202 RIVERSIDE LETTERS XXV 



of trees were placed in the dens of the 

 larger carnivora at the Zoo, and I well 

 remember how eagerly he took up the cause 

 of the dogs against their cruel mutilators in 

 the matter of ears, writing to the papers 

 some very characteristic letters. To one 

 advocate of the practice, who in a letter to 

 the Field had stated that clipping the ears 

 of dogs gave them in his opinion a clever 

 look, Landseer replied that if this writer 

 really thought so, he had better have his 

 own ears clipped as no doubt it would make 

 him look very clever. He abhorred bear- 

 ing reins and all such abominations. I 

 remember him once, at Hengler's Circus, 

 going on bitterly at the manner the horses' 

 heads were reined in, and testifying his 

 delight when in one scene a pony had its 

 head given it free from all reins. 



This is scarcely one of my usual D.B. 

 letters, but the sight of the old place recalled 

 so many memories that I could not resist 

 recording them in one of these letters to you. 



