no 
^ ESTHETICS AT THE ZOO 
harmless experiments which apparently gave great 
satisfaction to many of the inhabitants. Lavender- 
water was the favourite scent, and most of the lions 
and leopards showed unqualified pleasure when the 
scent was poured on the wool and put into their cages. 
The first leopard to which it was offered stood over 
the ball of cotton, shut his eyes, opened his mouth, 
and screwed up its nose, rather like the picture of the 
gentleman inhaling “ Alkaram ” in the advertisement. 
It then lay down and held it between its paws, rubbed 
its face over it, and finished by lying down upon it. 
Another leopard smelt it and sneezed ; then caught 
the wool in its claws, played with it, then lay on its 
back and rubbed its head and neck over the scent. 
It then fetched another leopard which was asleep in the 
cage, and the two sniffed it for some time together ; 
and the last-comer ended by taking the ball in its 
teeth, curling its lips well back, and inhaling the 
delightful perfume with half-shut eyes. The lion and 
lioness, when their turn came, tried to roll upon it 
at the same time. The lion then gave the lioness a 
cuff with his paw, which sent her off to the back of the 
cage, and having secured it for himself, laid his broad 
head on the morsel of scented cotton, and purred. 
These were all old inhabitants of the Gardens, civilized. 
But at the end of the building was the lovely young 
Sokoto lion, with the spots of “ cubhood ” still 
showing like a pattern in damask on his skin. If he 
too liked the scent, it could hardly be an acquired 
taste. His reception of the new impression was 
