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S a shareholder in the 'Société anonyme du Jardin zoologique d'Acclimatation du Bois de Boulogne,' the writer has duly received the Reports of the Director and Council of Management to the Annual Meetings of the Society.

That which was issued after the 'Assemblée générale des Actionnaires' in August last (1871) contains details of incidents not hitherto made public, or which have been referred to at the time in a loose and general way in the daily papers by Our Correspondent in Paris.' They are of interest and may not be without use as bearing, though in a small way, upon the cost and consequences of putting the differences between States to the arbitrament of war.

France was the first of European nations to adorn her capital and add to the pleasures and means of instruction of its residents by a Botanical Garden and a menagerie. The old 'physic garden,' originally destined for the cultivation of medicinal herbs, preceded by a century or more that development which issued in the addition of arrangements and buildings for the keep and show of rare and exotic animals. But the establishment which afforded the materials for Buffon's, Daubenton's, and Cuvier's advancements of zoology, retained its old name of 'Jardin des Plantes.'

This notable feature of the eastern suburbs of Paris was always a 'Government Establishment:' and whether, after the demise of the Cuviers, George and Frederic, the latter having had the special charge of the menagerie, that part of the 'Jardin' fell off; or whether the aims of those interested in the acclimatisation of new animals were out of the sphere of duties of the 'professeurs

administrateurs;' or whether the example of our own Zoological Gardens began to stimulate the Parisians; it came to pass, and probably through a combination of these and other causes, that Paris determined to have her own Zoological Gardens, and at the opposite or 6 west' end of the city.

A Society was thereupon organised, under the name of 'Société d'Acclimatation,' partly after the fashion of that which had founded our own Zoological Society, but with more of the joint-stock element in it; and to this Society the Ville de Paris, or Baron Haussmann, conceded in 1859 some acres of barren ground in the 'Bois de Boulogne ; on condition of the requisite constructions, plantings, and arrangements of grounds being made at the cost of the Society, the whole to return into the possession and usufruct of the City of Paris at the expiry of forty years after the date of concession.

The French Association, definitely organised in 1860, on the constitution of a 'société anonyme' or 'joint stock (limited),' had the good sense to avail themselves of the experience of a former Secretary of our own Zoological Society, Mr. Mitchell, whose management of the Gardens in the Regent's Park had been attended with great success; and to him was confided the initiation of the constructions and other adaptive works of the conceded ground for the purposes of the French Society. Mr. Mitchell, who had resigned his office in the London Society, devoted himself with characteristic activity and judgment to the development of the Parisian establishment; and on his demise was succeeded in the management or directorship of the Jardin d'Acclimatation' by a grandson of

the philosophical anatomist, Geoffroy Saint-Hilaire.

The appeal of M. Geoffroy SaintHilaire to the Préfet de la Seine, of October 1, 1871, is a model of tact and the way of putting a case;' and if the heart of a ' Préfet,' overwhelmed with calls and at a loss for means, could be touched, it must melt at the eloquent Director's appeal for an annual subscription of 60,000 francs (2,400l.) in order to reinstate and keep a-going the unfortunate 'Jardin zoologique d'Acclimatation du Bois de Boulogne.'

The Society had not at any period of its prosperity declared a dividend; but more wisely, and in accordance with the view of most of its original supporters, re-invested annual profits in new buildings and other developments. It became, largely, a dealer in exotic animals and plants, a breeder and grower of the same, and did not disdain to rival and outbid the Tuileries Gardens in attractions for little folks. 'Les heureuses innovations de la singerie,'-arrangements, i.e., for making the monkeys more attractive de la promenade sur les éléphants, de l'emploi des petits chevaux pour traîner et porter les enfants, étaient devenues pour le public un véritable attrait.' I

on

Up to July last year, no promised reward told more the imaginations and longings of 'les enfants de Paris' than a visit to the 'Jardin d'Acclimatation,' and a ride on the elephant. At that date the Conseil d'Administration' could confidently announce to the 'actionnaires' that their hopes of the prosperity of the establishment were fulfilled, on the soundest foundation; for they could reckon more and more, year by year, on the public visitor and the public purchaser."2

2 Ibid.

But a certain individual in high position began to fear that he might be unable to retain it. That depressing emotion seems to have affected his judgment: moreover, himself and his dynasty occupied more of his thoughts than the people and country who for years had liberally, nay profusely, supplied all his cravings both for their money and their sons. So he rushed into the desperate enterprise, of which one of the minor or minute results is the statement of what happened to the Zoological Gardens in the Bois de Boulogne subsequently to the month of July 1870.

