ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1572, 16 October 1912, Page 10

ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.

■ : «■ THE ANNUAL IIIiPOKT. The second animal report and balancesheet ol Hie \\ clJinLjton zoological Society, to bo presented at (lie annual meeting to Lc Hold in the .Mayor's liuom, Town Jlnll, 011 October -1, stales that the society arranged to begin the work ol' tho second year of its existence with an'educational entertainment, commemorative of two events, viz., the Coronation of Kins Ueorge V, and the establishment of the Zoological Society. Soon after the cntevta'.nuiciit was given, Jlr. Lang-, ridge, the curator of tile /,00, went to Australia, whore he purchased for the society a fine young leopard. The animal was presented to the Wellington City Corporation, and the Tramways . Band took up the matter of securing a mate untile animal, and the proceeds of a concert given by the band have been >put aside ill order to purchase the necessary mate, as soon as a suitable one can be found. Later on the society purchased a brown bear from Wirth Brothers' Circus, for a sum of ,£SO. The City Council voted the sum of =£.'!) towards this amount. The i society, continues the report, lias a great duty to perform in regard to the animals that need protection; and it is gratifying to note that the Government courted a continuance of our co-operation with them in the discharge of this important duty. The society hopes to communicate with most of the great zoological societies of tho world, and excite in them 'an interest in the work. A few weeks ago •Mr. Loekwood, at n meeting of the society, raised an important: discussion on the sanctuaries that the Government lias provided for fauna, and the society resolved to ask the Government to try as soon us practicable to make the whole of Kapiti island a sanctuary. At another meeting of the society, three interesting papers wero read and discussed. Mr. B. H. Low, 8.A., read one on the emu, and from evidence he adduced, interred that tho emu more closely resembles the progenitor of the large flightless running birds than any other -living bird resembles it. Ali\ J! Castle read a paper ,di\' : the origin ot' the Zoo and the Zoological Society. The Rev. J. Crewes read a paper on "The monkeys we have iri tho Zoo, and tho monkeys wc want to placo there." The society wishes to thank Sir. Lc Sottef, director of tho Sydney Zoo, wiio is trying to get a pair of Kntellus monkeys for the Wellington Zoo; Mr. lliiichin, director of the Adelaide Zoo, who is endeavouring to get a pair of flamingoes for the Wellington Zoo; Dr. Mitchell, secretary of the London Zoo Society; Mr. Langridge, curator of the Wellington Zoo; and to all donors of gifts ill cash 01' kind, and other helpers who have enabled . the society to accomplish I what it has achieved. Keeently tho society lias been doing a little to beautify the grounds uf the" zoological garden; and in- connection with this part of the work the treasurer received from 111'. I'.' .T. Walker, the secretary and treasurer 'of the Wangamii Scenery Preservation Society, a very interesting and suggestive report. It showed that from one fete, promoted in furtherance of that society's work, .£IOO resulted, and that from another the result \vas .£SOO. The result of. our appeal towards the bear fund, and the ready response given by the public to the hurricu appeal that we made to provide for the purchase of a pair of Kntellus monkeys, and to nay some other expenses, indicate that when the society appeals on a scale as great as tluit of" the Wanganui Scenery Preservation SDcietv, it will see results proportionate, to its' work. The society has presented to the city a male satin bower bird in full plumage, and the Government lias presented through the society a mandarin duck. The. report also makes reference to the promise made by Captain 'Amundsen to present to the Zoo one ofj lie dogs which he took to the South Pole. It will be remembered that the regulations at Hobart rendered it impracticable to send tho dog to Wellington. llow?ver, if circumstances permit on his arrival at Ruenos Ayres, he is to send the dog out lo Wellington. The report thanks ■ tho Mayor of Wellington, the city councillors, members of the council's office staff, and all the keepers of the Zoo for their unvarying courtesy to the society. Tho Vialanee-shcet shows the society to have a credit balance in bank of .EG Os. la.