The Express.
London, England, 1856-08-08 00:00:00

THB EXPRESS, FRIDAY EVENING, AUGUST 8, 1856.

LONDON AFTER THE BEASON.

THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.

While the Mends of the Londonr who le obliged
to stay at home, much to his discontent sometimes,
are making themselves acquainted with the natural
history of some one country miles away from the
capital of Cockaigne, our ill-conditioned cockney is
apt to forget that he has an opportunity of becoming
mach better versed in the zoology of any country in
the world than the majority of travellers. He has
moddes to do but to betake himself to an exhibition
is the north-west corner of the 'metropolis. and he
will see a greater variety of animal life than he could
expect to see by travelling in the very districts
from which the specimens exposed to his view
have been transported. And the beauty of his
visit is that it is unaccompanied by any
of those sudden heartqukes which would be the
effect of meeting the magnificent monsters of the
Zoological Gardens in their native homes. The
majestic lions of these Gardens, who seem placed in
their dens for the sole purpose of delighting the spa
tator with the symmetry of their forms and the gran-
deur of their po es, who appear sleepy, used up, like
jaded roues, would arouse other feelings than admira-
tion if they were visited "at home " in the desert on
the look out for a dinner. There are few persons
who, like Gordon Cumming or Jules Gerard, eon pen.l
mats their studies in natural history amidst as
assembly of wild beasts longing to make a meal of
them. In the Zoological Gardens the asset
timid student of natural history is able to
pursue his investigations in peace. He may
count the teeth of the lion, or the stripes of
the tiger, or the spots of the leopard, with the meet
perfect tranquillity. It is se if a general deputation,
consisting of representatives of all the races food of
feeding upon human flesh or damaging the homan
body, had assembled in magnificent apartments, and
bound themselves by heavy securities to submit
quietly and peaceably to the strictest arose-exami-
nation.
This is one of the great uses of the Zoological Gar-
dens and similar collection& They enable us, by
allowing us to make observations in detail, to acquire
a knowledge of the animals presented to our inspeo-
non, which would have been almost impossible under
other circumstances. Nay more, when there are
several specimens of a spoke, we may acquire •
knowledge of even individual (Waster. The keepers
of the Boca sod tigers, and even visitors who attend
constantly, are able to trace, not only difference of ex-
pression, but differences of character, in the animals.
Shepherds, we know, can distinctly perceive differ-
emcee of feature and disposition in the members of
their flock. We get, as it were, biographical notices
of the individuals of the spooks, and are thus en-
abled to proceed with increased knowledge to the
study of the genera.
Viewed in this light the &sleeted Gardens sated
to the humble English IMAM of MEd Wag
tasilities which he would oat have Mad bad be um
a citizen of ancient Rome itself, where, as thi
yeller Shaw tells as, as many lions were Woo* to
be killed in one year es are now to be Imo& is lb,
whole of Africa. But they were brought Moo to bs
killed, and for nothing else. When five thanes&
wild beasts were exposed to public view to slaughter
and be slaughtered (not one of whom escaped) is the
Colosseum at its opening, • mere sanguinary impale,
was satisfied. Who thought of the meaning of these
works of God's hands offered up to satiate a greedy
appetite for blood ? Them scenes ads the !Mow
worse than they found them. They had benne,
says Milten,capable of all other vices:

Then wed by their sports, to Wood lamed
Of fistulas beasts, sad moos hi beams owed

Gibbon never made a greater mistake than when
he segginted that the shows of beasts to be swilled
in Rome were possibly of use to the scientific study
of natural history. While the populace," says,
" gazed with stupid weeder on the splendid show,
the naturalist might, indeed, observe the figures and
properties of No many digerati species transported
from every part of the ancient world into the amphi•
thistle of Rome.* The naturalist might indeed, bat
be did sot t and the five thonsaad besets offered up by
Titer, the ten thousand by Trojan at the conclusion
of the Dorian war, the bears, elks, zebras, ostriches,
bears, wild horses bronchi together by the yeeepr
(Mediae, the almost daily holocausts of animals tot-
tered and killed for the amusement of a blood-thirsty
populace, died and left no sign in the books of
science. The use of wild animals to the ancient
Roman was only exhibited in the manner of their
deaths to the modern Englishman this we is dis-
played in the food which they afford him for thought
and reflection.
The visitor to the Zoological Oardeas is met by an
announcement on his entrance that the pelicans are
fed at one hour, the otters at another, and the Horns
at • third. He has therefore an opportunity of seeing
bird, fish, and beast exercise their gastreamnical pro-
penalties after their peculiar fashion. We feel bound
to observe that we have but slight curiosity to wit-
ness these exhibitions. We make an exception with
respect to the otter. The preternatural vitality. which
he displays in both elements, water and air, the
marvel loes speed with which he cleaves through the
one and leaps through the other, the graceful plops
that he makes, the delighted gambols in which he
iodalges, are suggestive of depths of Epicure's sea-
moss enjoyment which are almost bewildering.
Foe the moment we feel. a strong inclination
to become an otter, bat we leek ourselves
epos the election that otters are hunted I
and bootleg, we know, is a pleasure in which
one only of the parties oaosrsed participates. We
care very little tor the privilege of being invited to
the pelicans' meal. They are ungainly creatures, and
have stopped in their progress in the art of wigs at
mere gobbling. We are satosished that beaks med so
coastantly and delicately for the delousing
the instil white feathers of them • , should be
y each disgusting gormandise. As
Cittlhaestoro, we would rather not see them at at all.

