OUR LAST HIPPOPOTAMUS. 341 



markable fact that those creatures which have been born 

 in the Gardens are much more difficult to manage than 

 those which have been captured and imported. The 

 truth is that the latter have been inured to many 

 changes by reason of their travels ; whereas the former 

 have never seen anything but their own den or yard, 

 and are horribly frightened at the merest trifle to which 

 they are not accustomed. We believe that if one of 

 the lions which have been born in the Gardens were to 

 escape among the Sunday visitors, not a soul of them 

 would be half so much frightened as the lion. It is 

 really astonishing what a consternation is sometimes 

 aroused by the most trivial cause. Not long ago Mr. 

 Bartlett went as usual into the giraffe house. The 

 animals at once flew into a state of the most violent 

 excitement, dashed about the house, and seemed likely 

 to break their necks. Mr. Bartlett at once divined the 

 cause of their terror ; he was wearing slippers instead 

 of boots, and his noiseless movements struck them with 

 a sense of mysterious dread. They had always been 

 accustomed to hear as well as see a human footstep, and 

 the absence of noise rilled them with ungovernable 

 terror. So he stamped as loud as he could, spoke to 

 them, and they immediately calmed down. 



Thus it is that the management of the Gardens is 

 conducted. The disposition of every animal is carefully 

 studied, and the keeper tries, so far as he can, to place 

 himself in the mental position of his charge, and to 

 anticipate its thoughts. Violence is never used. It 



