If war relics have exhausted their popularity (as would appear from the live shells—which are daily being discovered in the streets and tube railways), live pets are in great favour, and the queerer the better. Thousands of people keep gold-fish, and all the leading grocers stock food, in the form of a grayish powder a small round box, for these interesting creatures. In the twilight of an entresol near the Seine is a collection of beautiful little fish, blue, rose-pink and red guld, from China, swimming—with languid grace in their glass tanks, and waving an appendage, rather like a transparent parasol, above them as they-move. The dealers find a ready market for these fish, which form a much-prized ornament for Madame's salon. One shop sells young alligators about two inches long. A placard above the shop mentions that these reptiles attain a Jength of 12 ft in their native Mississippi. We can amiagine the pride with which Madame displays her pet to ad miring friends, and also the delicious thrills of anxiety with which she will watch his growth. As he is sure to die or to lose favour long before he is big, there is not much danger after all.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.