THE ZOO

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2363, 20 January 1915, Page 6

THE ZOO

EXCHANGE OF ANIMALS "A TERRIBLE BIRD." OUR LITTLE COLONY OF LIONS , [By John Crewes, Member of the Council of the Wellington Zoological Society.] The Right Hon. 'Andrew Fisher, Prime Minister of the Commonwealth of Australia, the Hon. J. A. Boyd, a prominent member of the Opposition in the Parliament of that Commonwealth, the Hon. H. D. Bell, Minister of Internal Affairs in the Government of New Zealand, Mr. J. P. Luke, Mayor of Wellington, Councillor G. Frost. the chairman of the Reserves Committee of the Wellington City Council. Councillor < Hindmarßh, M.P., a member of the Wei hngton City Council and tho member of < Parliament for the district of Welling- | ton South, Mr. Len M'Kenzie, a mem- 1 ber of the Wellington City Council, and a sensible and consistent promoter of , the Zoo, and Mr. J. R. Palmer, the ! strong man at the helm of 7 Wellington ; municipal affairs, visited the Wellington , Zoological Gardens on .Saturday', Janu- • ary 9, when the weather was so showery that I was afraid that such a distinguished company would not face the conditions. To the credit of the visitors, be it said, however, that they did weather the conditions, and see the Zoo as it was. They saw it when it was not .arrayed in the full splendour of its natural glory; but.they saw enough to convince them that the institution they were visiting was worthy of their countenance, and tJhoy, in each other'B company, saw and felt that friendly State (governments 'may do much, by the reciprocal exchange of animals suitable for Zoos and museum, to increase the happiness and edifioation of all classes of the communities over which City Councils and State Governments have administrative jurisdiction, I have no doubt that, as a result of that memorable visit to ,the Zoo, considerable benefits will be conferred upon more than one growing educational establishment. Nature has entrusted the .Government of Australia and the Government of New Zealand with two distinct, welldefined Bets of wonderful fauna. These should be held in trust, for the benefit of the whole world. Will the two Governments faithfully administer the trust for the mutual good of each other, and for the profit of all concerned? This is the great twofold question that the memorable visit to our Zoo raises. The expectant future must hopefully await tho answer. Dldunculus Again, A few weeks ago I told the readers of my Zoo notes that a tooth-billed pigeon had been brought from Samoa and placed in pur Zoo. I told also that he was a descendant of some pigeons that by homing on the ground and living without working tad almost lost the power to use their wings; but that, when their species had almost been exterminated, a few of ita most vigorous and adventurous members took to the trees, and, amid dangerouß circumstances, developed considerable defensive powers. Since I ' wrote that Dldunculus in the Zoo has given some striking demonstrations, of the probability of the truthfulness of traditions for which I_ was afraid to vouch. He was, placed;in .the pheasan try, j where there , was'a largo shelter'fronted by a lawn, which I would have thought was large enough to acoommodnte all 'the toothbilled': pigeons_ in Samoa..,. - The only other lodgers' in this commodious tnansionry were two other pigeons. For a while Didunculus seemed quiet and confident and respectable; but lately he flas become selfish and arrogant, militant _and autocratic. Having felt that by his powerful jaws he can,defend himself, and his, he.has assumed that Nature that provided him with amnio oowers to, defend himself intended for his royal house to rule the pigeon world.' Now death is the penalty that must be suffered by..my pigeon, however powerful, that offers the slightest, sign of lese majeste to the terrible Didunculus. Fortunately the curator of the Zoo arrived at the pheasantry jiiet in the nick of time, a f<>w davs ago, to save the lives of the beautiful fruit pigeons: or the terrible Didunculus, when bis blood was up, wnnld_ have torn them to nieces. "He is a terrible bird," Mr. Langridge thinks, and must be kept from opportunities to molest lees ferooimis neighbours. Driven to fight for self-preservation in first instance, the snecies is now full of pugnacious .fire that, like tbe war spirit in human beings, ignores the limits of Hf-defence and longs for offensive exercise.Stilted Nutmegs. Poor little Californian quail seems a •pitiable little oddity. When it is born it is not as big ae a pigeon, yet, whilo pigeons squat in their nests and are ■ fed for weeks before they do any work, the poor little quail must run and try to get its living is soon as it is hatched. The little thing is gifted with a kind of prettineas,' but out- under natural conditions the death-rate .of young quail must be very high. Several have ■ been running in, the small birds' aviary lately, and many visitor* have watched the strange-looking little things running about as though they 'were animated nutmegs on very slender stilts. Ceorge Redlvlvus. There was general satisfaction in the hearts of the promoters of the Zoo when the name George was given tothe first young lion that' ever was born in Wellington. We all felt that, whatever, else it signified, it implied an expression of grateful appreciation of the successful efforts that Councillor Frost ' had made to. place in the Zoo the lioness that gave birth to the young lion ■George. Thousands of people went to the Zoo to see George and his twin sister Maud, whose name was bracketed with the name of her brother, in the public vote. George and Maude were names that became as familiar as household words to patrons of tho Wellington Zoo. But, alas I George, after growing . in the favour of a growing host: or human friends for a year, died. His : conduot throughout his brief sojourn had been, both to his sister and towards the human public, so exemplary that when he died Maud mourned piteously, and many people expressed a _ genuine sorrow. But Councillor Frost is a man who believes that, although we must not do evil that, good may come, we may as well when evil has come, get all the good than oan bo got from it. - He therefore 6et to work to find a young lion to be a mate for Maud. Recently tho young lion has been found and brought to the Zoo, and one more suitable for the position I have not seen in New Zealand: His head has not the beauty combined with majesty that distinguishes King Dick from the other lions that I remember; but, in colour, texture, bone, strength, coarseness, and general robustness, the young lion is so unlike King Dick that ho should be welcomed as a good acquisition, introducing a new strain that was needed to give . strength, and vigour to our little colony , of lions. ' Whether the young tan is simply lent or is to be presentd, or is offered for pnrchaso, I don't know. Wellington papers, quoting from an Auckland paper, have told us that air. Boyd, the proprietor of the Onehunga Zoo, has presented the lion, and thathis name is Briton, but as papers nowii- , days often say of their own reports "tiiis lacks official confirmation, as far .as I know. Be that as it how-

ever, although Briton is a good name, the successor of our first George must be George, if all concerned will accept my suggestion. Again, in the Zoo w< have a magnificent pair of young lions, and I feel sure that Messrs. Boyd ana Frost, anij all their friends, will agree that we must repeat the familiar names Maud and George, or George and Maud. That George is a woloome addition ia evident from the fact that the largest assembly that I have yefc seen gathered to see tte Hons feed adorned the terrace opposite their den last Sundayafternoon. Feeding the Fish. Why is there not an appointed tima ; for feeding the fish in the Zoo publish' ed? Because the aquarium is so interesting and popular that the keeper would not be able to get to the tanks on Sunday afternoons and other holidays.