WHAT SHALL WE NAME THEM?

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1725, 16 April 1913, Page 8

WHAT SHALL WE NAME THEM?

THE LION CUBS.

WHY NOT GEORGE & MAUD ? THE PUBLIC TO DECIDE. A HAPPY FAMILY AT PLAY. (By J. Crewes, President of tho Wellington Zoological Society.) This year we aro celebrating the ' centjnary of the birth of Livingstone. Livingstone was «i theological student, a Licentiate of a Faculty of Physicians and Surgeons, a great missionary, a distinguished traveller, an illustrious explorer, o».d an enthusiastic philosopher to whom geology, geography, astronomy, meteorology, ethnology, zoology, aiul botany were interesting -subjects. Livingstono lived so nobly beioro the ivorld, contributed so much to the store of the world's knowledge, and bequeathed'such a measure of immortal influence towards the intatl<«tual, moral, and spiritual improvement of the world, that his namo sliould bo held in everlasting remembrance. As president of a young scientific society, then, I .-recognise tho worth of Livingstone, and honour as. highly as I can tho liiomory of tho great scientific explorer. His contributions to science were so numerous and important that 1 could not mention them separately in a brief paragraph; but at this time, when in Wellington lions, aro attracting much .attention, ono or two notes taken from Livingstone's writings seem worthy of review. Livingstone, who lived among lions, saw them, heard them, Watched them, studied them, and was floored and almost killed by one of ithem. tells us that, as a rule, by day lions that are not molested will not attack men. Ho says: "By day thero is not, as a rule, th§ smallest, danger of' lions which aro not molested attsoking man." Wo know thalt to this rule there are exceptions.,Thero are 'some lions, as' there aro somo men, that are naturally mean, mischievous, and murderous. And thero.are sexual seasons in. which lions, like other animals, are extremely nervous, sensitive, and irritable. But tho average lion is a. strong, inilustyous, honest, courageous, majestic animal, fond of fun—an affoctionato animal, longing to be. loved. He likes to be his own butcher, but lie never hunts for tho mere pleasure of killing. Juvenile Zeal. Last Saturday the weather cleared andtho sun shone upon the Newtown juve-! niles whoso bazaar was ready to raise somo money for the Wellington Zoological Society. Last year the same young workers raised ss. 2d. This year, when they were stopped by a storm, I ventured to predict that they would emerge with redoubled zeal and.perhaps raiso "almost, if not quite, 'twenty shillings." Now X notice that they have handed over to Treasurer Castle wl lis. 7d„ and I. hear that- the bazaar is still working, and moneys are sgadily coming in. Three .cheers for the iNewtown ..juveniles I

Names Please? ' Proceeding on a suggestion given by Mr. VVirlii, tho City, Council will provide . cards and ask the public to visit the /00, take tho cards, and, by vote,nnmo the young, lions. Now, the question that is repeatedly put to me is: "What shall wo name them"? The names I gave soon after the twins wero born have caught on—"Maud" and "Little Richard/' But "Little Richard" cannot permanently bo a suitable name for a young lion which promises to become bigger than Ins father. I propose, therefore, that Maud bs allowed to retain her name, and that George be substituted for Little Richard. King Dick, the father of Little llichard, was named, 1 believe, by Bostock and Co., when they presented him to Wellington city, or, at any rate,'his name canto with him -to the Zoo. Now wo can. name King Richard's eldest son niter our good King George. All good Imperialists should then vote right heartily for George. Another reason, I have heard, is that one of the Wirth Brothers who sold us the lioness is callcd George. But there is yet. another reason why George should be supported. I must not do any electioneering in theso notes. The Wellington Zoological Society has no ticket of municipal candidates. The name of one of our members is on ono ticket, and tho name of another isi on another ticket, while the name of another is not on any ticket at all that I have seen, except his own. I . must therefore give candidates and tickets a wide berth in these, notes. But this must not prevent mo from directing attention to the fact that for years Councillor George Frost lias, ,in tho hope of seeing young lions romping in our Zoo, worked asiduouslv to get and keep a lioness there. Councillor George determined that if the city would not buy a lioness ho would borrow one, and borrow one lie did. That one was kept a year or more, but as no young lion appeared the loan of that ono was exchanged tor the loan of. another. Tho 6ecoad .was a perfect lioness.- In form, in' feature, and, what is of even moro importance, in temper, she was perfect. Later, the time came when she must be purchased or sent away. I went to see Mr. Wirth, and try to arrange .for a purchase. But Councillor George had been there before ine. He had set himself to secure the lioness. I suggested that my society would bo willing to help him, but he would brook no interference with his plans. If I liked to help liim the way was clear; but he must lead tho movement to* effect tlie purchase of the lioness. He nobly persevered, and fortunately succeeded. Nothing could be more appropriate then, than that the little lion, born of the lioness kept in tho Zoo and purchased for tho city by Councillor Frost and his loyal band of helpers, should bear the honoured name of Gejrge.. About the little lioness Curator Langridgo has always called her Maud; and, as 1 think that much of the success in raising the little lions to what they are is due to the assiduous attention and practical common sense of tho curator of our Zoo, my nominations unhesitatingly, are "George" and "Maud."

