ZOO NOTES

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2284, 19 October 1914, Page 9

ZOO NOTES

A WHOLESOME STORM

ABOUT OXYGEN

WANTED: AN INCUBATOR

[By John Crowes, President of the Wellington Zoological Society.]

Some of my friends speak disrespectfully of the munificent tourist that ' visited New Zealand recently and ofI fered a liberal offering of the elixir of i life to the people of Wellington. They 5 suggest that he was a big, blustering, • howling "northerly," that, liko ank other, blustering "northerly" that has been much in evidence lately, can do nothing better than try to destroy i British possessions, and raise clouds of i dust with which to ruin the lungs of British soldiers, and fill with misery ( - the admirers of New Zealand's Expedii tipnary Forces. But as I think of the ) wind that blew through Wellington on i Saturday October 10, lam reverently re- ■ mindorl of a description that an ancient ; Psalmist gave of his God. To that • Psalmist God was a. great spiritual ) Being, robed with light, standing upon I the wings of the wind, and bestowing ethereal blessings upon His creatures. > Oxygen is one of the greatest blessings i that a God could bestow upon animals. , Man inhales oxygen, monkeys inhale i oxygen, birds inhale oxygen, and one of I the most fascinating illustrations that ' tho Dominion Government and the Wel- ■ lington City Council have supplied for i visitors to our Zoo we see in the means , used to convey oxygen to the fishes. ■ But how do we 'know that the storm • .brought with it a large cargo of oxygen? i' I answer that the behaviour df the animals in the Zoo revealed' that fact. Of ton. when a wind blows through the Zoo, most of the animals curl themselves up in corners, or hide behind .' shelters, sink into a sullen mood; and ; refuse to come when called. But dur- [ ing the recent storm, as soon as I spoke i to one of the pig-tailed monkeys, ho of- . fered his hand, and the other, jealous, , as soon as he saw his brother do . jumped down from his seat and pulled ' the' hand back. Just then the. old sulphur-crested cockatoo, well known as having a nail-less claw and being the . best talker in the Zoo,' was full of fussiness, on one breath aslcing : "Will j'ou have a cup of tea?" and on tho next saying: "Good-bye." In another cage one ; of the baby bonnet monkeys hurried oter and shook hands very lustily, and in yet another the - other -little monkey almost screeched with his unique laughter. In other- enclosures the female wolf was full of lifo, trotting in the figure "eight" path that 6ho regularly describes as her footpath when she takes her daily exercise; and the male wolf lightly but with .longer and more leisurely stride moved 1 about, at homo; and evidently pleased that he was.' alive.- - Prince, the young donkey, started as soon as he heard my voico, and moved with quickening pace into a trot to get down for me to pat him on the head. Even King Dick roared with exhilaration, but stopped as soon as ho heard me speak, and, although he but seldom salutes when lie is hungry, just before feed-time was on his back in a moment, arid rolled about as ready for a- romp as if in the morning.

A Creat Benefactor. -.Now, I-have seeneach of this" animals' act like'he did' last Saturday weok, but never saw all of them do it with.equal heartiness in one day. By what I saw .1 'was convinced that the wind that was blowing was health-laden; it had collected a great supply of oxygen, and was distributing it freely to all that were willing to receive ite benefaction. From what I'saw in the Zoo that afternoon I; infer that the . storm that blew through Wellington distributed a gift that worth more . 'to our city than five hundred tons of flour, a'thousand head of cattle, and an ounce of radium would have beon. Winds mustf be valued not by the direction in which they blow, nor by their temperature; nor by the rate at which thoy travel, but by the treasure they'bring and the wealth that they leave. The recent storm was a great benefactor to Wellington. Let people that despise Wellington winds contrast our munificent visitor wifa the destructive nor'wester that blew at Christchurch. When the animals in the Zoo enjoy a .wind as they enjoyed the wind that blew that Saturday afternoon, mechanics, professional workers, and' pensioners should visit our parks and breathe these, and consumptives should open their windows. Let .every genuine Wellingtonian extol, the winds that pass on our" oarbonie \ acid to the trees, and when a great wind like the. recent storm comes to bless, the city with-a liberal distribution of oxygen let all .the people unite to sing "Oh that men would praise the Lord for His goodness, and for. his wonderful works to the children, of men!" That is, all that believe in God, and all others should profitably study tho wonderful adaptations and harmonies of Nature. To-day our statesmen are discussing how, and to what extent, the cutting ■ down of men is likely to affect the price of flour. Some day they will consider the more important question of tho measure of the effect of the cutting down of trees, and the burning of bush, on the supply ofy oxygen, and the fibre and vitality, the health and temper, of the peoplo of New Zealand. Will my good friends that ire ever maligning Wellington's winds kindly remember that last,,week when winds in other cities of New. Zealand were uprooting trees, and blowing down chimneys, and breaking plateglass windows, and filling people with unspeakable lassitude and weakness, no appreciable damage was done in Wei-, lington, but a munificent storm filled the Zoo and the City with an exhilarating elixir tho value of which cannot bo expressed in, words. ;

Wanted. The City Council and the Wellington Zoological Society have placed in tho pheasantry of the Zoo a collection of beautiful pheasants of which wo aro proud. Several of the pheasants aro laying,. and the' curator of the Zoo thinks that a good_ supply of young birds ought to be raised from the eggs ho is getting. But broody hens aro not forthcoming;' and an incubator is urgently 'needed. The City Council has in contemplation the supply of other needs that will take all tho money that tho council can afford for tlio Zoo and other interested parties aro helping to keep the Zoo worthy of public appreciation. Frenchmen, New Zealand troopers from all parts of tho Dominion, Britishers proudly wearing tho uniform of the first lino of defence of our .nation, and others who havo recently visited the Zoo, admired the exhibits, and praised tho keepers who keep the animals of their charge in such splendid condition. Now local requirements, and patriotic sentiment appeal for help to improve Wellington's most popular, interesting, and instructive place of public recreatory rendezvous.' Kindly send to Mr. J. Castle, chemist, treasurer of tho Wellington Zoological Society, Ridfliford Street, AVellington South, £6, to bo spent on an incubator and ono or two other matters. And bore I must ask all who are willing to contribute to, or through, our society, to send direct to Mr. Castle I am so engaged at present that I can-, not collect money or givo attention to tho financial affairs of. the socioty.- Mr. Castle will receive the mon&x and

promptly acknowledge receipt of the same. A Knowing Fish. Some more very interesting fish nave recently beon placed in the aquarium. One of them saw a small hole in a top corner of his tank, climbed up to it; and got out. A visitor to tho Zoo met the fisli coming "up the path, aud was frightened. But'visitors liecel not be afraid, the fish! was recaptured, lie will not be allowed to escape again, but evon if he should manage to ho is Harmless.