My New Zealand Garden 85 



for himself I found out almost too late. He was 

 in charge of the handy-man, who fed him con- 

 scientiously every day. My visits to this * pet ' 

 reptile were very few and far between, in fact, I 

 left him severely alone ; but on looking into his 

 cage one day, I beheld him in a starving condition, 

 and I was on the verge of accusing his keeper 

 with cruelty to animals. I felt sure that the man 

 had not imitated the Greek philosopher, who 

 thought that he could by degrees accustom his 

 donkey to live without food, and just as he had 

 nearly triumphed the donkey died ; so on further 

 investigation I saw that the roof of this hermit's 

 den was encrusted with snails : they had crawled 

 to the top, and he had fasted because he could or 

 would not crack them. I commenced a slaughter 

 of them at once, and he devoured seven or eight 

 with great relish, and his well-filled larder lasted 

 for some time. I was told that if he were to 

 bite us, the only way to make him leave go 

 would be to chop off his head. So I took the 

 liberty of leaving his cage open one evening, 

 and I hope he lives miles away. I had made a 

 former attempt to set him free, but he was 

 retrieved by the cocker-spaniel and reinstated in 

 his den. 



It is surprising what we witness when things are 

 under our own care, and the amount of interest 

 and knowledge we gain by common objects in the 



