garden of the Paris Observatory, directly north of the park. The inscription shows it was first put in place in 1806 during the time of the Emperor Napoleon I, though his name was scratched off after the Restoration of the French monarchy. Today it is not exactly on the line of the Paris Meridian, but is about seventy meters east. Trees, plants and wildlife The main In the lower section of the park, an island in the middle of a tiny lake provides sanctuary to forty species of wild ducks, geese, herons, and other migratory birds. Some turtles imported from Florida, regularly sunbathe on the lake's stony shores. Common trees in the park include: Horse-Chestnut (Aesculus hippocastanum) Common Yew (Taxus baccata) Cedar (Cedrus) Weeping beech (Fagus sylvatica tortuosa) Buttonwood (Platanus) The rarer species include: Ginkgo (Ginkgo biloba) Silk tree (Albizia julibrissin) Honey locust (Gleditsia triacanthos) Princess tree (Paulownia tomentosa) Pride of India(Koelreuteria bipinnata) The most common shrubs are: Spindle (Euonymus) Mahonia (Mahonia) Boxwood (Buxus) Aucuba (Aucuba) Viburnum rhytidophyllum (Viburnum) Tinus (Laurustinus Viburnum) Art and architecture in the park Sculptures in bronze and marble include: "Column of Armed Peace" by Jules-Felix Coutan (1889). This column was originally located in the Square d'Anvers. It replaced an 1889 allegorical statue of the French Revolution by Auguste Paris, which was removed and melted down for its metal in 1942 during the German occupation of Paris. Coutan is known in the United States for his frieze on the facade of Grand Central Station in New York City. "First thrill" by René Baucour (1921) "Lion's death" by Edmond Desca (1929) "Women bathers" by Maurice Lipsi (1952) "Shipwrecked" by Antoine Étex (1859) "Desert drama" by Georges Gardet (1891) "Purity" by Costas Valsamis (1955) "Mine accident" by Henri Bouchard (1900) "Monument commemorating Colonel Flatters." This monument commemorates a French expedition of ninety-three men, led by the explorer and military officer Paul Flatters, which was massacred in 1881 by Tuareg tribesmen in the Sahara Desert of Algeria. "Statue of General José de San Martin," a monument to the leader of the fight for independence of the states of southern South America. This statue, put in place in 1960, is a replica of the original located in Santiago, Chile, made by Louis-Joseph Daumas. "Thomas Paine" sculpted by Gutzon Borglum in 1936, dedicated in 1948. References Notes and citations Bibliography : "Montsouris and Buttes-Chaumont: the art of the faux", pp. 34–41