'Le premier semestre de cette année avait été vraiment satisfaisant.' 'Nous étions donc bien fondés à vous faire espérer, pour 1870 et les années suivantes, des résultats heureux de l'entreprise à laquelle vous Vous êtes associés. Mais cet espoir de succès devait être anéanti par les événements déplorables qui ont bouleversé la France.' 3

The course and misfortunes of war during a few short weeks had so much affected the daily receipts at the Garden, that a special 'Conseil d'Administration' met on the 10th of August 1870, and, 'en présence des événements déjà graves qui s'étaient produits,' determined to reduce the salaried staff. Shortly after, the Council became alive to a graver contingency-Le siége de Paris devenait probable.' 4 Whereupon the Municipal Administration (August 30) interdicted access of the public to the Bois de Boulogne, and applied that pleasure-ground of Paris to the reception of the flocks and herds which converged from all parts of France to the threatened city. At this date, the Rapport states:-'Plus de 130,000 moutons, 15,000 à 20,000 bœufs et vaches furent mis en possession de

la belle promenade parisienne. Dèslors, le Jardin d'Acclimatation était complètement fermé."

The rapidity and accuracy of the movements of the Prussian armies left little time for arrangements for the safety of the exotics in the shutup garden. Within a few days after August 30 came the catastrophe of Sedan, and the siege of Paris became inevitable.

The first step taken by the 'Direction' was to enter into communication with the nearest and most accessible cognate establishments. The Zoological Gardens of Brussels and of Antwerp consented to receive some of the rarer species, which were forthwith transmitted by such means and routes as remained available. Many of the more valuable birds were received into the Botanic Garden of Tours, and by M. Cornély van Heemstra, at his 'château de Beaujardin,' near that city. Of their fate, after the subsequent progress of the enemy, we have no note. This exodus began on September 4, but was put a stop to five days after, the railways refusing, or being unable, to receive the

caravans.

A certain proportion of the live stock was thus, however, placed, it was hoped, in safety; but that which still remained in the 'Jardin' was very considerable. The Administrative Council were unanimous, that to leave them in the Bois de Boulogne' would be most imprudent and hazardous, for no one now doubted the speedy entry of the enemy into Paris, and that the suburbs would be mercilessly ravaged.2

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Application was accordingly made to the authorities of the Jardin des Plantes' to extend their hospitality to the live stock left in the establishment in the Bois de

1

Rapport, etc., du 1er août 1871, p. 4.

Boulogne. It was accorded on two conditions-that the animals should be accompanied with a month's provisions, and be looked after by the keepers of the Society.

The transport of the stock from the west to the east of Paris was a work of no small difficulty, cost, and time. It required not less than thirty-five transits by the large cattle-trucks of the 'Chemin de Fer du Nord,' and sixty journeys by horse-road of the waggons of the Society, to transport to the Jardin des Plantes the collection of animals, with their fodder and other requisites. The reduced staff did their best, and in little more than a week the exodus was accomplished, and an accessory menagerie improvised in the Jardin des Plantes.

The head-gardener of the Société remained at the Jardin d'Acclimatation, to look after the hot-houses and conservatories, with one or two under-gardeners and keepers. But this surveillance' soon came to an end. The military authorities put a stop to all inter-communication between Paris and Neuilly, and every employé abandoned the place and their work save one, the keeper Decker, who determined to remain at all hazards and privations. Poor Decker! he sealed his devotion with his life, as we shall presently see.

A company of the gendarmes of the corps d'armée of General Ducrot was quartered in the building containing the offices of the Jardin d'Acclimatation, and some small benefit was derived therefrom by the prevention of the depredations which now became frequent and almost systematic in the houses and gardens of the suburbs and outlying parts of the besieged city.

The fuel required for heating the stoves and warming-apparatus of the hot-houses, &c., had not been

laid in when these troubles began, and seems to have been lost sight of in the rapid succession of pressing emergencies; so in the course of November the more tender and delicate plants began to suffer. Neither coals nor charcoal could now be had at any price; and the water-supply being cut off, the hotwater apparatus became useless. Such stoves as could be got were put into the conservatories heated by the wood of the rare and beautiful trees of the garden, which were cut down as required, and in this way a certain proportion of the bedding-out' and young nursery plants were saved. But now another difficulty Decker, and the one or two hands he had got to help in the work, ran the risk of being starved. The gendarmes were withdrawn. No provisions were to be got from Neuilly, and to obtain the pass through the gates of the ramparts into Paris became almost an impossibility. At length, by interest with M. l'Amiral du Quilio, in command of 'La Porte des Termes,' food was transmitted from time to time to the devoted Decker.

arose.

