REMINISCENCES FROM THE MELBOURNE ZOO. 
87 
foot of the cage of a powerful leopard, preparatory to placing his day’s 
rations inside; and this movement so excited the leopard’s eagerness to 
get his meal that the animal made a mighty spring at the back of his 
house, coming down heavily on the floor that miight have been glass, so 
smooth was it from his year-long velvet tread across it. Somehow he 
did not land fairly on his feet as usual, but shot across the floor as if he 
had been on skates, and, more wonderful still, the one movement not 
only sent him to the bars of the cage, but actually through the narrow 
aperture made by displacing the cross-bar, on to the ground beneath. Mr. 
Wilkie and his brother were standing before the cage at the moment, but 
before they fully realised what had happened the beast recognised that 
he was free — FREE to go where he liked and to do what he liked! His 
mind was made up in a flash. He knew the two men before him — had 
they not been friends for more years than he could count? What need 
to fear them? He walked past Mr. Wilkie, and, as Mr. David Wilkie 
was standing with his legs apart, the animal calmly dived through them, 
in his haste to get at his goal. 
Swift as a dart through the air, the leopard sprang over a fence and 
caught a poor emu that was quietly grazing without the slightest pre- 
monition of evil. He caught it by the back of the neck, and, as he bore 
it to its knees, he nimbly vaulted over its back, and, with his teeth still 
locked in the bird’s neck, he slowly pulled it down, down, until it lay 
struggling wildly for dear life. A fearful tussle ensued as the bird 
strove to regain its feet and shake off its foe, but as soon as the leopard 
could manage to pin it down with his feet, it was the task of seconds to 
tear open its jugular vein, crouch down beside the now quiet victim and 
drink its life-blood. Very soon the keepers were at his side with a catch- 
ing bag, and as he was so pre-occupied in enjoying his unexpected meal he 
was surrounded and captured before he knew his danger. Still, it would 
have been far too dangerous to remove him from his prey until he was 
in some measure satisfied, and so they waited patiently until it was safe 
to hoodwink him and transport him to the cage that was at once rendered 
safer as a prison house for the dangerous beast. Such a surprising 
occurrence would probably happen only once in the history of any Zoo, 
and once was quite often enough for those who were concerned in the 
day’s adventure. 
THE PEANUT GATHERER. 
Small boys are a source of great anxiety to the staff of the Zoo, 
especially on Sundays. Every possible precaution has been taken to 
protect them from themselves, and after one cruel lesson it was found 
