table diet, was proved in the case of two wliicli tlirived 

 for years in the French menagerie, without being- per- 

 mitted to touch animal food. Tht^ individual kept in the 

 Tower during the reign of Henry III. seems to have been 

 indulged in food more congenial to tlieir habits, for tliere 

 are two of the king's writs extant, in choice Latin, directing 

 the sherift's of London to furnisli fourj)ence a-day " for our 

 white bear in our Tower of London and his keeper," 

 and to provide a muzzle and iron cliain to hold him 

 when out of the water, and a long and strong rope to 

 hold him when he is fishing in tlie 1'hames. This pro- 

 vision for animals by " act of Parliament" is a subject 

 tliat has escaped the attention of our modern legislators, 

 though we fear acts as arbitrary and for as little purpose 

 are to be found receiving the royal assent every day. 



Over the Musk Ox, we see the Striped Antelope of 

 Pennant, from the Cape of Good Hope, an animal whose 

 grace and agility have passed into proverbs. Generally 

 speaking antelopes are gregarious, and their vision and 

 smell are so acute as to compel the hunter to use the 

 greatest caution and circumspection to bring them within 



I range of the gun. The names, indeed, by which the 

 animals themselves have been distinguished in all lan- 

 guages, have direct refei-ence to this greatness of sight, 

 and to the brilliancy of their large black e^'es, which 



\form their most conspicuous feature. But here on the 

 \ase of the Polar Bear we find the Elk, a species of deer, 

 tXiefly found in North America, and a noble animal it 

 \s ! There is, or was lately, one in the Zoological 

 aens, Regent's Park, but this is deemed in size 