It was as much as he could do to defend the Jardin from the marauders of every kind infesting the Bois de Boulogne, cutting down the trees, plundering and destroying the dwellings, removing doors and windows, &c. He succeeded, however, in saving the buildings from this species of demolition, but the Société lost their outlying plantations, and the palisades and fences along the border of the river.

As to the fate of the main part of the live stock, chiefly quadrupeds (Mammalia), transferred to the 'Jardin des Plantes,' the record is, in its kind, tragical. Their removal, as we have seen, was effected about the middle of September, the animals being accompanied with provisions for thirty days. The supply of oats and other grains lasted for a

few days longer, but the hay and straw were exhausted. The more common kinds of beasts, varieties of sheep, zebus, buffaloes, and other foreign cattle, fallow and other species of deer, babyroussas and other wild hogs-all these now commanded famine prices, and day by day were sold off. Hay and straw were purchased at still more exorbitant charges, in hopes of preserving the elephants and other exotic Herbivora. But the state of siege was prolonged beyond all calculation; the poor monkeys died of cold and starvation, and the Society was at length compelled to sacrifice the precious remainder of their menagerie-stock. Two states of things combined to accelerate this catastrophe-hunger of the beleaguered population without, and an almost impossibility of obtaining food for the coveted beasts within, the Jardin des Plantes.

Restaurateurs, and Chefs' of the wealthy who had not been able to get away in time, began to bid high for those quadrupeds more especially that chewed the cud and had cloven feet.' M. Geoffroy SaintHilaire obtained for the three elands or Canna antelopes the sum of four thousand francs. The gnus and nilghaus fetched similar prices. The camels and dromedaries were next sacrificed, two camels bringing five thousand francs. Finally came the turn of the elephants-the pets of young Paris. Here the Society also made a nominal money-profit; the two elephants which had been purchased for twenty thousand francs were sold for twenty-seven thousand francs.

The Executive did their utmost, and were driven to the last extremity before yielding. Not until the middle of December were the huge proboscidians allowed to follow their fellows to the shambles.

Hay had ceased to be procurable; straw was hardly to be had at any price. The keepers used to go, when the military authorities permitted,

into the Bois de Boulogne and the deserted 'Jardin,' there to collect dead leaves and any acorns overlooked by the starving people. Even the very thatch from the sheds and outhouses was stripped, carried eastward, and greedily mumbled by the remaining herbivora. Some few were thus kept alive to the conclusion of the armistice with the Prussians.

were obliged to take refuge in the cellars and vaults, whence they hazarded a rush, from time to time, to give a hurried supply to the animals and some of the most requisite attentions to the plants. The Conseil d'Administration' pay a just tribute to this devotion of their servants, at the risk of their lives, to the conservation of what remained of the Society's property.

promptly effected: the fences were restored. The remnant of the livestock in the 'Jardin des Plantes' was retransferred to the 'Jardin d'Acclimatation.' The rare and valuable birds confided to the Zoological Gardens at Brussels were brought back in good condition. The beautiful exotic Reevesian, Impeyan, and other pheasants were especially welcome, as the season for their annual broods approached; and this operation, in which the Acclimatation Society had deservedly realised marked success, produced an important item in the receipts.

There was fair ground of hope that the establishment might recover its old vitality. But new trials were in store. The Germans had been bad, the Commune was worse: the position of the property, between the assailants from Versailles and the defenders of Montmartre, was critical. For two months bombs and balls fell night and day upon the unfortunate Jardin d'Acclimatation. Such of the staff as had returned there, found no shelter in the habitations, and

venturesome than the rest, was killed by the bursting of a bomb. The gardener, Loubineau, died of his wounds after some days of agony. Lemoine, keeper of the quadrupeds, and Lombard the carpenter, were wounded, but recovered.

A fine male wild ass of the desert' (Hemionus), which had weathered the difficulties and privations of the first siege, was killed by a cannon ball. A guanaco in calf, an Alpo-lama and doe Axis deer in the same interesting condition, and especially favoured with food on that account, met with the same fate. Two horses, a Jerusalem ass, and a sheep, were wounded and had to be killed. A solitary pelican, which swam through the iron storm in safety, died of starvation.

Every construction in the garden suffered more or less: some were utterly ruined; most of the glass of conservatories, hotbeds, frames, &c., were smashed, and the fences almost destroyed. Finally, the exigencies of military strategy gave the coup de grâce to the ground-work of the institution. One of the trenches, with field-works, was carried through the entire length of the garden, ruining the arrangements for the water-fowl and aquaria, and destroying the principal promenade and flower-beds.2