262 LORD LILFORD 



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 

 negotiations for the purchase of a young male 

 from Eussia. 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 on the premises. 



' My old bear is very good-tempered as a 

 rule, but on one or two occasions has shown 

 great fury to strangers without any apparent 



