The zoological gardens of Europe, their history and chief featuresPeel, C. V. A. (Charles Victor Alexander)
History
The zoological gardens of Europe, their history and chief features
Peel, C. V. A. (Charles Victor Alexander)
Zoos
These Gardens, which are worked under the control and direction of
the Jardin d’Acclimatation at Paris, contain a collection of both
useful and wild animals, many of which are bought and sold here. The
Gardens also serve as a resting-place for the animals which the Jardin
d’Acclimatation imports from the far East and exports to the hot
regions by the Mediterranean. The animals remain and get acclimatized
before they are sent on further north to Paris.
Shrubs and plants are also grown, and by their situation behind the
Palais de Longchamp the Gardens constitute one of the most attractive
promenades in Marseilles.
One of the entrances to the Gardens is through a most magnificent set
of buildings, having a large cascade of water in front. This imposing
building is called the Palais de Longchamp, and contains an art museum
and picture-gallery. On passing through the gate, and going up two
flights of steps, you come into a large garden above, and, keeping to
the right, you fall in with the pay-gate to the Zoological Gardens.
It must, however, be borne in mind that the quickest way to reach the
Zoological Gardens is by an ever-ascending electric tram-car, which
finally lands you right in front of the ordinary entrance-gate. On
arrival there, you put a franc into a sort of missionary-box made of
tin, and are ushered through into the Gardens by the gate-keeper. You
are at once confronted with a pretty little grotto arrangement, down
the rockwork of which trickles a waterfall. In the basin at the foot of
the fall are a number of flamingoes wading about and feeding.
[Illustration: LE PALAIS LONGCHAMP, MUSÉE DES BEAUX-ARTS, MARSEILLES.]
The Gardens will be found to lie upon a steep hillside, upon which
walks and terraces are cut one above another. On the second terrace you
find a grotto, with another waterfall higher than the one below. This
grotto is extremely picturesque, the situation of the Garden on the
hillside lending itself well to this form of garden decoration. Here,
at the foot of the second grotto, are to be seen some white swans with
black necks, and some pretty black ducks with dark-green heads. It was
a cold February day when I visited the Gardens, but, to show how early
is the breeding season in the South of France, I may say that the ducks
were already beginning to pair.
On the right the visitor will come upon three cleverly-constructed
cages of a circular shape, backed with rockwork. In this rockwork are
the sleeping apartments of the animals in the cages. These sleeping
apartments have doors communicating with the outer cages, so that when
rain or wind comes the animals can find shelter. The cages have been
cleverly thought out, and are extremely picturesque.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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