Artists and the Zoo. Entries for my society's art compotii tions are coining in slowly. We want 1 more. Secretary Castle and myself have ! had some pleasant' conversations with several teachers, and have been encouraged by tho sympathy of men who know the difficulty of the work of education, but wjll help us to accomplish our purpose. AVill all who, are ready to join in llio competitions promoted by niv society kindly send their names, or apply for conditions, to Mr. J. Castle, chemist, lliddiford Street, Newtown? Dr. Mitchell, of London, says: "Menageries provido one of the best schools for students. of art, for nowhere else than amongst living animals are to bo found such strange fantasies of colour, such play of light on contour and surface, such mtricato and beautiful : harmonies ■ of function and structure. To encourage art tho London Socioty allows students of recognised schools of drawing and painting, modelling and designing, to use the gardens at .nominal rates." Furi and Philosophers. I thoroughly enjoy the fun of being-in a crowd, in front of a family of lions, when tho lions are at play. Sober-sided old men, and grave middle-aged philosophers, somehow gravitate to such a place. Thero they always remind me of a stiffly starched rev. divine.l.knew when 1_ was young. Ho was n fine-looking, gentlemanly, sober, methodical sort ol man. Ho was very, kind hearted, anil precise, but he had one weakness: He couldn't bear being seen looking at a Punch and .1 inly show, but tin; show drew like a magnet at bis heart, and lie could not draw himself away from it. Or I think of tho lato Dr. Parker, when he was pastor of one of tho largest congregations in London, and was one of the most influential preachers ill the world. 11 o was great when ho was in the pulpit, nml a good man when he was out if it. Ho knew how to maintain his dignity when in the company of dignitaries, ur in the presence of his deacons. Jiut eien Parker had a little weakness. If when missing down a balk street he saw small boys playing marbles, the marbles f:isciiinted him, imd be was niilinppy unless he, as mi old boy. could j;ot "own and join with the boys in tho game. borne

liino ags I gave a description of ono scene in Newtown Park. Now I will try to describs another. TIIO peoplo were assembled. Thero was a typical congregation waiting. Then out came little Maud, I lie baby lioness, from tho seclusion of her boudoir, and sat in the doorway of her mansion. Evincing not a sign of nervousness, or of savagery, sho sat. and quietly looked at the crowd. "Hasn't that little Maud a beautiful face?" says Curator Langridge, as he appears on the scene. "Isn't that face exactly like her mother's?" Then out comes little Richard, stretches himself very leisurely, and yawns,, saying, plainly enough: "I have had enough sleep for the present; now for some fun." Ho gives little Maud a gentle punch, threatens to bite her neck, and bolts. Then he tries a gallop, 011 a small scale, and Richard's gallop makes all the children that can seo him laugh. This moves other children to cry, "Oil, Mammy, lift me up. Oh, do, please, let me' see." and paterfamilias, proud of his little two-year-old, lifts little Johnny higher and higher, all the time crying, "Can you seo?" By this time little Maud is with Richie, over in front of old King Dick's cage. Dick forgets that he is not as young as he was when, collared t-o a chain, he used to be led about in the Christchurch Exhibition. Seeing tho youngsters romping, he gets down to his knees, turns over on his back, rolls about as well as he can in the limited space allotted to him, and-gives a friendly growl of sympathetic recognition. Then up he gets and. jumps with force that shakes the building. .Alary hears the noise, and comes'out to se:? what is the matter. Maud and Richard by this time are collaring each other, and rolling and tumbling liko footballers in a juvenile Rugby struggle. . Mother Mary, alert as a l-eferee, breaks the clutch, and Richard turns to her and threatens to seize his mother by the throat. Now children are laughinghilariously. One little girl cries out, "Oh, ain't they lovely?" "Yes," says her mother, "wouldn't you liko to carry ono homo?" Then twenty ladies simultaneously agree that tho cubs are real little beauties. Just then, when Richie has engaged Mary in front, and Mother Mary is feigning to grip him by the throat anil lug him in and-put him to bed, the great lioness, with nimbleness wonderful for her weight, juntas right about, for little Maud has got behind and nipped her mother's tail, with teeth which, although they arc young, can bite. This clectiifies the crowd. The children simply slu'iek, and hundreds of men and women enjoy a genuine laugh. "What funny little things the cubs are to bo sure!" says some matronly lady, when a philosophic onlooker turns to me and says, "Ilaw, haw, haw! Mr. Crewes, li.ttle. things please little minds." "Yes." I say, "but if little things please only little minds, how is it that when I find myself laughing with, the little minds, there are always so many big ones about?" Tho lions in the Wellington Zoo abundantly prove that compensation balances abound in nature, and that animals kept in captivity can, in lovo to each other, and friendship with human beings, have more of pleasure, and less of pain than wilder, animals experience which have to get their living, among fierce competitors and jealous rivals.