On December 10, 1873, Professor Landois and Sanitary Inspector Nübel took a lease of the island and everything standing upon it until February 14, 1874, when they bought it right out and set to work to form a Zoological Garden upon it. In order to improve the appearance of the place, they induced Herr Carl Koller to sell them a neighbouring meadow for 2,000 thalers. With extraordinary activity they worked until June 26, 1875, when the Garden was formally opened to the public. In 1881 the pillar-hall--a large entrance-hall--was built; this, however, was subsequently destroyed by fire. In 1894 it was replaced by a new building in the modern style, approached by a bridge over the river. The entrance-hall bears over its gate the inscription: ‘Omne tulit punctum qui miscuit utile dulci’ (Everyone hits the right nail on the head who combines the useful with the beautiful). The restaurant was completed for the opening of the Garden in 1875. The great hall, with its ante-rooms, was originally destined for a scientific and artistic museum; but the people, as of old, hungered more for pleasure than for science, so that the whole of the scientific collection had to be removed to the lumber-room above, and a theatre and stage took its place. According to the opinion of Carl Hagenbeck, the monkey house at Münster is the best erection of its kind in the world. The monkeys can be outside or inside as they please all the year round. In consequence of this the house has been copied by many other Gardens. The wolves’ grotto was built in 1883. The bear pit carries the following peculiar inscription: ‘Cette belle et gracieuse villa L’on doit et l’ours au gorilla--1881.’ This is explained when we are told that in 1881 Professor Landois travelled round the towns of Westphalia with the skeleton of a gorilla, and held popular scientific lectures upon it; the money obtained he presented for the building of the bear pit. Many have been born here. There is a female polar bear with a male brown bear, and hopes are expressed that some day there may be a piebald bear-cub. The aquarium is a present from the Evening Society, and was built out of the profits of the play called ‘King Belle’ in 1886. The owl tower was built from the profits of another play.