THE ZOOLOQIGAL SOCIETY. 205 



A Steller's sea-lion is said to have been deposited this year ; 

 but though the statement was made on what is usually good 

 authority, it is negatived by the evidence of the Death-book, 

 which shows that the animal was really a Californian sea -lion. 

 Nevertheless, it was of more than ordinary interest. The 

 owner, Mr. Bostock, sent it to the Gardens because it would 

 not feed. Bartlett tried it with different kinds of fish — every- 

 thing was refused. Then he bought a dozen pounds of live 

 eels, and threw them into the pond. Their rapid motion, as if 

 to escape from danger, seemed to whet the sea-lion's appetite ; 

 it dashed after them, and in five minutes had swallowed 

 every one. 



After its feast of eels the sea-lion was left in the large pond 

 for the night. When the keeper arrived next morning, he 

 found, to his consternation, that the animal was missing. It had 

 got over the iron railing, 3 ft. high, into the seals' enclosure, 

 over that railing, and waddled across the broad path, and so 

 into the swans' pond, where it was found comfortably located 

 with the birds. Thence it was driven by the keepers, armed 

 with birch brooms, which the Superintendent considered the 

 most effective weapon against carnivora, as a thrust in the face 

 confused them. The animal, received on August 10, died on 

 September 11, and the cadaver was "returned intact to 

 depositor." 



In October the "Queen's ostrich" was deposited by Her 

 Majesty, to whom it had been presented by Mr. A. L. Jones, of 

 Aigburth, who had sent out a collecting expedition to the basin 

 of the Upper Niger. This was probably the largest ostrich 

 ever shown at the Gardens. It was kept in the giraffe house, 

 and measured 4 ft. 10 in. in height at the back, and about 

 4 ft. 3 in. in body-length. 



In 1893 an adult male Stairs's monkey was presented, 

 and it is exceedingly interesting to note that this fine animal 

 had lived for some years in a garden in the North of London, 

 with no other shelter than a box at the foot of the pole to 

 which it was chained. The change of quarters was fatal ; the 

 animal's life in the monkey house was measured by months. 

 In noticing the arrival of a young chimpanzee that had never 

 been caged, and commenting on a letter deahng with the 



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