d to this excursion with great
anticipation, because we knew that this was the most famous garden in
Europe; and then, in connection with it, are the richest cabinets in the
world of natural history, mineralogy, geology, and a noble collection of
living animals from all countries. Ever since 1635, the world has been
placed under contribution to enrich this spot. The greatest botanists
and naturalists of Europe have labored here. Buffon himself was the
great man of the place in his day. Even revolutionary fury spared this
retreat and treasury of Nature. Bonaparte made it his pet, and when the
troops of Europe were at the walls of Paris, they agreed to respect and
preserve the spot so dear to science. This establishment is on the banks
of the river, and there are many portals by which entrance may be
obtained. The gardens are very large, but I cannot speak of their exact
size. They are in the neatest order. Every shrub and flower, plant and
tree, is labelled, so that reference is easy. I was delighted to see,
on a lofty eminence, the cedar of Lebanon. It is a glorious tree, and
was planted here in 1734, and is now about twelve feet round at its
base. We also saw some palm-trees which were given by Louis XIV. They
were, I should think, nearly thirty feet high.

The Menagerie has long been famous, and is most admirably laid out in
walks and enclosures, so that the animals have plenty of room for
exercise and pasture. Since the days of Noah's ark, I suppose there
never was such a collection of animals, clean and unclean. The bears,
elephants, lions, and tigers are all what are called first-rate
specimens.

We were pointed out the house where the celebrated Cuvier lived, and
which was his favorite residence. Here was his life's labor, the
Zooelogical Cabinet, which he arranged according to his system. Only
fancy a house about four hundred feet long, having three stories, and
all filled up with nearly two hundred thousand specimens; and the
preparations are almost as fine as the animal was in life.

The Museum of Comparative Anatomy, also, was the labor of Cuvier. The
collections of mineralogy and geology are very extensive; but I did not
have much time to examine them, nor are they as much in my line as some
other things. The specimens of precious stones were curious, and I was
pleased to see amber containing perfect insects, perhaps antediluvian
insects. And so we employed three hours upon what I should have liked to
pass