THE JARDIN DES PLANTES. 
The great public or government gardens at Paris, con¬ 
tain an extraordinary collection of the natural produc¬ 
tions of the earth, including besides plants and forest 
trees, animals from all quarters of the globe, birds, mine¬ 
rals, collections in comparative anatomy, and indeed 
every department of natural science. It affords unequal¬ 
led facilities for the study of these sciences; and our own 
government and people might well attempt to imitate 
the liberality shown in some parts of its management. 
The garden itself is open to all. There is an amphi¬ 
theatre with a laboratory and apparatus for public lec¬ 
tures, which are given gratuitously, on every branch 
of science for more than half the year. The money 
expended freely and willingly by the United States, in 
driving out or exterminating a single tribe of Indians, 
would set up half a dozen such institutions as the Gar¬ 
den of Plants at Paris. We leave it to the good sense 
of American citizens, which would be the most useful 
to all parties concerned. 
The view here given is from the summit of a high 
elevation, which is ascended by a winding path, border¬ 
ed by close hedges. On the top is a pavilion with seats. 
In front and immediately below, is a large cedar of 
Lebanon, more than a hundred years old, and with a 
trunk over a yard in diameter. Beyond this is seen 
the buildings and yards for the wild animals; exotic 
plants on the left, and a long avenue of lindens on the 
right; and still further is an extensive view of the city 
of Paris. _ 
Talking. —The best rules to form a young man are, 
to talk little, to hear much, to reflect alone upon what 
has passed in company, to distrust one’s own opinions, 
and value others that deserve it. _ 
