SOME PRIVATE ZOOS. 691 



of course, the excellently ordered private museum, the stocking of 

 which keeps his collectors busy in all parts of the world. Mr. Roths- 

 child has, indeed, deposited so many of his animals in the London Z<><> 

 that it is not easy to form any adequate idea of all the curious creatures 

 that he has brought to England without visiting both. It is in London, 

 indeed, that we find most of his gigantic tortoises, rescued from a near 

 extinction in the southern islands, where once, cut off from the evil- 

 doing of man and his dogs, they contrived to grow to such mighty 

 measurements. Tring Park has, however, its interesting inhabitants 

 as well; and kangaroos and emus roam so obviously at large that, but 

 for the more pleasing variety in the vegetation of the northern hemi- 

 sphere, one might well picture it a corner of Australia. At Hag- 

 gerston, on the other hand, there is the prospering herd of American 

 bison, of which Mr. Christopher Leyland takes every care; while at 

 Vaynol Mr. G. W. Duff Assheton Smith has his wild white cattle. 



Visitors to Leonardslee, too, will find just such an assemblage of 

 horned game as, roaming at liberty up and down hills intersected by 

 game paths, might be expected to conjure up pleasant scenes to a 

 famous traveler whose rifle made top score in an all-England eight. 

 The Leonardslee Museum, too, though less systematic in its arrange- 

 ment than that at Tring, is more purely sporting, showing a fine col- 

 ection of its owner's trophies. 



Unless, as in the case of the wild white cattle, there is any techni- 

 cal objection to interbreeding, it is in most cases usual to allow the 

 different kinds of animals to intermingle without restraint; and now 

 and then, even in the seclusion of cage or paddock, some strange part- 

 nerships are the result. At Vaynol, for instance, a young Sambur 

 deer and pony are boon companions, and have a field to themselves; 

 while in the building in which Mr. Assheton Smith keeps his pumas 

 and monkeys there is a most entertaining trio in the shape of two 

 white wolves and a little Malayan bear. Whenever the horseplay of 

 the wolves becomes unendurable, the bear, not without a parting cuff, 

 makes his way up a tree and out into the open air above, whither, 

 since dogs can not climb, the wolves are unable to pursue. 



It will easily be understood that so varied a collection of animals as 

 inhabits each and all of these zoos includes individuals of various 

 degrees of shyness, and not all the animals may be seen at the first 

 attempt. Only on my sixth night at Vaynol, for instance, did I see 

 the wild roe deer that hide away in the dense cover beneath the 

 heronry; and the Leonardslee beavers are still more secretive than the 

 prairie dogs that burrow in their sandy inclosure on the hill close 

 beside the house, baffling all but the most skillful and patient pho- 

 tographers. It is to Mr. R. B. Lodge that I am indebted for the 

 accompanying picture of one of these interesting little hermits, most 

 of which utter their angry squeal and dive below as soon as the 

 intruder comes within 20 yards of their watchtowers. 



