40 PONDS, PADDOCKS, AND AVIARIES 



known to falconers as the ' croaks,' and somewhat poor 

 in flesh. I would willingly have tried to keep this falcon 

 alive and restored it to liberty, but the ravens had injured 

 it so severely that it was only common mercy to kill it. 

 How or why it allowed itself to be seized and worried 

 by its antagonists we can never know. 



" Our Spanish bear will also probably be remembered 

 by any who have come to Lilford during the ten years 

 that she has been here ; I am glad to say that she is still 

 well, though occasionally subject to rheumatism, resulting 

 from an injury to one of her legs on her journey to this 

 place. In connection with this animal a rather amusing 

 incident occurred some years ago : I was anxious to 

 provide her with a companion of the other sex, and, 

 having heard of several of these in the possession of a 

 dealer, during my absence from home entered into nego- 

 tiations for the purchase of a young male bear from 

 Russia. The dealer in question accepted my terms without 

 sending me a reply, and the next news of the matter 

 that reached me at Bournemouth was a telegram from 

 Lilford announcing the arrival there of a female bear, 

 without any previous warning or advice of despatch. 

 Upon this I telegraphed to the dealer, saying that the 

 animal sent was of the wrong sex, and would be returned 

 to him at once. It will hardly be believed that on 

 receiving this message my enterprising friend sent off 

 a second bear to Lilford without notice, and again a 

 female, so that for one night there were three she-bears 



