ZOO NOTES

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 1955, 12 January 1914, Page 6

ZOO NOTES

fl'.*': i^s^Vbll.ii>gta):.v ! * : ©ttferWnMh£pl\eS ■a.bifdSthaSsßoXLntldicasiin^.v^ :rep,reycu't¥tiye^ nestsf'aretnaturaifihcuh^ ■have^olilv^ne'^awlftpiiscq^^ i)over*seeW^diat;;theEbrusl!|turkeys;:()^ "The'brush'nTirkcy^makc'sT.a.-lftrgei'moundji, sof ,leaves;-.'places> down :>n theTtlccaViofH-heMeaves'^na^tho^ra^ot-, :siMiStosnatch-;thyyonng>h]rfs;i;w,hieli;'; wben-Hhev:"eome : fr6m'''tho(mound,r;nro. : feathrrcd^and: : almost;,aready;f&tgaHy:; : Birds of > this 'kind^havcj.prp.dircbd/.y.oung' '■in the-MelbouHieiiZoqJ'ferAiipther;';very; nirterestingibirdiisUho'yradgerigar.g.^ln, •'one of tho. r avian€Wo^« r^"?rf]? p ; some ; sliort'i]"e'iigths".bf branchcfeoKtrcos '■which' havo'been'liollowed,:'.tb' a;? depth. of .'■ a- '■ f clinches';*! 'DomfStheShpiM* in .thcse,:.althoughthey'are ; only, about--six, inches i Hn ; .diameter;;theihudgcrigarß*;go easily;^udlir ; :them;nheyc,hal:c.lifeyeiin g and^rear:Uheni?iii4winter;:or;;in;; i spring. 3Vn there is ! tlibSsh"ng;little'.raossy;nest of the:;goldliirchp;Fifty,?perhops -sixty, i sumniers-.havc;?passed;sincoxl ? fifst--was fascinated bv>:,the;beauty.:of ;a.goldfinch and itsMiest:|S;-mut>ven:.the i nest,of tho e oldfinch'is!:surpassed,in;.beauty,by that of .the-chaffincn^a-beautiful.. finch that would>Siavo;SbeehSadmired : vmoro if its beauty-'hadl?n6t.«bocn'.--eclipsedfcby that'' of ; its : less;;artisticTriv^l^f|||g^ Weave? ; : k The -most 2 Zoo; several spec!es : ibfSweavefHbirds.=p;rlh« males^bf^tho, i; ducks' 'are '•' moultingl'.?and"itho'; young golden pheasantsiVgorgeou'sithough they., are,.are not'adonicd-:-.with'"the;iu!l .glory of "maturity^'are^abbutSthe; 5 most£ bnl-. ■ liant- birdsMn '.the. Zoo";"j;and ..the; skill withTwhich ; 'tliey^cave^tlieir : ;"«Bts, stitch by-..stitch,-.of:grass:.cut,by...them-selves;' is marvellous'.'-.-'. Frbm'..:-tho, sandbed b'f'the ostriclies';ahe ; - : .rimd-nests ■of tho flamingoes?and',the'flimsy, platforms "on which' ; the pigeons'; hatch, and rear their', young.'lto-. the .beautiful. nest of the cliaffinch,'.xand ; :..thef:artistic nest of the' weaver':-birdStlierejis; an .-amazing gradation'of instinctive .'adaptations sufficient ■■ to ..excite itho':-. attention;; fascinate the ■.'reason,: cnkindle.; ; the,'■■: imagination, enrapture- the: heart;--'and stimulate the mind ,of any ■. student .and, .teacher.: who has sufficients-intellect;;: to? perceive and aptness to .communicate":: some'" of the most suggestive.-of:.the.indications that Nature have■ hinted, at tho nests of ot tho thirds in 'our-iZo-0,-.but,l think that .the hints I ■ have-'given should conrincs tho people of:Now.Zealand that if their children grow 1 up.-ignorant and dull and listless,- or grovelling, '.mercenary',- swin-.. ish, and prosauv'it-will not be-because there have not been placed within their reach' natural to stimulate .their.jnte-lkcts," ; - but because they : havb allowed*.their lower natures to prevent them from studying the mysteries., of life':Saiid giving .range to . tho rational powcrsf:that>to.'Vail;,properlytrained and cle'vatpd'minds should make of Newtown Park ''a, veritable:, paradise. Tho Year-end at "the ';'"'i"

