THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19505, 13 June 1925, Page 23

THE COMMUNITY SPIRIT.

A NOVEL EXAMPLE. (Prom Own Own Correspondent.) ‘ WELLINGTON, June 11. A novel example of the community spirit has been demonstrated in a pen in the Wellington Zoo where a pair of pukeko»---the New Zealand swamp bird, and a pair of blue Gallinule, arc housed. All the birds are very much alike, and the first signs of the community spirit were observed when it was found that the four of them wore taking part in the building of one nest. Then a couple of eggs appeared—no more—and no one could determine to which pair the eggs belonged, the pukekos or the gallinule, or whether one belonged to each pair. Whatever the true state of affairs each of the four birds took it in turn to sit on the eggs until they were hatched, and to-day the youngsters are thriving well. The problem of their parentage is not yet solved unless it be that the parents themselves have solved it,-for each pair have attached one of the youngsters to themselves and bestow all care upon their particular charge. When the young ones have assumed a more definite plumage the curator may be able to solve the problem.