The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-06-25

10 about fifteen miles from London. A
company was formed for this enter
prise with capital OF two million
pounds sterling. to which several hundred
thousand pounds we're atterward added
Grounds were purchased to the extent OF 200
acres in q commanding situation. which have
been converted into charming gardens and
terraces. with walks and waters and islands
picturesauely distributed. altogether forming
an enchanting Landscape.
On an elevation overlooking the grounds
stands the palace. which enjoys also noble
and extensive view OF the whole surrounding
country.
The great building itself Is approached by
long flights Of steps up the terraces. through
long glazed gallery. which extends from one
end Of the building. at right angles, down to
the railway station.
The way is long and tedious. On entering
at the end in this manner, you see the palace
stretching away before you. 1000 feet in
length and 300 feet wide.
1t is filed on one side with shops. in which
all sorts Of beautiful things are sold. In the
centre are flowers. and plaster casts. and
statues. and stuffed men and animals Of the
common museum type. intended mainly to In
terest the unregenerate sons OF toll
Further on Is tho tremendous organ and
orchestra. which has contained 1000 per-
formers
Beyond is portion Of the palace. divided
of for the growth Of tropical plants and those
which require to live in water. for which vast
basin is prepared.
Here are some genuine curiosities. There Is
the great California tree. christened with true
English style the "Wellingtonian Gigantea."
The section of its exterior here put together
is 11e feet high and at this point the branches
began.
Its whole height was 1888 feet It's diameter
is 81 feet at the base and Is feet at the top.
What is here. though it gives perfect idea Of
the trunk of the tree. is but shell not more
than foot thick.
Opposite the tree are two colossal portraits
copied from the famous Egyptian temple near
the Cataracts Of the Nile. They are fac-similes
and OF immense size. They are In sitting
posture. and nearly 100 feet high.
Here, too. is u reproduction Of Assyrian ar
chitecture In great temple and court, erected
by competent authority to show what 1t was
in the time OF It's splendor.
We could find no tea plant. but the coffee
shrub was there, as large as q good sized
rosebush. The sugar cane was hourishing.
looking much like Indian corn. only the leaves
were longer and narrower. and the bottom Of
the stalk was heavier than that OF the maize.
Many OF the more valuable tropical plants are
tho gift Of tho Queen and nobility.
Up stairs we found models Of ships and
steamers Of m odern and ancient construction.
both OF English and foreign build.
There are copies Of celebrated statues.
among others some equestrian statues from
Italy. There are also valuable copies Of an
cient tombs.
1t is outside. however. that feature Is found
OF unique and most interesting character. and
to some possessing greater attractions than
all the rest.
This Is the reproduction OF the prehistoric
animals-animals OF which We have no other
knowledge than the fossil bones. found In
ancient beds OF primeval earth and stone.
which have lain undisturbed for untold peri
DDS. perhaps millions OF years.
1t has been reserved to the last century to
unearth these bones, and to m odern ingenuity
to reconstruct tho forms of the animals them
selves.
TheyAra on two little islands inaccessible
to the visitor but only separated from his
view by little thread Of water.
The specimens are made on iron and brick
frames. and moulded into form by brown
paste which hardens into stone.
Here they stand in solitary grandeur. aston
fishing the hehoder by their amazing size and
strangeness Of figure. We behold before us
tho eAuCS counterpart vi bnluhIS, mover, II
We may trust the biologists. seen In their
living forms by human eye. Human genius
has evoked them from their long sleep and
brought them In their original shapes before
the world. Whether these forms are strictly
accurate or not. We know from the skeletons
that have been found that they bear at least q
resem b!ance to the originals.
There nre thirty or forty figures. many Of
them In couples. There Is the Ichthyosaurus
or fish lizard. the length OF which is thirty five
feet. md the Teleosaurus. Of the crocodile spe-
Giles. thirty feet long. with jaws one-third the
length OF the whole animal With these are the
Plcsiosaurus. with lonG necks like combina-
ton of the turtle and serpent. These three
kinds are found near the lowest OF the Second
airy formations.
After these. in tho Oolite, the next formation
above In the classification OF the biologists. is
found the Megalosaurus. an elephantine ami
NAL with hump over his shoulder and a great
tail lying ut length on the ground. and the
mouth and Jaws Of the alligator stamp. girting
OBJ feet and being 80 feet long from head to
tail This animal was found near Oxford.
England by Mr.. auckland.
Above the Oollte. In the Wealden. and below
the chalk. Is found tho Iguanadon. another
huge animal. vegetable feeder. and kind OF
gigantic lizard.
his Size may DO eStlnateu Dy the TACT that
to construct his model 1t took six hundred
and fifty bushels OF artificial stone. besides
iron bars and hopping and near a thousand
bricks.
The remains OF this animal were found In
Tilgate Forest. by DR.. MantelL Twenty-one
persons dined inside his body In 1853.
In the green sand and chalk above the
Weaden. 10 found the HylHosaurus. an AMI
NAL almost as large as the Iguanadon. with
rough saw-like fringe along his backbone
and tall Also the Mosasaurus. an animal
partly In the water. and tho wlng-hnRered
dragons. or Pterodactyls, one Of tho most ex-
traordinary OF the extinct animals. though not
large
Above the chalk In the Tertiary beds was
found the Ano plotherium. near Paris. and also
the PalRotherlum. discovered by Cuvier. The
whole animal was restored by him from few
bones. There are three OF those on the
islands Next Is the Megatherium. an i'm
mense vegetable feeder found in South Amer