ZOO NOTES.

Dominion, Volume 7, Issue 2169, 6 June 1914, Page 9

ZOO NOTES.

ANIMALS & THEIR WAYS WONOBRS GF NATURE SOME PERSONAL EXPERIENCES tßy John Oreires, president of the Wellington Zoological Society,] My zoological addiress to tu.o bouse■llsriders of NevvtQiva, while they wait- fgr the votes of the eciiosi comnjiWeft election to he counted., has beeonie a- hardy annual. This year it was delivered to- a large, deeply-interested, highiy-amused, SftoroagMy and whole-heartedly sympathetic audience. The pe-rsiMal subject is tie Wellington Ego. But what I say about the Wellington Zoo moves some of nty hearers to think about other zoos, and .about animals outside all slew. This jfiw when I had give* my puHio ■talk a gentleman asked , me in a semiprivate manner whether I bad ftiueh experience with zoos before I cams to ■Wellington. That question and ■otliDr questions that I have heard have cofr vinced mo that some of the readers of my notes are eager to learn where and how J, Bavo gathered my knowledge of antHials, I will therefore now, when I am in a venturesome niaod>, give a Jew reminiscences that Way stimulate niy yeung friends to see when they look at tilings in the. zoo, and-ehabte some of my olde* friends to giv« esrefnl attention, to what I write and to place duo reliance on it.

Tcads-. 1 .seetn to sfie toads back at the hegiafiisg of ay, motaory, iiiit 1 havo nevqr fteftn able to m§ga 'them fairly. Sefflaef ay relatives'befoved that -a. prenatal iafhienee prejudiced aie agahs.st toads. Whatever Way he theught of that, I have ever, felt a, stronc natural aversion to therm I'believe thai they liaro been tadly misrepresented aisd abused, and thai much tfctt toid te roe about them -when I Was .young was false. I can believe also that ftere is beauty, in thft eye of a. tosd, but I have never ; bee-tt able to appeetsile it. Shakes. Next to toatis ecimo snakes. Thfey Used 'to cojne- up tsj the outside, of the hedge that fenced my father's garden and lodge in, or Suii thenisolveis ,-ofi-, a heap o.f t-sn. Once ono cafae over tlie iaiea, and came dewn and 6tretched himself, in front ef a row of flow.erhta plants that raj" mother, hiid planted sga-iß,sfc tho wall of a -cottage, about two m three yards froifl thft baek door of-our kuii-e. I, as a bahy, saiV , whst I thought wfts a heautiftil pie.ce of varie; gated-■■ rope, and in fity escitemeftt I mafjft noiso finoufth t-o move same pet' son to snatch mo back before l.cauld touch the snake. AVhetlior tlie sjiofk afefced mo β-r list I cannot teH, but ever since then I have dreaded snalses,

