forests, deserts, or ice-fields, obtained all their food by
hunting. When game was scarce or difficult to catch, they were compelled
to go hungry; and this occurred so often as to be a natural condition to
which they were well accustomed. When, therefore, they were placed in
cages, and were fed as regularly, though not as frequently as human
beings, their health was more or less impaired.

Animals in confinement often undergo slight changes even when no
alteration in their appearance or falling-off in health is noticeable.
Many of them, for instance, rarely have young ones, and even when they
have, the young are seldom as healthy and robust as if born in a wild
state. The keepers have frequently the utmost difficulty in rearing
animals which are born in menageries and zoological gardens. Yet if
these animals were born in their own countries and under natural
conditions, they would grow up healthy and strong, without receiving any
more care than a kitten receives from its mother.

An incident which occurred in the Zoo not long ago affords a striking
illustration of these facts. A wolf had an ordinary family of eight
young ones. The keepers, probably thinking that these were too many for
the captive wolf to bring up alone, divided the family. Four of them
were left with their mother, and four of them were placed in charge of a
collie. The dog took kindly to her foster-children, and reared them
successfully with her own. This was only what the keepers expected. But
when they placed the young ones together again, and compared the
collie's family with the wolf's family, they were surprised to find that
the four which had been nurtured by the collie were stronger and better
animals than their four brothers and sisters. The best explanation of
this result is that the collie was living a healthy natural life, while
the wolf, though to all appearance quite well, was not enjoying the full
vigour which results from a free and active life.

W. A. ATKINSON.

UMBRELLA TREASON.

Some little time ago, there was what the newspapers described as
'unrest' in the West African colony of Lagos; telegrams were dispatched
between that country and Great Britain, governors and deputy-governors
were interviewed, and it was with difficulty that a native war was
averted. The cause of all this commotion was an umbrella!

Now, in our country, as we all know, an umbrella is looked upon as a
harmless possession--but not so in West Afric