§ MR. G. GREENWOOD (Peterborough)I beg to ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is a ware that it is still the practice at the Zoological Gardens in Regent's Park to feed the pythons and other large snakes on living animals, including goats and kids, in spite of the testimony of the directors of the New York Zoological Park and other menageries that the reptiles can be fed successfully on newly-killed animals; and whether, in view of the difficulty of obtaining evidence by reason of the fact that the public are not admitted when the snakes are fed, he will institute a police inquiry in order to see that the law for the prevention of cruelty to animals is not infringed.
§ MR. GLADSTONEI have made inquiry of the Secretary to the Zoological Society who informs me as follows:— "The authorities of the Society are personally acquainted with the practices of other gardens, including those of New York, and living prey is never given to serpents that will take dead prey." The Secretary has offered to give exact information to the Secretary of the Humanitarian League, and I have no doubt he would do the same for any responsible body. In the circumstances I see no ground for taking any action.