WINTER GLORIES.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1754, 20 May 1913, Page 3

WINTER GLORIES.

THE BIRDS AT THE ZOO. AND SOME OTHER MATTERS. (By John Crowes, President of tho Wellington Zoological Society.)

When flowers fade, anil trees shed their beautiful foliage, or else assume a sombro garb, nature arrays her feathered proteges in raiment of exquisite texture anil sheeny hues inell'able. Une of the most beautiful birds in the Zoo at present is u little Paradise whydah. The body of this remarkable bird is not much larger than a goldfinch, but its tail is a beautiful curiosity. Tho tail of the whydah has been thus described: "The two centre feathers are four inches long; the two next feathers are twelve i:r thirteen inches long, broad in the middle, narrower, and somewhat pointed towards the ends. Tho other leathers are only two inches and a quarter long, tho two nearest tho centre being curved, wavy, and glossy." Any person who would sea a little whydah, in splendid condition, should hurry up to tho sir.nl! birds' aviary, and see a little wonder that, having its beautiful tail intact, has come through tile recent stormy weather, and is now in marvellous condition. But all who wish to see it in its glory must hurry up, for I venture to predict that within a month from now the tail will fall out, and the beauty of the bird will seasonably disappear. The Amadina. Another charming little bird, whose present appearance should fascinate every lover of chaste and neat but perfect beauty, is the amadina, or spermestes oryzivora, or Le Padda ou l'isea'u de liiz, or Der Keiskernbeisser, or Loxia Orycivora. I will not link the beautiful specimens of spermines oryzivora now in the Zoo, to the suggestive names by whicli their kind are generally known; to do sj would seem like profanity. If ever our little birds be reduced to such bareheaded, ragged things as birds of this species too often are in cages, outside the Zoo, then their common names may suit them. We are told that Button; speaking ,of tho plumage of the amadina, said:

"The whole plumage is so well arranged t"K«t no one feather passss another, and they all appear downy, or, rather, covered with that kind of bloom which you see on plumes; this gives them a very beautiful tint." But the pride of the Zoo again are the Mandarin ducks. The drakes are simply splendid. "Which is the most beautiful bird you have in the Zoo today?" I asked of Mr. Langridge, the curator, on Monday. "Tho Mandarin drake," he instantly replied, "there can bo 110 doubt about that." "And which is next?" I asked. "The crimson-crowned weaver," ho as promptly answered. I concur in these opinions. But while these two birds are both very beautiful, nature clothes them with beauty by two strikingly 'different methods. . Tho weaver changes his colour twice in each year, but moults only once; the mandarin duck puts on his beauty by growing new feathers, which effect quite a transformation in his appearance, but always after a moult. There are many other beauti-fully-plumed birds in tho Zoo just now. The ibises are in condition that should delight the eyes of thedr admirers. Tlve pheasants, pigeons, swans, geese, several kinds of ducks, the satin bower-bird and the flamingo are all ready to shine shame into tho countenances of as 'aumy of the detainers of Wellington weather as havo blood enough kft ill them for honest blushing.

A Worthy Warrior. Up ho stands dn a sheeny suit of blue black, more beautiful than any robe worn by any human king to his marriage or Urs coronation. "Who's who at tho Zco?" wildly shrieks some stamping, yelling, jealous rival of . tho Wellington Zoological Society. "Only those who help to jmike "public gardens, and light for them, are of any importance 111 my estimation," says the bower-bird. , During the late spell of cold, stormy' weather tho little hero has, instead of waiting for a grant from the Carnival Committee for beautiiication purposes, been making a bower for himself, and defending it as every lover of beauty and pleasure should defend the Wellington Zoo, and the Botanical Gardens. . The bower bird is no antimilitarist, or passive resister. He warms himself by working, develops a plan that excites the wonder of onlookers, and charms away a sense of loneliness by building a bower in which to amuso his mate, when, despite all the protests of pessimistic screamers, the Wellington Zoological Society brings her from some Australian home of loveliness. Aye, and he sets a line e.xamplo to the much-persecut-ed improvers of our Wellington gardens. He has astonished the lofty flamingo, amazed the haughty ibises, and sent away in disgrace the prelcncious, pugnacious, arrogant, inflated Swinhoo's pheasant, wiien they 'have ventured to hinder his eiforts or frustrate his commendable purposes. A beautiful bird, a brilliant optimist, an industrious worker, a glorious fighter, is the satin bower-bird. All who would, seo him at his best should see him now, while he is making his bower, and in defence of it is ready to iight anything up to twico his size.

