NATURAL HISTORY NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2501, 30 June 1915, Page 9

NATURAL HISTORY NOTES

ADDITIONS TO THE Z©o • THE TWO EXTREMES (By John Castle, Hon.' Secretary and Treasurer of tho Wellington Zoological Society.) Mr. Crewes has passed on, to me, the privilege and responsibility of publishing in The Dominion some Natural His-* tory Notes, that Zoo notes, or notes on things in the Zoo, may be amalgamated with notes on tilings in the Newtown Museum, and perhaps on natural history illustrations elsewhere. It must be understood that for every opinion expressed, or proposal offered, in these notes I am solely responsible, and that the editor of The Dominion does not, by publishing them, commit his paper to support any suggestions that I offer. I will be glad to receive from any member of my society any fact, note, or opinion, but it must be understood that I must hold the right to publish, or withhold, or alter, on my own judgment, any matter that may be sent to me for the purpose of my Natural History Notes. Now Arrivals and Steady Improvement. Notwithstanding the war in which our Empire is involved, and the disarrangement of business in consequence, the Zoo steadily improves, and additions, that are of some of the greatest wonders of the world, are taking place. Recently two Malleo fowl have been added, and a young red kangaroo born there has been passing through the marvellous changes which the young kangaroo undergoes between the time of its birth and the time when it leaches maturity. Anything more diverse than the conditions which the young kangaroo enjoys, and the experience of the young Mallee fowl, it would bo difficult to find in the history of young animals. The Mallee fowl never knows its mother. Tho mother simply lays a very large egg, which is deposited in a heap of leaves, earth, and sand, previously prepared by her mate. The male bird gives all the attention that is given to the egg, and the heat produced by the decomposing vegetation hatches the chick. When born the young bird is clothed with feathers, and when it leaves the mound it is ready to fly. From the time of its birth the young Mallee fowl has to take care of itself. Tho young kangaroo is, we are tola, very small when it is born. It is taken up by its mother and placed in her pouch, where it is carried by her for months. When old enongh to desire to see a little of the world it pushes its head through the hole near the top of the pockei, but at the slightest sign of danger the head is drawn in and hidden. Later, the little animal gets out, and enjoys frisking about in the sunshine; but at pleasure scrambles back into the pouch. I know not anything in the Zoo that is more awkward than the sprawling and scrambling movements of the young kangaroo getting out of and struggling back into tile pouch. Then when we consider the weiglit of the great ciumsy charge, and the fact that even after it ceases to return-to the pouch its mother nurses it with affectionate tenderness, we may I think truly say that, as to maternal care, the two extremes are seen in our new arrivals, the Mallee fowl and the red kangaroo. Aye, and when we recollect that since the time when the terrible war was commenced there have been added to the Zoo a fine leopardess, a pair of Zebu cattle, a rare Margay cat, a pair of king penguins, a wonderful tooth-billed pigeon, two interesting fruit pigeons, a pair of very valuable kiwis, the young red kangaroo, and the pair of the marvellous Mallee fowl, mentioned above, I think it may fairly be said that the Zoo has lately been enriched with some very interesting exhibits and is steadily improving. The Newtown Museum. Seeing that the gentleman who for some years was chairman of the Library and Museum Committee' was not a candidate for re-election to the City Council, that the Advisory Committee that ior a while actod with the Museum Committee had bccome inactive, and that the late curator of the museum was not at the Museum, the Wellington South Progressive Society felt that t-lis timo was opportune for the society to offer a few suggestions for the management of the Museum, and tho suggestions were offered. The society is not hostile to the City Council, but the treatment that the Petherick Museum is receiving from the City Council at present is such as no community of intelligent persons should tolerate. What reason is there in keeping a valuable Natural History Museum closed every evening and every public holiday, and opening it for a few hours in each week, from 1.30 to 4.30 p.m. on Wednesdays, Saturdays, and Sundays. Of course, I know that some persons belittle the Museum, but I venture to express the belief that there is not one man that has written or spoken against the Museum that could tell the names of all the birds in it. It is gratifying to know that the children of t sonie of our City Councillors take a great interest in the Zoo. Now they can go t > the Zoo and see the wonderful Mallee fowl that, reptile-like, lay eggs, but never sit upon them. Wlien the good councillors have enjoyed a talk with their children about Mallee fowl, th® ohildren should be taken to the Museum and Bhown the wonderful platypus and echidna mammata that lay eggs. The Museum is an invaluable supplement to the Zoo j and to keep it closed on every evening and public holiday is to rendor it almost useless.