The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1868-11-04

/ OF insects made In bArbary by DsslOnJaiuoSs
At this time all the similar institutions Ia
| Europe did not contain so many specimens,
! species, and varied lies, though, notwtthstand-
| ing, its most valuable features have been
! added since. II was in the days OF the elder
! Napoleon that the name of Cuvier was ap-
pended to the list Of professors, and to him Is
due the credit of having been the first to sug-
gest and demonstrate that many of the fossil
remains Of geology were those Of now extinct
speces-a fact the demonstration of which
laid the foundation for intelligent study of geo.
logical fossils, and effected complete revolu-
tion in the theories of that science. In 1900,
under the regime Of Napoleon also, IL, 600
francs in gold were paid Tor an Engsh col
lection, consisting OF two tigers, two lynxes,
one mandfl, leopard, panther, a hyena,
and few birds. At this time, also, began the
publication OF the Annals of the Museum, the
first of the twenty volumes OF which was
printed in 1901.
In 1902 the Weiss collection of minerals
was added for $50, coo francs; in 1902, also,
the Gsyola museum of fossil fishes Was moor
porattd, together with NJ. Birral's Corsican
collection aud the celebrated Verouess eolleo-
tioD, more valuable than either. In 1903 the
Australian expedition was made, which re-
suited in o collection that Cuvier highly
praised as of inestimable value. Soon after,
Humboldt presented the herbarium OF his
travels, which consisted OF $500 species; also,
NJ u6OuToy MS COlleCLiOu ulauS uurlDR IOur
years residence in Egypt, and including the
mummies of several s4cred animals from tbs
tombs Of Memphis aud Thebes. 1t was through
these specimens that Cuvier and Savigny we're
able to determine that the tdidius ibiS Of Sens-
gal was not the ibis of the Egyptians. In 1914
NJ. Brenser's famous collection of intestinal
animals was added; also the wax. modelled
fungi of the Museum, reckoned the most aeou-
rate wax-wolk ever made.
The ahOva raDid nnFas of tho ynrnoraco of
the Jdrdin des Piantes and the extent to which
scence is indebted for its great discoveries to
the culture afforded by the institution, are
sufficient to illustrate the value of geological
and botanical gardens, scientifically speaking.
The Jardin deS PlanteS, and that only, it has
been which, fostering the esprit de corps
among scientific men, has kept France far in
the van, so far as scientific discovery is con-
cerned, for two centuries.
A mere catalogue of the names which
the Jdrdin deS EtanteS he's rendered illustrious
would occupy cOlumns-not to mention the
thousands OF students who regularly attend
the lectures on comparative anatomy, geology,
agriculture, mineralogy, zoology, botany, and
the whole circle of physical sciences.
Other Gardens in She old World.
The Geological Garden in Regents Park,
London, is fine institution, though little
TO be compared with the great Museum of
though exclusively botanical and hor-
ticultural, is the Royal Gardens, at
Kew, of which Sir W. j. Hooker is
director. In receut report on the condition
of the garden, this gentleman notes the fact
that, although the great mass OF its visitors
visit it for purposes OF recreation, still large
have no other aim than scientific
and botanical study; while mauy more make
use of it for drawings OF rare species to be in
q
to copy novel or striking vegetable produc-
tions; and small percentage for designs To
be reproduced in manufactured goods. In
fact, one can scarcely enter an English gallery
Of art without a recognition in some of its
paintings of trees, shrubs, or rare plants
seen in the institution at Kew, and the
same is true to a large extent of English wax.
work and English designs on manufactured
woollens, silks, and cottons; while profess
sional gardeners esteem it great privilege to
be permitted to pass couple Of years in COM
pleting their education in connection with the
institution.
In the continental cities of Amsterdam,
Client, Antwerp, and Brussels, geological
gardens have also been founded, and are
supported and conducted by geological sooie-
ties. The Antwerp Garden was founded in
1S43, with a capital on the part of the Z)olog-
ics,l Society of 800 900, devoted to the acquir-
ing of land and the erection of suitable build
iugs. The annual expenses are now about
$40, 00O, which are met by an admission fee of
one franc, by the sale of exotic birds and
animals reared In the institution, by an
entrance fee of membership of 20 francs, and
by an annual levy on the members of 25 francs
a year. The capital of the Client Garden,
founded in a similar manner, originally but
$50, COO, has been recently enlarged to 800 600.
The grounds comprise 13 acres; shareholders
number about 1000; annual income is now
about S13, 600; annual expenses are about
$40, 600. In Brussels the grounds have been
neatly planted, SO as to conceal the cages
mostly by overhanging vegetation.
Altogether, these institutions offer type
unknown to France. Founded by subscrip-
ton, they owe nothing to the State, and
derive their resources altogether from their
own development. 1t has been proposed to
annex to the collections of animals q library
of Natural History ard courses OF public lee
lures, but not one Of the societies has ever
been able to put the plan into practical opera
ton. 10 fact created by societies simply, and
so supported, there can be no expectation
that they will ever rival the great Natural
History Museum of Paris, upheld as it is by
the central power of the State. These lesser
institutions have nevertheless, aplaoe to take
in the propagation of a knowledge of animals,
and the stripping OF science OF its morose
gravity, Half century back, the
giraffe and kangaroo We're as paradoxioal
to the popular mind as were the uni
corn and griffin. At present these
animals live and walk about before our eyes,
and this is some little progress. Natural His
tory is, to the popular mind, no longer cold
oatacomb Of specimens, dead stuffed, and
ticketed, and this is greater progress still.
The natural purpose OF the geological gardens
at this age, when comparative anatomy has
less need of CuViers and pioneers in discovery