gardens. and it is a very rare and interesting exhibit. There 
are also live fish kept in the Crocodile tank. They 
have four Indian Elephants, and also two species of Kiwi, from 
New Zealand, namely Apteryx owcni and A mantclli , and both kinds 
appear to thrive; but the public cannot see much of them, as they 
remain hidden under a stook of straw all day. They also have a 
very fine aquarium, with both salt and fresh water, and there 
is a small museum close to it. which principally contains mounted 
birds and their nests, with the natural surroundings. The Director 
kindly gave me some good photographs of them, as well as views 
in the Gardens. 
