208 BEASTS AND MEN 
account of the severe weather. None of the creatures ever 
caught cold, and the six young ones, which in June weighed 
from 60 to 70 lbs. apiece, had by the following February 
reached an average weight of 340 lbs. 
Successful acclimatisation experiments have been carried 
out with a variety of other animals besides ostriches. Re- 
markable results have been obtained with nearly all the dif- 
ferent kinds of antelopes, with elands, gnus, beisas, etc. 
Last winter we had, among other kinds, six specimens of 
‘the Dorcas gazelle which gam- 
bolled about at a temperature 
several degrees below freezing- 
point just as cheerfully as if it had 
been summer. There is no doubt 
=~ | Mts! that all the species of antelope can 
: i) be left out of doors throughout 
the winter so long as they have 
access to a covered shed where 
they can obtain shelter if necessary. 
When they are confined in close 
quarters they are much more liable 
to contract disease. The great 
antelope houses which most Zoo- 
logical Gardens possess are al- 
together a mistake, as also is the system of keeping the 
animals apart in separate stalls. They thrive much better 
when they are allowed to herd together, and any additional 
cost of tending or feeding the animals can be covered by 
breeding, for which the closer companionship naturally gives 
greater opportunities. In my garden, which has been specially 
laid out for the purpose of facilitating my acclimatisation experi- 
ments, I have hit upon several minor devices for giving shelter 
from rain and wind. ‘The gables of the roofs project far out 
so as to afford shelter and a dry resting-place beneath, free 
from rain and snow. Some of the houses are so constructed 
that the outer door, instead of leading directly into the main 
Dorcas gazelles in the snow. 