Collecting Wild Animals, My first adventure in collecting •β-iid. animals tras a swMcssfuJ effort'to catch beautiful butterflies. AM tore 1 must ompli&aiso the. feet that butterflies aro animals. Some of niy friends scent to think that only the majntnalia, and these ewlusivo of bats and whntes, are animals. Wft hear reett wh<i> hato Ireen fairly ctofcaiflti speaking cf awilaaSs ant! lairds 'as though birds wero tiofc aijihiais. But every .organised living Wag that' tins life aefl- : sntion and to!isjjtair(CjßDiOti<ni is an a.nfjimh I ft-as very'Sttfccdyfal at datehing the butterflies,, bp " carjting them caused tronWo. ' OaTrJ'itig oollectiofflß ei t Animals has placed a good many men. in strange predicaments. To iW-prcss. tijjon my young friends flio im|brfaneo t>i being very caroli.il in , confiniiig unff : canning animals I will simbiy ißustraio my moaning.; Fraisk Buoltraud, returning ffpkin SwttzetlaMd to O&fe.wj, on on& <-rci?asio]i brought wifti hiin.a jar fall of fiio red shags lie Wislied te introduce into Eflgl-Mtt. In tfeo -opposite corner of the (JiKgoQOQ in wliick ho jcnj.meyo4i pkftidly isjuwbe.rrf a tfsveHer U'tth amplo bald head.. Frank also slept,, bui wabing at reitoight. ho Sα* wjth hsrror that ts* of Ms, red slugs had escujifed, and were -Gfitviteg over"J;h:o travelfec'-s haid- pate." Fi-aa]? greatly' Wβeoriied; bo "sat as it ■ff-ero oil ieiit-er-Iti'oks, vEßiil thti diligence' stopped 'at the a&fb. stage, when, firmly eorferlrig Up the jaf, a.nd what remained' <)f ihe slugs, ho s%pdd |ttfc% out. of the cfiiigencG, r<?s»h'fd tit porsfteed on his journey I>y, aiethcr pflttveyanc* neyt morniftp, i-ather than f4c& that man's awakening,." Of eewfie ttis escape of two fed s.lu£s should Sot hav* fciussd much su&fing, to any person, hut it greatly troublciij tho isrowtire B'uciiatid. Slg Sfigiht 6jcs Glaring. llagaibfick tells of anotker ftiali that slept ia a traArclimg van. H& awoke in the seWMfarifness and felt it breath ;that had a kind of fetid stne'li Ho opened his «yos, and saw two fee, bright eyes glapaig into them, tkq lion wja Icoso.in the railway van-, Oeftiness counts for mtieh ift carrying wik} animals. 'Hie Boa's jieepsr kfrpt himself cool, secured Si« Hoi , , aitd.batb arrived in safetj at their dosMnatjon. fiuck--laud Btight, by keeping feipself coal, have survived tho aT.-aten.iSg of tl» bnM-head-ed old gentfcwaa, aM saved I much rajtiablo time., uut is keffprig cool 1 is the difficutty.

Ant-tligr Crazt Disconcertion. "Whi'e I was seated in a. fattTiJicasfe, imd kdws w talking to toe, saiiie of ray butterflies sij<?.nt!j cwergod ftom the -seelusioM 'in which 1 thengllt I had securely buttoned tfasin, and \S'hfe'n I, fi bashi'ul little boy, noticed , the. aiausoMient that wy esenping iinimals vr6t& c4tisi«g,-l test the seljf-pesscssioft nni coolness tlwt 200 proprictofs iiced ftwo tiiaii auytliiaig else whisu their imtaals are «sr:apittg. Hewwer, , while I e.ui well umlcrstabd tho Ibijljiir that- Buclilan.d felt wioti his 51t!,55 fad escaped. I am plfißsed to remember tliat althoiigh : t blushed .ind folt estrenwiy uncohi(ft*table, I did flot run *-way. nor did 1 • stay a«-ay from ho»8 as JJirckfand. tl ; kl, An Ehc:ha«t]nG Disoosofy. •Wheij I was abayt asvcil dr eight years of age, 1 ,. with some -of ray play-. mates, veiiturci further from si(iM than we had been went to go. Wo pushed out to exploits iVti&t to trs had oeon utilaiewfl ten-itor)'., atttlj for-tUfi- / ateJi , ,'. within a sliort ittsttince ht>m the limit of (iiff ofdiiiary Jarnhlps, we.found . what sdenicd to bo an. (inchantcd gto, Hero jtrcaniS oi erystalin© watel incaft* ; ■ dered/'niusicaSly, and luscwus blackhoiv ; rios grew in larish profusion, and tap '■ Stems, crowned with -elunjrps of bea-uti-. ful {sink flowers Were, itfteriwinedt. w ' t ' h ■ brajjibtes, tiirffttgh which gre.v raiik and i various rcods and grasses. Trftes nnd bushes and -fiowefs .njiiigted in such Jm-rniony attj eonfus.fon thai wjg, as lnoys feveliing oft blackbcrricSj to the hvtm of wild bce.s afld the imasic of run-' nitig waters, felt tliat- at last we had i discovered a jteftjtKso, , A.titJ among alii these dsieetabjlifcios, or hciV~ ftriiig iiver thdn, J, in sympathetic company with exoitablo yofittg Cells, first saw Worthy* res>.r&soiJtTttivos of my fov , - oiirita speeios of gorgeous and giaiit butterflies, Tha moment in wlijci'i tllese began to glow hi my vision was «n& of ■■: tho su-prcino inomeiits of »}.' iifotinie. Attd I was jiot the only niomher of 0t little band , of vouithM ofesetfTcrs thnt was excited, flie 'boaatifol colours and-ej;o-lik(s plcted on tiio ifutsiclo of the. wings oscited our Celtic ttftagination to ■■. greai' creaMro possibiHtjos, and when wo -coti'-d n*t'-cet neat eiloagh' to ■$&■ fifib distinctly t«o marMftgis on ■ thfe In-.', sides, Wq cojMyJiidedj and went iitf-ay -te f-epoit that Whatt Seen butterflies tW

