Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1874-07-15
The Philadelphia Geological Garden.

The Philadelphia Ledger of this morn
ing gives the following description of the
Geological Garden ut Fairmount Park,
which is today opened to the public:
8 ''The grounds comprised in the garden
cover an area of sixteen acres, and are
located in the West Park, Immediately
south of the approach to Girard avenue
| bridge. The principal entrance to the
garden is in close proximity to the bridge.
1.-The buildings which have been erect
ed in the garden are as follows: Near the
main entrance is frame building, intend
ed to be used as refreshment saloon;
opposite this and to the left of the princi-
pal walk is monkey house; Just beyond
this is the prairie dog village, and further
on to the right of small rivulet, the avi-
ary. Beyond the aviary, in the neighbor-
hood of Thirty-seventh street, arc four
enclosures for foxes, raccoons and wolves.
At the southern end of these enclosures is
large barn, and at the northern end,
stall has been erected for the elephant. At
the southern extremity of the barn is
| situated another aviary, which is divided
into compartments for eagles, owls and
| hawks. The space on the other bank Of
the rivulet is occupied by enclosures, in
which are confined a pair of handsome
elks, four Virginia red deer, a cotton-t;,il
deer, Rocky Mountain deer, a black
tailed deer, an Gland, a Rocky Mountain
antelope and Peruvian llama. South of
these enclosures are the buffalo stalls, in
which are now two buffaloes.
Further on and at the head of slight
elevation are the bear pits. while west of
| these and near the river road is the Penn
mansion, which was built by Mr.. John
Granville Penn, who imported all the
! bricks, woodwork, etc, necessary for the
! building from England. 1t has been re-
stored to its original condition. and the
/ front room contains eight aquaria. 1t is
designed ultimately to convert the man
sion into y Museum of Natural History.
At present the rooms not used by the
/ Geological Society are occupied by the
/ Superintendent of the garden. Arranged
along the various paths which traverse
! the garden are cages and enclosures in
which animals are confined. Among
/ them are prairie wolf, two lynxes, two
leopards, two ocelots, agoutis porcupines,
sloths, fox bats. pheasants, curassows. two
of which We're presented by President
/ Grant, squirrels, doves, California quail,
by Mr.. Caspar Iett " The monkey house
- - ii'sAti'ciiiNiN VI
and cost $1,000. 1t contains about fifty
monkeys of various species, among which
are a very small baboon and spider-mon-
key The rlvulet which flows through the
garden widens near the river road into a
pond which is used for swans; at the up
per or western end of the stream is an
enclosed place for storks, cranes, &c.
The ayiary is a handsome building of
brick, of different colors, and cost $4,000.
The additional aviary,' situated at the
southern extremity of the lawn, is 40 feet
high, 20 feet long and 10 feet deep. and
is built in the form of beehive.
The bear pits are of stone, so feet long
20 feet deep, and from II to l5 feet high,
the western end being terraced to level
with the wall. There are three pits, each
of which is provided with a pole in the
center for the bears to climb upon. and
tanks filled with water. Each pit has a
grated door of iron. through which the
visitors may see the bears. The northern
pit is now occupied by a black bear, two
brown bears and cinnamon bear; the
middle pit by Il female grizzly bear, and
the southern pit by black bear, from
Brigham Young's collection and black
bear from Western Pennsylvania. The
garden contains 200 quadrupeds, g. birds
and - reptiles