236 WILD ANIMAL CELEBRITIES 



lying just at the top of his tank on his sleep- 

 ing-hoard, watching his master get the fish 

 ready for their hreakfast. There had been 

 a mistake of some kind, and no fish had ar- 

 rived until eleven o'clock, and it was then 

 found that it was not perfectly fresh and 

 therefore no good. It is most important 

 that these animals have absolutely fresh food. 

 The very least hit of stale fish will not only 

 make them very ill, but is likely to cause their 

 death. 



Even when the fish are fresh, all the gills 

 and insides are taken out, and the fish dipped 

 into clean fresh water before being given to 

 the animals. So that, when the second lot 

 of fish did eventually arrive, lihey still had to 

 wait some time before it was ready for them. 



And Toby, although he is just a little fat 

 seal with a short neck, no visible ears, a 

 spotted body — quite unlike a sea lion, which 

 has no spots, but a long flexible neck and ex- 

 ternal ears — and a very meek and gentle ex- 

 pression in his dark eyes, was the most im- 

 patient of the whole lot. His companion seal, 



