s their
grimaces and gambols; they and the bears may be considered as the
principal dramatis personae of the menagerie, and who certainly perform
their parts most admirably, never failing to afford the utmost
entertainment to the audience: and it is indeed a sort of rivalry
between Jocko and Bruin which should play their _role_ the best; for my
own part I really think I give the preference to the latter, there is
something at once so comic and so good natured-looking in the bears,
that I feel almost inclined to descend into their pits and caress and
pet them as I would a favourite dog, but am only deterred by fearing
they would give me a reception rather too warm, and their friendly hug
be too overpowering for me to sustain.

There are several buildings in this garden which are applied to various
purposes, amongst the rest an Amphitheatre where lectures on all the
branches of natural history are delivered. A Cabinet of Anatomy most
richly stored occupies one mansion; dissections of the human form, as
well as those of almost every animal are here found, besides numerous
other curiosities. Amongst other things the progress of a chicken in the
egg is exemplified, from its first speck until it has life, which is
imitated with the most extraordinary exactness in wax, as also are
several fishes which cannot be preserved, besides a numerous collection
of foeti and monsters. To see these things properly; would require to
pass several days in these rooms; but a week would not suffice to do
justice to the grand Museum, every description of bird and beast that
has been known to exist in our days may be found here stuffed, and
preserved in glass cases with the nicest care; it appears strange to see
an enormous elephant and a tall ostrich within a glass case. Here also
are to be found every species of fungus, chrysalis, sea-weed, eggs, and
nests. But the shells, minerals, and fossils, form so extraordinary and
numerous a collection that they are the subject of admiration of every
beholder; the polish of the shells, the brilliance of the colours of the
plumage of the birds, and the glossy smoothness of the skins of the
beasts are as perfect as if they were living, but the same cannot
exactly be said of the fishes. The marbles, porphyry, and granite, the
lava, basaltes, barks of trees, bones of animals known and unknown, some
within stones, are arranged by the celebrated Cuvier, whilst the ores,
crystals, jaspers, and extraordinary va