74 COUNTRY RAMBLES. 



Electric Eel, from Brazil. The White-headed Woodpecker, Brazil 

 white, black, and yellow plumage), and the Radiated Fruit Cuckoo 

 from Sumatra were presented, as also the Larger Hill Mynah, from 

 Northern India. This bird is something like a large Blackbird. 

 He was busy chattering to himself. The South of France was 

 represented by the European Stick Insect. The Trap-door Spider 

 did not escape my attention, neither did the Black-billed Hornbill 

 (Abyssinia), Silk-producing Moths, and some European Butterflies, 

 Carunculated Bell Bird, Guiana (all white, with a curious tassel, like a 

 whitish catkin, on the top of its beak), Cape Scorpion, and Bird- 

 catching Spider (Trinidad). 



The Kangaroo collection includes the Red, and Great species, 

 Great Wallaroo, South Australia; Bennett's Wallaby, Black-tailed 

 Wallaby, New South Wales; Agile Wallaby (I think most of the 

 Kangaroos are agile enough), Rat Kangaroo (very Rat-like, to be sure), 

 Brush-tailed, Black-striped, and Thigh-striped species. 



In the Sloths House the following were out: Little* Armadillo, 

 Patagonia; Hairy Armadillo, La Plata; Great Ant eater, South 

 America. A male Ant-eater was added in January of this year 

 (the first time a male has been exhibited in the Menagerie), and it is 

 hoped the pair will breed; the long snout, and bushy tail, are very 

 prominent in these curious creatures, as also the tongue. The Sooty 

 Phalanger, Tasmania (in this cage I noticed a cheeky uninvited 

 Mouse feeding on a carroO and Indian Chevrolain brings me 

 to Micky, the Chimpanzee. Micky is about three years old, and 

 keeps company with a black kitten. The keeper was giving Micky 

 a holiday, and he seemed to enjoy the caresses of such a kind friend. 

 The keeper told Micky he didn't love him at all, whereupon the 

 intelligent creature pouted and frowned, and almost cried. u lf you 

 love me," said the keeper to Micky, "prove to me that you do," at 

 which the Chimpanzee thrust his hairy arms round the keeper's neck 

 and fondled him! Can we wonder at the keepers becoming attached 

 to their precious charges? The Aard Wolf, South Africa; Moor 

 Macaque, East Indies; Squirrel-like Phalanger a soft grey fur, white 

 underneath; Ring-tailed Coati, Honduras; and Vulpine Phalanger, 

 Australia, also attracted attention. On the spouting of the Small 

 Cats' House a male House Sparrow was sitting and singing. I have 

 heard Sparrows chirp, but never before have I had the pleasure of 

 calling Passer domesticus a song bird. It consisted of two notes, 

 something like " Phew phew-o-o," musical, and very pleasant. I 

 was simply astonished on looking up to see the black throat of a 



