1822-1824.] 
KIRKDALE CAVE. 
57 
which he believed belonged to a young hyena, and although 
nearly certain that it was what he thought it to be, he 
ransacked all the collections he knew for a recent skull 
of a young animal for comparison ; and not finding one, he 
requested Mr. Burchcll, the great African traveller, to send 
him a young hyena from the Cape. In course of time the 
baby-beast arrived in the Docks ; a pretty tame little beast, 
a great favourite with the sailors, who had christened him 
‘ Billy,’ doomed nevertheless to be slain for the sake of 
science. The late Mr. Cross, then of Exeter ’Change, and 
o 7 
KLRKDAI-E CAVE. 
afterwards of the Surrey Zoological Gardens, acted as agent, 
and undertook the delivery of poor ‘ Billy.’ The little brute, 
however, by his good temper and playful manners, quite 
won the heart of Mr. Cross, who begged hard for his life, 
and at length obtained a respite on the condition that 
the skull of a young hyena should be forthcoming. Mr. 
Cross, we suppose, turned out all his drawers and cabinets 
in search ; anyhow, he, within the given time, produced 
a skull, which was not the skull of poor Billy. His life 
was spared, and he was forthwith taken to Exeter ’Change, 
and thence removed with the rest of the wild beasts to the 
Surrey Zoological Gardens. 
