EAEBD-SBALS. 515 



" Notwithstanding the ferocity of his pet, Lecompte cultivated 

 his intelligence, and the creature soon performed tricks which 

 Lecompte, with true nationality, worked up into a little military 

 episode. The sea-bear volunteered to go as a soldier to Mexico. 

 He then passed through the forms of enlistment and drill, and 

 finally fired a cannon. The sea-lion was exhibited in Belgium 

 before he went to Oremorne. His dinner consisted of twenty-five 

 pounds' weight of fish daily. His habit was to sleep all night, and 

 during the day when his master was not with him. He awoke at 

 the slightest noise. He did not object to visitors, but was 

 annoyed with ladies wearing white ribbons. 



" Lecompte was next engaged by a travelling menagerie. The 

 affair did not pay, so they turned Lecompte and his sea-lion into 

 a field by the roadside. Here he was discovered by Mr. Bartlett, 

 who purchased his sea-lion for the society, while he himself was 

 made the keeper." 



His abode was in a little house by the zebras, and Buckland used 

 frequently to lunch with him. " He was a splendid cook," he 

 writes. " He once gave me a portion of a most savoury pie, which 

 he assured me was a sjpecialite. It was very good, and I ate it ; 

 but when I came to know what the sjpecialite was, I vowed I 

 never would lunch with Lecompte again without seeing the menu 

 first." 



In 1867 the animal died, in consequence of his having swallowed 

 a fish-hook in a fish given him to eat. His death was regretted by 

 every one connected with the Society, and by the regular visitors to 

 the Gardens. Fishermen sometimes break off their lines and leave 

 the hook in the fish they capture. This proceeding is a very 

 dangerous one for animals who live on this kind of food, and the 

 loss of more than one fine specimen has resulted in consequence. 

 Care is now exercised, however, to prevent the recurrence of this 

 form of accident. 



The Council of the Zoological Society resolved to replace this 

 animal as soon as possible, and for this purpose they sent Lecompte 

 out to the Falkland Islands to procure living specimens of the 

 fauna, and especially of the sea-lions. After experiencing con- 

 siderable difficulty and trouble, he succeeded in obtaining a 



L 1 2 



