In another house was the finest collection of striped hyænas I have as yet seen together. There was a new and well-built monkey house, but the crowd was so dense that it was impossible, in the short time at my disposal, to see the whole of the contents of it. I noticed, however, some fine baboons. Crossing a bridge, you come to deer and buffalo pens together, with cages containing smaller animals. The Garden walks had just been re-covered with fresh gravel, and the deluge of rain soon converted these walks into two inches of mud, through which the crowds of men, women, and children were obliged to wade. It was almost impossible to take photographs, owing to the rain and the huge crowds of children, who would insist on collecting before the lens directly one took out one’s camera. CHAPTER XXII ZOOLOGISCHER GARTEN, DRESDEN: DIRECTOR, HERR A. SCHÖFF In 1859 a beginning was made by a society of poultry-fanciers. They laid out a small Garden in the Ostra Avenue, which, although badly situated, found a good deal of favour with the public, and was successful financially. A committee of twenty gentlemen desirous of founding a Zoological Garden met in 1860 for the purpose of taking over the bird-fanciers’ Garden and adding to it, the intention being to issue shares under the name of the Zoological Garden Company of Dresden. His Majesty the King presented to the Company, through the Finance Minister, that part of the royal Garden known as the Poets’ Walk and reservoirs. The co-founder of the Zoological Garden in Berlin laid out the plans for the Garden, and the King and Queen and Royal household gave it their highest approbation. Every kind of wild animal was to be kept in as free a manner as possible. And the founders conceived the idea of laying out, between the animal buildings and the neighbouring houses, a park and garden for the public, so that, besides the interesting sight of the animals, there should also be a pleasant promenade. A sum of £20,000 was spent on the laying out of the Garden, on the animals, and on buildings for them. The price of one share was £10, payable by instalments, and 2,000 shares were issued. The holder of one share was allowed free admittance to the Garden; the holder of two or more shares could enter with four of his family. [Illustration: WAPITI BULL, DRESDEN.] The most flourishing period for all Zoological Gardens--when it became a mania to found Gardens in every town--began in the early sixties. Then there came a reaction. In 1859, 21,462 people paid to enter the old Garden at Dresden, paying £349; the cost of keeping it up was £236.