?. The last' Sunday pf,thc-yearilol3 was a. glorious>da•,;,■. ; and patrons' of tho Wellington Zoo had'a'fair- opportunity < to'scOMvliat''an attraction the Zoo bus', become.;,, There wns'iio. meeting of any. society, nor .was there any band playing in. the. .-'park, but', hundreds, I might, perhaps; ..without! exaggeration, say thousands''.of bright, healthy,' welldressed,' happjv people walked together, and talked to each other, and'admired tho' : n.nima!ss'»and listened to tho birds, and ; expressed "admiration and wonder nt tiio beauty/and tho music; and tho affection,, and the obedience, and th* ii!telligeiice';.and the docility of the animals in;the-- Zoo.-.j.SFortunately. about 'Christmas : i'..Evc'v"tlio .. littlo..kangaroo whoso existence.; I'nientioned some time ago, began to'put out its beautiful little head from" tho. darkness, in which it had for-somo,weeks, been hidden; and as by,' Sunday, it had.; ; beeome used to (ho light, --and had., got to enjoy fresh air, and to. piek' f ,i bit..of green grass, 'the little,.brilliant kept its head out during 'most of thn afternoon, and 'hundreds ; 0f..,, admiring and wonder-struck .observers','''who had. never before seen a young kargaroo riding about in a pouch, loudly expressed their amazement find gratification at seeing such a lively, interesting little .representative of tho most beaiitiffil. species, of Australia's marvellous''marsupials.■:'Then not less interesting than the. young ' kangaroo were Gcorgb and Maud, tho'two handsome ha'tivo young lions.-. I confess that tomy; mind' there is not in tho whole realm :'of .nature below man■■ anything much,moro wonderful than two young, untrained lions" indulging in.-a stars fight. ■ They stand up to'- each other, and wrestle, and throw each other, and roll over, and .open their mouths wido and catch each'othcr's.throats, and pretend ■■ to savagely/, mouth, each other's logs, and : vet wh'ilo feigning a'tremendons rage^never .inflict on each other tho slightest hurt. I could understand lions running and jumping and quarreling and fighting; hut tho pretence of ft sham fight..between, untrained lions is to niy mind'very'marvellous. And I was pleased ..-whcn.l -noticed that I Was not the only 'person -that wondered at the pretence..,,,.-;''.. ~ .;■..:-,'■;.. '-..'' A Solar Observatory and a Zoological ..,■: Observatory.;,.,.i V:!,....

*'Nature.has; generally honoured the .forecasts I have given in my Zoo notes, and has thereby: emboldened me to give another forecast. -On a report which tho curator of our Zoo has repeatedly given'to mo, and on results of my owu observations'in the Zoo, I confidently venture ■.to. predict that Wellington's nest winter will begin, early, and unlike- our last winter was, will bo rather severe. To ' some extent I differ from our distinguished visitor, Mr. Evorshed who is reported'to-haver said: "There 'is no doubt that sun-spots, whatever they may be, affect meteorological conditions, and that these conditions depend ■ generally „ upon -tha% sun. ■ There is nothing else they can depend upon.'. I submit,that tho meteorological conditions.'that'affect Wellington depend upon conditions in this part of tho earth;' and in.the earth as a whole, conditions', in the,;,sun.and other heavenly bodies, ' and "■conditions'.: between tho heavenly .bodies and our earth. Shakespeare, 'IJhinkV; said :■■.£'There■ are mow. things in" heaven;''and r "oarth, than are 'dreamt" of ■ in.'.0uf..,,. philosophy," and, speaking■from'.jnemory,.,l say Schlcgel iSosnowhero insert the words "between .heaven, and ...earth." . With Schlcgel I: iinagine/.that .between tho heavenly.' bodies' andVour planet there are.' conditions that.,.must bo ■■studied. That-the/sun does : very powerfully affect tho..e'artli,'wo'knbw';.and that such changes-;in..the sun.:,as' the "spot?" : must' materially affect the meteorological conditions of Wellington wo will not dispute; but-that "there is nothing but tho sun, for,, tho meteorological conditions ■; to; depend up0n,"...! am lioi.ablo to■ believe."■■■';! am,'.'however,'..ready to believe that,during a year from now tho 'hietfiorolbgieal-S&epnditious .prevailing ■ hero have.. bcen'sb extraordinary, and : t!ior.iiidications"of,our-.littlo.'.i!oological : microcosm have-'.been.so, striking,;that there;:'must'!-;have been, "either' in:- thw sun;V or-within;-the:.earth,, disturbances 's'q ,: ivieh'noticcdi.by'i'sciehtific'observe'rs f'.-in'd ■'lAvo'uld-slikftto>ktio.«\'' : tvhat;explariat-ion .'.vnflir-uto' « : an, ■'ea'rU ; '^w-uUyrS-fritlii»jiomoj : ratbcr> sercro