Lizard, which seized the rat instantly
in its strong teeth & shook it violently as a
dog would. The rat died game fastening its
teeth in the Lizard's cheek & drawing blood.
Yesterday P.M. saw the Sea lion perform.
He misses to order any one of five pieces
of fish thrown to him in rapid
succession, half closing his eyes and
drooping his head with a comical
expression of exaggerated indifference
as the proscribed piece is thrown
but catching all the others eagerly
and most adroitly. None of the
Council of the Zool. Soc. [Zoological Society] know the
secret of this performance but it
is supposed to be a trick; that is
the keeper is believed to give the
animal some sign just as the
fish is thrown.
  Spent the afternoon & evening at
Saunders'
London
July 20. Cloudy with some sunshine.
  To Saunder's by cab at 10 A.M. Thence
we walked through Kensington & Hyde Parks.
In the former saw several pairs of
Spotted Flycatchers feeding young. Also
two nests of Carrion Crows, both inhabited
this year. This park large & rolling,
wholly grass & trees, the grass cropped
short by hundreds of sheep.
  Hyde Park thronged with people riding.
Few really handsome horses. The English
"seat" stiff & ungraceful.
  To British museum (Kensington Nat. Hist. 
Mus. [Natural History Museum]) Introduced to Sharpe a short,
stout, florid man of about 40 with large,
dreamy blue eyes and white pudgy hands.
Very genial calling me "old man" within
five minutes after our meeting. Abused Seebohm
roundly calling him a "brain sucker" & "thief"
Saunders endorsing this heartily. Also
met Gunther: crotchety old German with
white mustache, very jealous & irascible 
according to Saunders & Sharpe.