80 
HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
"There is already in existence a British 
firm which supplies wild animals to those 
who require them. This firm was floated with 
a good capital, employs its own adventurous 
spirits, who search the jungle for quarry, and 
it is able to supply what may be required. 
"Another point against breeding wild ani- 
mals for the films is that the beast reared in 
captivity, having the lesser fear of man, is 
more obstinate and self-willed. I have tried 
the hypnotic process on a lion that had never 
known life outside a cage and found that he 
would as soon fly at me after the experiment 
as turn away. 
"Animals from the forest have a greater 
natural fear of man, and are easier to train." 
The above is a series of misrepresentations. 
"The finest picture shewing wild animal life 
was taken in Kent" — absolute falsehood. "This 
firm employs its own adventurous spirits who 
search the jungle for quarry." Has this pre- 
cious syndicate ever 1 had one adventurous spirit 
in the jungle? Never ! A few weeks ago I was 
offered three worn out circus animals which 
were loaned to Kent — a bear, leopard and one 
hyaena — which I declined, and if these three 
unfortunate animals, with the lame elephant, 
were included in the picture, then I am sorry 
for the "finest picture." 
THAT Sir John Bland Sutton writes under date 
February 10th : — 
"In the January issue of the 'Menagerie 
Magazine' you mention that Mr. Richard 
Kearton had some difficulty in getting a pho- 
tograph of the chameleon's tongue 'owing to 
its lightning flash.' No muscular movement 
is so rapid as a lightning flash. In January, 
1910,; whilst in British East Africa, I amused 
myself in photographing the chameleon's 
tongue when shot out at a fly. With a little 
patience and an active chameleon success is 
attainable. We found it an entertaining exer- 
cise and preferable to a nap after lunch. See 
page 71 of the accompanying book." 
("Man and Beast in Eastern Ethiopio," 
from observations made in British East Africa, 
Uganda and the Sudan. By J. Bland Sutton, 
F.R.C.S., Eng. Macmillan and Co., Ltd.). 
One of the most interesting books on Afri- 
can travel that I have ever read. There are 204 
engravings on wood. All these are most exact 
and interesting. Sir John Bland Sutton being 
anxious to see something of Eastern Ethiopia, 
made a journey accompanied by Dr. Comyns 
Berkeley to the Victoria Nyanza. After exploring 
that region they visited the Sudan, also the 
Uganda Protectorate. This is a volume which 
should be read by all interested in African travel. 
THAT Mr. G. de Southoff writes as follows from 
Florence, Italy : — 
"That the tamest bear in the world is 
certainly Mishka, the mascot of tht Russian 
Legion in France, which has gallantly fought 
till the Armistice. Mishka is a female brown 
bear bought in Siberia in 1916 by Captain 
Trachek when five months old. She has fol- 
lowed the 5th Russian Infantry Regiment, 3rd 
Brigade, in France, and later, the Russian 
Legion, always with the )soldiers in the 
trenches, running quite free without any fear 
of the shells. In 1916 she was at Auberire; 
in January, 1917, she has been gazed and 
saved herself by putting her head under the 
snow; in April, 1917, at Berry au Bac she 
helped attacking German patrols (General 
Gouraud congratulate her !). In 1918 she 
was at Villers-Bretonneux (Somme), Villers- 
Cotterets, Soissons, Terny-Sonny; always at 
the fire. So Germans could see that Russian 
Bear is still living. After the Armistice she 
went to Lorraine, but now that Russian 
Legion is about to proceed for Russia against 
the Bolshevik, Russian soldiers unanimously 
presented her to the Paris Municipality as a 
souvenir. The gift was accepted and Mishka 
is at the Jardin d'Acclimatation." 
THAT a correspondent in Paris writes as fol- 
lows : — 
" I find that there ore many empty cages 
in the Paris Zoo — that is to say, the Jardin 
des Plantes. On my enquiring what had 
happened to the aforetime splendid collection, 
I was informed that the war had played havoc 
with the beasts. 
"That terrible winter two years ago, 
when we could get no coal, had disastrous 
effects. 
"Suitable food in the general shortage 
was also difficult to get. When the bombs 
and the shells were falling thick and fast it 
was the daily dread of the guardians that 
some wild animal might be liberated. 
"The poisonous snakes were killed. The 
lions just escaped this fate, sentence of death 
having been passed, when the enemy began 
his retreat. They were reprieved. The Zoo 
is a mere skeleton of its former self." 
Printed by W. J. Hasted & Son (T.U.), 306, Mile End Road, E. 1., and Published by J. D. Hamlyn, 221, St. George' 
Street, London Dacks E. 