Sadness and Gladness. I feel sure that all ilic juvenile readers of my notes will be sorry that the bright little girl who inaugurated the system of children's bazaars in aid of the Wellington Zoological Society, was, almost suddenly struck down by a terrible disease a few days ago, and that her devoted father, the indefatigable secretary of our society, had for some days the painful anxiety of seeing her hanging between life and death. lam glad to be able to say, however, that haying undergone a severe operation, little Una now seems to be recovering. A Great Shock! The report that the Hon. James Allen had met Dr. Mitchell, of the London Zoo, had a conversation with him about the preservation and protection of interesting animals that are verging on extinction, and inquired of him about a brown bear, some black-necked swans and a chimpanzee, which my society would like to place in the Wellington Zoo, caused a tremendous perturbation as soon as it was published here. "Who authorised Mr. Allen?" exclaimed one gasping inquisitor. "Away with tales of tigers and black-necked swans, and give us stories about debentures," shouted an irate editor who, the day before, had published in his paper a lons rigmarole about a whole Noah's Ark full of wild beasts that were recently taken from Europe to America. "Alleuia!" shouted the instigator of the deputation that asked Mr. Allen to make the inquiries. And now, having sobered down, if ail concerned will kindly look into Tin; Dominion newspaper, dated November 27, IDI2, they will see a report of a meeting of the Hon. James Alien with a deputation from the Wellington Zoological Society. Then all concerned will notice that the leading members of the deputation was Mi'. Robert Alexander Wright. This is the self-same Mr. Kobert Alexander Wright who later offered himself as a candidate for election to the Wellington City Council. This is the very same Mr. Wright who. by the vote of more than nine thousand two hundred of the citizens of Wellington, was placed in a high and honourable position- in the membership of the Wellington City Council. This same worthy councillor is r.ow a member of the I'eserves Committee, and of the Zoo division of the Reserves Committee, of the Wellington City Council. I notice thai one of our journalistic friends has been telling the world that amid the din and noise of a busy city he failed to catch the sound of the little voice of his Wellington Zoological Society. This, nerhaps, was not considered wry serious. But when a member of the stuff of a public newspaper fails to' ca'.eh the sound of the concentrated voices of 3200 of (he Wellington city electors, I would kirnlly suggevt that, if lie does not feel inclined to consult a professional aurist, he might profitably exchange n few words .with Mr. John Castle, the hon. secretary of the Wellington Zoological Society, who is a well-known South Wellington chem-

The Flamingoes. Tlio secretary of llie Wellington Zoological Society lias been informed that the gentleman ivlio had promised (o try to get sonic nioro llamingoes for us could "only obtain ono of tlieni when in India lately, and that this ono was expected to iir-l-ivo in Sydney on May 10. Here 1 innv

say thai: the Wellington Zoological f-'ci ('iety is perfectly loyal to the City oil, in all mailers pertaining to li:i

making and management of tho Zoo, and never tries to put any animal into the Zoo before the Council's permission lias been properly obtained. We have the council's permission to put in tho &uo all tho animals that wo have agreed to or authorised any person to purchase.

Mtire to Follow! The Wellington Zoological Society has more news from the Hon. Mr. Allen; but it brings in the names of Mr. Asquith and Karl Grey. The news is important, and we must break it gently. However, it will be only waste of strength if our detractors try to disparage our society. An ex-Minister of a Now /".calami Government who is an honoured member of the Wellington' Zoological .Society will bo visiting Europe shortly.