CONDITIONS AT THE ZOO

Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 151, 23 December 1926, Page 10

CONDITIONS AT THE ZOO

(To the E-fitor.) Sir, —Your correspondent from .Dunedin, whose letter appeared in last night's "Evening Post" under the notn de plume "Tourist," "claims to be an ornitholpgist; as i well as a tourist. He states that the pukeko hatched out three young ones, and that he watched them for three, hours, but when he went up a few days later they had disappeared. Perhaps that is the reason for his cold blast against the zookeepers. Now, on the first visit he or she had a three-hours' ornithological feast for one shilling; but his second visit did not satisfy him. Yet, where in the world outside of a zoo, could he obtain such an entertainment for two shillings all told? The best reply to such petty criticism is the supplying of a few solid facts: About three years ago a pair of pokeko were in the same pen with a pair of purple gallinule, which come from Asia, They were so resigned to their.cruel fate that they passed the time by building a community nest; the hen» of both species luid eggs in that nest, and both parties took turns at sitting on 'the cggj: ana their combined effort resulted in the hatching of two chicks, which they both fed and reared on a community basis. Now here is a problem which would have been worthy of our ornithologist's serious consideration—Firstly, were those, young birds pukeko, or purple gallinule, or' hybrids? Those chicks grew up; and in all probability were the, very birds which your correspondent spent three .hours of his time iv watching so closely; but the question is, what were those birds which lie states were pukeko? Sir, I hold no brief for either the curator or the keepers of the zoo, but from long and elosa observation I am sure that they are all keenly interested in their work, and are always ready to supply'ftany reasonable information to visitors, out each keeper has his allotted animals to care for; and most likely your correspondent applied for information from tho wrong attendant. Not only have wa reared in the zoo the birds I have just referred to, but also pectoral rail, Saraoan fruit pigeon, parrots, morpork, budgerigar, ■ Australian summer duck, pheasants, etc., etc. At the present time the white swan may be scon proudly convoying their three cygnets on tho zoo lake. Next timo "Tourist" visits our zoo, perhaps he may put on some new spectacles, and look for the good points, as I (^n assure him that we have bred lions in .Wellington Zoo, that could not be beaten in any other zoo hi the world. —I am, etc., JOHN CASTLE, Hon. Sec. Wellington Zoological Society.