had preterms of the K-u.sskn wj painted on tlicjr wfegs.. It \s;as in abo.uf iH$4 1.855, when a wai- between JEiiglaiil a«d Russia had a strong hold o» the itttafiuv ai/iqji of CVrijisti cluidi>?U. Pwin tlyattime omvajtd I delighted in studying wild Katuro ifi tho country, and soino ■'of my i*col}wftiQ}iis of wljat I saw in Wrdi* liests and rabbits' buiTowSi aijd ■other interesting sitnsitiehs arc among the most tjirilimg' doleetabiiitieS of ui,v memory. I was also deeply in nature gender ■.domestication., I saw my first heft 'hateMng 3, brood of dudes, Soon I became tho owner of rebbits.. Tjjc-n Mher bought a splendid, cot?, ffcst c.ame calves and young pigs and chickens. ' White 1 was qiitte S : .boy, 1 was mm them &t tlieir birth, or nursing ton in fchoh; sickness, or w.ttebiiig them at tl'teir death, Tlicii Wotabivoll's moiijiEerio came to m.V native tewnship. and tho school of tvhtcb I was a ecndW tva? taten te sco lions, Bitd tigers, and l«m----atds, and rtrmoceroses, a ijd cloplmnitSi and heafs, antMnenfeeys. I sliafi hever iorget the glow of delight I fejt as for tho first time I weiit down into a ■menagerie of vf'M beasts. W«, xmi tit *am 111? steps oft the atid' ,a B , SfieiKl inside tfej front jiatfoyinß, if 1 '* } t vw!t « wie- gea., aM saw ■seagulls and slmgs, awl ling taken out to i«* crabs ajtd. lobsters aliye, and in full beauty Stalwart-, jftayless, ana very praetical were themon from whom I receded m.y first information about* the ertafetoeaas .that they wal-shed ' and st-ttdicct, ami enugitt, and ltcpk aJl a earfr«d, and sold. I io«g to seo tsttbs and lobsters, they Itok m : o to great memories, ■ ■

