THE ZOO.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 149, 18 March 1908, Page 7

THE ZOO.

' On the eve ; of. his'departure from this city; Mr... ,Geo, Wirih gavo a written offer of a lioness toHho Secretary: of ;thb Citizens' Zoo-' Idgical, Gardens, Committee for £50 less than one could bo secured from abroad. ThoiCommittoe was .not then able to accept, but, as tho Secretary had ;.been unable to obtain an offor, of. a. mate for the Wellington lion from any of; the-loading'Zoos in Australia, India, or Africa, .the matter was taken into consideration. Mr. AYirth's offer, holds good 'during;--tho threo weeks is in the Dominion. - . On t Saturday last it was found that the 20th inst., when .the Town-,Hall is disengaged,'-wasvtho- only date then:available for. a.: public effort • rais'o tho . : necessary money; arid, -though? the time: for preparation for such an - event -was. less .than, a week,- the Committee, relying .'both .' oii, : the, public sympathy and the .'musical. talent' available for such ,a worthy object, booked tho' hall, advertise the programme, arranged ; :and immediately commenced the. sale of tickets. It is already seen that, their confidence was not misplaced. Artists of reputeoffer an excellent programme , for, the Citizens I :. Concert for the Zoo.'on Friday night. It is "well known .that while, Messrs/ Wirth's Circus: and Zoo were in Wellington the lonely lion in Newtown _Park; was unusually active, and showed his: desires for .the; company of his kind by' plaintive .waiatas on tho midnight lir. _ Since -their departure, with his prospective mate, .the .solitary, monarch of tho ;lon has been practising liis' sweet (?) seronidos to somo effe'ot in the darkness of his. leri. .' Apart .from tho merits' of tho artistic treat in tho p'ublio may bo oxpeoted to ;ivo tho, effort theirsupport. The children if .the-public, schools liavo shown their symrnthy in the. infant Zoo,, and aro working 'or-ithe success .of Friday's concert' in tho listribution of tickets.', The full'propamine rill be published, shortly) and in addition to .wo items on the grand organ by Mr. Horace iunt, Mus.-: Bac., ' there will ,bo numbers rom Mr. Alfred.Hill, Miss Caldow,- Mr, A. i Ballanco, Herr Max lloppo, Miss M. Simpson, Mr. F.;R. Johnson, and two ladv ocalists fresh to Wellington, Mrs. C. N, Vorsloy, and Miss Gertrudo Hunt.