8 TRANSACTIONS LIVERPOOL BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



Cranes, on the lawn, the ventriloquistic double notes of 

 Trumpeters and the call of Cariama perched on the tall 

 posterns of the gates, made life lively and cheerful. I at 

 least enjoyed it vastly, as did those few individuals 

 who were so fortunate as to obtain orders of admission, 

 strictly limited to two parties of half a dozen a day, under 

 special guide and guard. The Stanley Cranes were often 

 allowed to disport themselves here, dancing in stately 

 minuet fashion, dignified, yes, very dignified, and slyly 

 watching the movements of every visitor withal, and pec- 

 king a sharp and forcible peck on the hands and knuckles 

 in spite of the vigilance of the attendant. 



The Birds of Prey, over 50 in number, were kept in 

 wire or net enclosures near by, and to prevent undue obe- 

 sity and sluggishness, were condemned to two involuntary 

 fasting days in each week ; yet notwithstanding this 

 limitation, and without the help of any, or scarcely any 

 carnivorous mammals, a contract for a dead horse or dead 

 cow was a weekly necessity. On one occasion an injured 

 carriage horse, fat and in tempting condition, and killed on 

 the premises, caused just a little surreptitious experiment- 

 ing on the qualities of rump steaks from a horse by the 

 boldest and youngest hands on the staff: the examples of 

 Parisians being at that time much discussed in the papers 

 and therefore having some degree of responsibility : the 

 verdict was not unfavourable though I was not myself a 

 juror. 



Besides Cranes other creatures were turned out on 

 the old aviary lawn for exercise: notably some newly im- 

 ported Ostriches, immature but full sized; and such is the 

 power of these birds that one of the biggest men about the 

 establishment, a blacksmith full six feet high, was twice 

 felled to the ground by one of these birds before he could 

 beat a safe retreat ; the upward lifting of the foot, the rear- 