They sad their friends the tigers awaken ugly mow
tions, as they are 'eau licking the bleeding flesh
and polishing off the bones before they crunch them.
We are very. food of the carnivore terrace when the
mamas are in repose, bat we "West to see them when
sating. We would as seen wham the performances
of a court of traditional abloom. after being turned
out like so many Nebosbodarsuars to feed for a few
years, not certainly to lbe postings which was pro-
vided for that Oriental but on raw turtle.
We are content with the me bier's manner of Med-
i lug. He hie a little straggle for his meal, and the
energy with which he pleases into the told water to
loins his dainty more& is 'soothing quite refreshing
in the dog days. Tedder of refreshment, let the
way-worn tovetler, fainting with the heat, go to the
seals and envy them. The Polar bear is the oily
bear that we oars much about looking at. His
brethren in the adjoiaing sell are very ugly, very
greedy, mad very stupid. The pretinamty with
which they climb op the pole every day
to get nothing is worthy of an unfortunate
client in a Chasooy snit. The hippopotamus is a
much more in parsonage. We admire him
the more for the ph icel coolness with white
he treats his lass of popularity. He tumbles Issily
and contentedly about In his pool, and does not ears
twopence for the abstain of the crowds who used
ogee to assemble round his dwelling, grateful for a
mere glues. It is a pleasant sight to am the giraffe
craning over the Tailless which separate him from the
hippopotamus, and looking, as in wonderment, upon
the strange amusements and the curious igen of
the beast before him. The contrast is complete. The
elephant, the rhinoceros, Its antelope, sod other
beasts will afford matter far Niel:tics to those

who are phased with Woutra;;iii animal
nature. The serpent room is a curious ob-
ject of study. There they lie in their large
glair cape as vast and es beautiful as if they were
incapable of squerxiog the life out of an ex, or spit-
ting deadly poen into the veins of a mos. Look at
ose of those pythons who has disposed of himself in
the most graceful convolutions, tied himself up in
the most artful of knots, as if he wished to attrset
attention for his beauty and inpsuity. Thsok your
stars you are separated from him by the thick plats
glass. He would poem your bones—as he does
those of a tiger whet he is at liberty in his active
lead—to powder. Look with becomes awe upon
that large p9ftadder. He hes the power of an stay
of Palmer, of Roseley ander his teeth. There
is a 'Woe' look shoat his eye mrtainly, bet
there is a contented lasy appeansee about'
hie notions which might almst persuade us

that he has been maligned. Nevertheless he
would ;be worth clarets& of strychnine to persons
desirous of getting rid of troublesome relations or
friends. Ass you leave the reptile-room, be grateful
that you need not fear finding ate of these interesting
creatures la your bed when you get home, as might be
the case were you in regions nearer the Equator. The
mookerroom will dispel any little nervousness you
may have acquired in going through the dwellings
of the animals whose attacks are dangerous to human
life. The imperturbable goad humour, the love of
amusement, the exuberant life displayed by the
monkeys is aweigh to e rive away the blue devils
from the most saturnine philosopher. By-the-
bye, they are not all lively. Some of them
occasionally put on looks of gravity which
are more ludicrous than their most extrava-
gant entice. There wee one old gentleman,—we
have, alas! to moors for his death—who was the sub-
ject of our especial admiration on account of hie air
of profound seriousosas. Hie cheeks were ribbed
and of • beautiful blue colour. His appellation—we
regret it was not more dignified—was the Ribbed-
nose Baboon. He would sit by the hour and look at
you with a solemnity which was perfectly overwhelm-
ing. He must have been the Lord Chancellor or the
Prime Minister of his race. It is not our intention to
go through the wondasof the Zoological Gardens now.
We only wished to jog the memories of forgetful readers,
and remind them that they have within reach a won-
, derful museum which they would do well to visit.
Let them not neglect when they are there to look well
at the aquarium, and the beautiful animals and
zoophytes it contains. The gardens themselves are
beautiful enough without any other attraction to en-
tice spectators. Apparently the attractions are not
' displayed in vain. The number of visitors on Mon-
' day, the cheap day, varies from six to eight thousand.
Mon-
-1
On other days the number ranges from five to eight
hundred. On Saturday, during the season, when
, there is a concert, the number is about two thousand.