THE ZOO.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1743, 7 May 1913, Page 4

THE ZOO.

f NEW ARRIVALS—TWO MALLIiMUCKS, LETTER FIIOM THE HON, J. ALIEN. (lly .lollu Crowes, ('resident of uio Wellington Zoological Society.) lly apology for asking Tin; Dominion lo publish my random jollings nlmiit the Wellington /oo anil other y,oologicnl matters is that the writing of flicm yields lo mo a kind of lcctealivo pleasure, ami many of the leaders of them assure mo that they get a good deal of pleasure by rnuliiiß thi?m. On Iho il* 1 )' Council election 1 met nil aged friend, whose reminiscences give mo much pleasure whenever J can read tliem. i wild, "1 tiopo you have discharged your duty (o vour city, Kir I" "Aye, that J he'said. "1 voted for Castle and I,'rosl, and fell sorry that ,tho writer of your notes In Tin; Dominion liiul not asked mo (o vole for the writer himself. do enjoy reading your notes on tho /-00. boon alter that Treasurer Castlo told mo that he had iusl heard of two parlies ol juveniles working up miniature bazaars in aid of tho funds of tho Wellington /ioologicul Society. I have heard also of a sympathetic reader who took somo cuttings of carnations lo tho treasurer of tho society, that they might bo sold to replete tho .society's exchequer. Venerable patriarchs lead my notes, girls and boys read them, and write about them, Inwyers, city councillors, member# of .Parliament, matrons, and maidens read my notes, and fay, "Well, after nil, 'here is nothing moro natural than the study of nnturo, and when wo can study with a guide, \\ho_ admils Unit hi) himself has betn deceived many times, and oven now docsn t knowvery much, there is as much fun us prolit in tho study of zoological notes.

Wide-Awako Students. I have always Ivied to impress upoii readers vf my tho importance 01 close, careful, cautions, keen observation in tho study of scientific subjects. A low weeks ago 1 wondered whether thei peoplo who read wliat tho members of tho Zoological Society write givo us credit for practising what wo preach. I thereioro said to Treasurer Castle, "You have, J. think, received more than, two thousand coin 3 giveu I>,V tho people to our collections in Newtown' Park. How many stuffed threepenny pieces, or spurious coins liave you found among tho two thousand?" "Not ono that the bank has not passed," he said. It is ovulent that peoplo <lon't submit bad coin to men who aro wide-awake enough to study animals. Albatrosses or Mollymauks—Which? In tho Zoo on ono occasion two ladies were warwiy discussing. Une of them contended tnat one of tho sea-lions, was a sea-lion, tho other lady had read in a newspaper that the , animal referred to was a Hair-seal. IS'eitxier of them had jioticed that a sea-lion is a hair-seal. Not loug ago a lady who had watched the llamingo in the Zoo camo aivay saying "Well, I never knew until to-day that a llamingo has only one leg." Tho flamingo draws up one of his legs, doubles it underneath his body, and having, mado a lever of it, rests upon it as a kind of stool. But if tlio lady had seen tho llamingo walk she would have seen that ho uses two legs when he walks 1 . The latest arrivals 111 tho Zoo are two mallemucks. Now, there is much discussion ou tho questions: Aro these birds albatrosses, molly xuawks, mollymauks, or mallemucks? I submit that they aro .ill. I accept tho Encyclopedia Brittanica's spelling of mallemucks; and say that a mallemuck is a small albatross. Tho Chimpanzee, Etc./' The London Zoological Society has no chimpanzee to spare just now. But Dr. Mitchell, the secretary of the London Society, gave to the lion.. J. Allen somo' very valuable information about tho chimpanzees, boars, swans, kiwis, tuatara, ducks, sanctuaries, etc., etc., and Mr. Allen's letter, rcitcvcd by mo yesterday, will give rise to somo very interesting and important discussions when tlio next meeting'of tlie Council of the Zoological Society takes place. l)r. Mitchell and the Hon. Mr. Allen could not seo how somo of tlio animals we want. could bo sent without a keeper, but 1 recently received a hint that a gentleman who lias given much attention to animals, was thinking about visiting England. I am therefore inclined to imagine that I see a way over the difficulty, that viewed from London seemed so formidable. Some of my friends were thinking that Mr. Allen had forgotten the society, but all may be assured that lie has faithfully fulfilled his promise to us, has sent us much valuable information, and was seeking for more when the letter I have received was sent.