A WALK ROUND THE ZOO 249 



NOVEMBER 



A WALK ROUND THE ZOO 



T~pVERY year the Zoo makes some notable 

 1 > advance in the direction of showing us the 

 animal as he really is. Birds instead of perching 

 for ever in one position in wired boxes are put in 

 mixed companies in large and lofty open-air 

 aviaries where they can fly aloft, build their nests 

 in the various sites suited to the species, and carry 

 on a comparatively free avine life. Sea-lions can 

 stretch their limbs and give us a good exhibition 

 of their marvellous swimming powers in some- 

 thing that really looks like a lake. The polar 

 bears have quite recently moved into quarters that 

 are to the old ones as a field is to a back yard. 



Nothing is more typical of the new spirit at the 

 Zoo than the complete enlarging of dozens of 

 American squirrels, as well as some exotic doves. 

 They run about the gardens now with complete 

 confidence, not to say impudence, joining our 

 alfresco lunch parties without invitation, and 

 making us feel that we really are in a garden 



