ZIG-LAGS AT THE ZOO.

like one. Else, why isn’t there somcthing to eat? And he turns off with contempt. But when the hammer-head takes to flying, the low comedy goes, and, with his broad brown wings and swooping flight, he 1s rather a professional beauty than otherwise. Nothing hut the flap of the hammer-head's wings will disturh the sulky heron —the solitary misanthrope whose place is the right-hand upper corner of the great cage, and whom nothing will tempt down.

The spoonbill might be a professional beauty himself, if he could always be looked at sideways -a white, grace- ful, slim-beaked beauty ; but he will turn his head about (looking for something to cat), and then that fearful, bibulous nosc upscts the picture completely.

SULKY,

FEven the snowy egret provides a little fun at

SO times, although he doesn’t mean it. He 1S Very W much m carnest, is the snowy cgret, and objects, G 1AM M R b with long claws and a very sharp beak, to the

carthly — cexist- ence of all other living things. e has given up chasing the other birds about the inclosure, bhecause he couldn’t always catch the little ones, and sometimes the big ones caught him. So he sits ona convenient tree and waits for anything assailable to come within two vards. Then every line feather on his body stands up clectrically, and - welly go and see him, if you Iike a picture of fury. It isn't always casy to express your cgret-—this lTast heing a sentence wheremn one might build a laborious pun were the laws of ordinary deceney in abeyance. But the great hird here is the flamingo.

always whistle for Sam, the big flamingo. Sam imme- diately hifts his head and takes FRONT. a long sideways look to as- sure himself that it 1s an acquaintance, and not an impertinent stranger ; then he says “ Kraweak 7 and goes on looking for some- thing to cat. L reply cheerily. e lifts his head again, and approaching the wires and standing at his full height, with outstretched wings, savs ** Kra-a-ak " —not at all the same word, obscrve, although of the same spelling - the tone and meaning being more con- fidential. Thereafter he keeps nearer, and we conduct a mutually improving conversation of whistles and kra-a-aks. Sam 15 the acknowledged monarch of this in-

I like the flamingo. Fle runs a deal to neck and legs, but his heart is in the right place. It really can't help it You can’t imagine a startled flamingo’s heart jumping into his mouth—the way 15 too long and bendy @ while as to its sinking into his boots, céven if he had anv—just look at his legs | When first | arrive at this inclosure I

closurc. He is a gentle and considerate monarch, THE SNOWY BGRET