A GIFT TO NEWTOWN ZOO.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 533, 14 June 1909, Page 5

A GIFT TO NEWTOWN ZOO.

STRANGE BIRDS AND BEASTS, OF THE EHEA AND THE LLAMA. "A valuable consignment of animals and birds, the gift of the Dnke of Bedford to the City of Wellington, ' through. Mr. Bertling, curator of. the Newtown-Zoo, arrived by the Wakanui on Saturday, llr. Bertling kindly gave a Dominion reporter some interesting particulars of .these new denizens of Wellington's popular southern park- They consist of three buff rbeas (South American ostriches), three grey rhcas.'eight thar goats, three llamas, and low axis deer,-a total of 21 creatures. The Duke of Bedford makes a hobby of zoology, and breeds a great many birds and animals on his estate at AVoburn, Bedfordshire. He responded very promptly to Mr..Bertling's suggestion of a present to. the Kewtown Zoo, and seeing, that the consignment; is probably worth about.Ussoo, Wellington has'good reason for gratitude. The: rhea inhabits- the plains of the Argentine, and its plumage varies from the common grey to white and buff. Its domestic habits are curious. The male'does, not confine his attentions to one spouse, but-, however severely human moralists. may judge his polygamous instincts, , they must command ma strong, family devotion. He collects all the eggs for which he considers himself responsible, sits on them himself, and hatches them out. In this quaint domestic arrange.'. : --nt he resembles the:emu.and other birds of the ostrich tribe. The < rhea, when mature, conies, as to sizo, somewhere between the more familiar ostrich and emu. •' ; ' ■ '. ■ - ; •-'■

, .The thar goats areat.home high up among the crags of the Himalayas, between the forest and the snow.' Their colour is-dark brown, and the male has a mane of hair , ,' growing all along his back, "and. hanging, low down' over each'.flank. Ho lives aisimple' and active life, and no climate is! too cold' for him. ■'.

' The. Llama-ie the'domesticated form of- th* ihuanacq, which, is a pative of the. Peruvian Andes. He; is ,something like a camel, but smaller. ..His, coat is,'rather' shaggy,' and is generally of.a dark btowri colour. ■Hβ'has one or. two; habits that are not' just what one appreciates moat in a.beast;of burden. • 'Wtten:he geis tired ' of. his load. v he . gimply.i rite' down where he is,- and nothing ..will movehim. - If he is-.annoyed Vith/Jiis'rider as'well as tired, he just screws, round, hie. long neck, and. spits 'at him, : ejecting often !a considerable quantity of cud.'-Llamas; are very copular' in the zoo at Calcutta,' eays,llr. BeTtliiig. The natives.spit at them, and. they fpit back, and .they .are all.very happy. ' • ■ ■.-• -■ •.'■■•• .-' .- ;' The axis deer, are. among .the'prettiest 'creatures- of -their tribe; The white, epote- which dapple their'■:bright brown sides, do',not:come in th« epring and "disappear in the : antumn, . for -the' . axis,.' unlike ; other ■ deer, , '..wears. its jewellery all the year round. The "hottest'.jungles of'lndia are its home.. '■ '.■'.. ' .The birds and animals were well-.cand for on the Wakanui by. the ship's butcher, and considering the-lenirth.of the voyage they arrived in good condition. They were passed on Saturday morning by the..Customs and the Stock Department, and: were removed in the afternoon to'the Zoo. ... .

Mr. Bertling expects a laree conri'mment ol exhibits .from- the T/indon •-. Zooloin'cnl Gardens next November or. December. These will be partly a gift and partly in exchange for surplns stock from Newtown. .- ■ • , .