26 OUT OF DOORS. 



tinually struggling for the snuggest and warmest spot, 

 which was, of course, the centre of the group. One 

 individual was totally excluded, but he took the matter 

 in a philosophical light, going carefully over the cage 

 and picking up all the little bits of biscuit and stray 

 nuts which his companions had relinquished when 

 battling for a place on the perch. 



Throughout the whole of the visit it was pleasant 

 to denote the demeanour of the attendants, upon 

 whose sympathetic kindness depends so much of the 

 comfort and happiness of the animals under their 

 charge, and the manner in which they accommodate 

 themselves to the individual idiosyncrasies of their 

 charges. Should the animal happen to be docile and 

 intelligent, no one is more proud than the keeper, 

 and no visitor can be more interested in seeing 

 the clever performances of any creature than is the 

 keeper in exhibiting them. It was pleasant, for 

 example, to see the two splendid chetahs' behaviour 

 towards their attendant, and ludicrous enough to 

 watch him coolly sweep either individual out of his way 

 with the broom if they happened to interfere with his 

 movements while cleaning their cage. If they had 

 been a pair of three months' old kittens there could 

 not have been more confidence on the one side or play- 

 fulness on the other. As the keeper left the cage, the 

 gentle and beautiful creatures pressed after him, but 

 were gently put back with one hand while he took 

 down some meat with the other. Even under such 