A &m Sensation. I heard a sf«.at deal ffboiit* ihe crUatadeaiis, from scvml greatj .metica], ebseriireai, men; but one of them.drew me into an ..experiondo tTba-t I thmk of whenever I feel ia, flesire to see mstaceii again. Vavl iv<?y was a very pwietoal teachflr.. ffi s firieiid.s. thought that what.he didn't know .aWufc.catch, ■jftg crabs and Jobstefs wiis baJdiy wsri'h taoTvipg. B H t lie-didn't tfejil thnt at home ift a study or ,by the- fireside «r iii a library was the place to .study eribs I mast go out in his boat and l»lw to haul up a big s.tove.pot and when tlo mautn o f our ]j Oa . t waS ,^ ■ m _ dicular : and <me MiwaKof th& boat was just level .Witt th:o' Wafer'laiil and Md ori and tremble atad look' steadilv, ■mto t:boja*s. «tf ckath as' wo'lugffM a tevy stove-pot of crabs over ihv edgeof tt6 bsai over whicli tho tbffeatetfmg water *m feptting. bejilt seomod to fee iiekujg j®' .feet in mtU- [ nation of draggiivs mo .down. Jl> fif.st i vww of live crabs jn :ft stove crib not wasjn? last. I would prefer in Misro to study them m ait aftuafiiim.- . But Wo hafdy .(irab-caioMts, rstwdfous : ahd wous, trero -cxes-llcnt teacjiepSj aftdfeaj' (less wen Sparely tr*s another who coukl teafth me maeli sbont loWeis 1 080 Sandfly fried to teach hint something about death and immortality, t ■never saw dsaft Ufa, .bete to. when he got the clittfcli -said, to a frjend. A few divyi 'afterwards- X ; pfeaohed }h fliat clmffth agajii., S«t Sparsfrot w 3 s gone. Ipown iii'to tho deep he- on one- sioriny night wits throw where- exa.«% was ita*«r known." My rcfieiJeetooDs of seaftcn and *lne sea said: the CTiisfeiceaJis - Wer Hot bookish. Later I went, to lyoiidou" a.nd often visited th© Besenl'-s hark Zoa, when Bafiriu's piibjicaiions wfiro : faScHiatine same stijdeftts, esispetat- : iiig others, and interesting ftH, I, with; the legeflt's Paris Joo 011 sij.6. side; and .Jiudie'.s Lending Li : l>rary -on the Qthei\ and tlis Look slioj.s of LondoW not far- away, otscn'cd and tead aiisi slndiod whey Vβ ms. heart's ■co.nte.nt, la Sew Zealand I hav« Visited afriarj.ea,■and lofts, and menaseric-E, aiwi t-ho WeiJiavo- seen also the prq.on wJicro fish iiii-d tlio ova b watched, aiJilsybuiig'r-nis'h' ■awj hatched and i-earedj -I liaT-o Seen ,aiso much, ti.ougfc but Httte tfl w'iiafc roigijt ksve been seen of :liffe ift tti.o biis'b Mid flit, tho ifatm-f and I have fead majjy ot the test books and papers, tuat havA beeft/ puMishecJ. Buring my J&t-fele I Iraw> enjoyed important resulbs from my_ study of life in %\stiy of its multifarious jftanfetatleu-s, alid' u*vc- f 1 think, gualifctl myself to isfieak 'coH-fj* den% s:nfl nrturaHy. ajjoui manj* of tlift faseiaatiiig and sugges-tjvd wonders «f nature.'- -6totif,viftg it Js to fiii.tf iba* busy, 'bustling tiasmcss incft, in tflo heydey of life, as well as og.cij nloil Who are .feeling t:irdd' ; .und,f>.r the. strain ot protracted; toil, and ciiiidf'en. who are : iust now awalefiißg to tho realities of the worlii_arouiid them, reffcrfl them' , selves white wsarliftg my br.e.ezv w Zoo Kotos," Now, $e?i.% as I 'sevhow aZflo wjth.au aqiiarhjw eoiild be used to «ivs -lwa-lthy. attraeliOn to -flj-aw pbotiib: awav from -their ton narrow liflnies awl th«if shops and ofijEfts of eXftitemfeftt ami e-efttietition, sad. fu-jsb. aod worry, *fid ove:n from their father is-.feSotaiatis, farnis AM eotmtr.y Jioitiosteatjs, aiid to m-6 faseinatlng isviefest to s«h «ibjfiots a« gwfoay, and g«.og.r.ash,v. eivd WMoay, fljid hiSrtery,-«jiii bwgrsmb". mi' even t.hwtegy, I n-iipe.tl tfi.e- β-ovetn* Sient of tho PornSfiiflsn to help to fan-. - pWvfl ■β-ur Zoo, ancl to all; patents -a-iid Eiianlitos ftnf| teiwhers :of onf cliMre.ri to hein to atili>fi tho Zo,o te ti ? ultbate ' oejiefit i>f all eoneerrtftl, :