The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1876-08-04
For the H,gis d Lateligencer.
The Geological Gardens, Philadelphia.

For the Aggis d htelHgencer.
The Geological Gardens, Philadelphia.
DARBY, DEL. Co., PA, July 81, 1876.
Mr.. EDITOR Having recently visited
two places of some repute, l will give your
readers the benefit of the more important
things I saw. The first visit was to the
Geological Gardens. These Gardens, stu
ated within twenty minutes ride of here -
measuring distance by time-cover at
least one hundred acres of ground, very
prettily laid out in walks and flower beds.
The admission fee is twenty-five cents
Entering the grounds the nice shade and
tall trees Immediately attract attention.
To the right, few hundred yards from
the entrance gate, is a neat and pretty
brick structure and just over the door in
large gilt letters you read: "The Lion
and Bear House." Your curiosity is rails
ed and in you go-only to step back few
PAGES to be sure the cage containing the
beast is strong. Unlike show or travel
ing menagerie, you can approach the cage
and look to your hearts content. AS soon
as you tire looking at one thing another
presents itself A large cage in this build
ing contains one hundred monkeys of ev-
cry size and shape, from q man down to n
kitten. These alone, as they play and ca
per, are enough to keep one interested for
long time. Then just few PAGES from
this is another building where the snakes,
frogs and reptiles are kept, and also the
much talked of "sea cow" This animal
looks almost as much like COW as a man
looks like horse. She is in tank of
water about sixteen feet wide, ten brodd
and ten high. Two sides of the tank are
thick glass, through which every move
ment of the animal may be watched. Her
general position is on the bottom. She
comes to the surface about once in ten min
utcs to breathe. She looks like the pic
lures have seen in books of natural his
tory, which were said to represent the
seal.
Wandering through the building the
boa constructor will no doubt take your
eye, as he curls himself on the cedar
branches of his cage prepared Tor his com
fort. Unlike what expected to see, the boa
constructor is nearly an ash color, dotted
over with large dark brown spots. l aid
not learn his exact length, but think about
nine or ten feet long and about an average
thickness of an ordinary sized mans arm
above the elbow. Then the rattlcsnake e,
black snake and every other kind imagin-
able, try to bite you through their glass
cages. Lizards and frogs, fish, turtles and
reptiles of the sea, which only n close read
er of history would be likely to recog-
nize.
In another building arc the wolves, ny
cnas, tigers, foxes of various kinds, den
of raccoons, squirrels, various kinds OF
bears, the "Scandnavian Devil, and other
animals. The latter named animal is
about the size of common hound of a
dark color, and in appearance something
like n red fox. When looked at carefully
awhile and his every motion watched, one
entirely appropriate.
On little plot of ground in the garden,
surrounded by n wire cage or fence is the
prairie dogs home. Over II hundred oI
these little fellows play and have a good
time generally. They are about the size
of httlc hound pups three weeks old, with
yellow sunburnt hair in general features
like dog, but not the kind to nurse.
The birds have cage to themselves and
constitute every variety, small and large
Among the larger ones are the ostrich and
condor, neither of them shapely nor pretty
In their appropriate apartments are the
buffaloes, camels deer of various sizes
goats, wild sheep, wild hogs, and in the
stream which runs through the ground the
otter swims lazily around, while the croc
odiles sun themselves on the banks neal
by. The cranes and swans as we'll as nu
merous wild ducks also occupy this stream
Ny first visit having taken so mucl
space | shall defer the second until anoth-
er time. ELECTRICAL.