THE ZOO.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1085, 25 March 1911, Page 3

THE ZOO.

A meeting of the council of the Wellington Zoological Society was held in the public library at-Newtown on Thursday evening. The president (the Rev. J. Crewes) was in the chair, and there was a good attendance. Apologies for absencc were received from Messrs. Flux, Muller,: Hornblow, and Mrs. Lockwood. Mr. Wright, M.P., was welcomed as a newly-elected member of the council, and took his seat. Important correspondence rai read, and very hearty votes of thanks were passed to bo sent to Sir Joseph Ward for his kindly offer of assistance; to the Hon. Mr. .Millar, Minister of Railways, for conccssioift on carriage of animals; to Mr. Massev, M.P., and the proprietary of the Helvetia ostrich farm tor two line ostriches; to Mr. Wright, M.P., the Mayor (Mr. T. M. Wilford), Messrs. Muller, Stevenson, Lockwood, Janson, Allan Smith, ll'ornblow, Castle, Crewes, Mrs. Winter, and 0110 or two others, for contributions of animals or money, and to Mr. Rutherford for the offer of an emu; and Mr. W. W. Smith, and another gentleman whose name was not mentioned, for promises of . valuable birds. The secretary was instructed to also assure Messrs. Wirtli Bros., of the society's high appreciation of the friendly feeling evinced by them in lending to the City Council, per Councillor Frost, the splendid lioness which the City Council received from them. Tlio Zoological Society also expressed gratification at tho friendly relations established by the president between Mr. Anderson, the manager of Wirths' Circus, and.the Wellington. Zoological' Society, , Tho council, though not formally offering hostility to the City.Council,.does nqt approve of tho proposal to invito Mr. Lo Soouf to come from Australia to report oil the Zoo. The council is of opinion that-as soon'as the city has 1 money to spare it should be .spent in erecting a building for the caretaker to .prepare food for the animals in, and near it a suitable building in which to place animals liowly arrived and others isolated for bleeding or other purposes. The council is of opinion that tho citizens would contribute the animals wanted to fill up the accomodation ready at the Zoo, and that there is in Wellington quite enough of knowledge and ability available to enable the council to spend wisely all the money that should be spent on the Zoo in tho ensuing year. The Zoological . Society could classify tho animals, and. knowing tho climate of Wellington and having watched the effect of the climate on the. animals in tho Zoo for some years,.should bo able to renort much more correctly than a casual visitor, however learned in zoology, could on climatic conditions and tho arrangements desirablo to adapt tho Wellington Zoo to the requirements of the Dominion and the circumstances of the city. 'Arrangements were made for a meeting of the socicty, to be held at an early date, at which a nancr and discussion on some aspects of tho Zoo will take place. Tho president was authorised to buy another pair of Mancjariu ducks to be given to the Zoo. Mr. Watt, the chairman of the South Wellington School Board, was elected member Of the society; and Mr. Wright, M.P., and tho president were apnointed to make arrangements by which it is expected that the society's funds will be augmented and membership increased.