THE ZOO

Dominion, Volume 9, Issue 2705, 26 February 1916, Page 12

THE ZOO

SOME RECENT ADDITIONS ri3y John Castle, Secretary of the Wel- . lingtoii Zoological Society.] Ships outward bound carry orders for animals for our Zoo, and homewardbound ships bring interesting creatures that attract the attention and gratify the curiosity of an over-increasing liuinbor of studious observers. Among the latest arrivals aro three apostles. The apostles are Australian birds (Struthi<le.*i cmerea). Like the white-winged chough, they generally live in small companies, and have been called "the Twelve Apostles." > They aro rather sombre and grave in appearance, and have fairly taken away the venerable designation from the choughs. Where are the Camels? I am told that the camels may be cxpeotcd soon. A pair of fine young minimis were purchased at Perth' early m January, and tho gentleman who tirought tlieni promised to send them mi as soon as practicable, but military duties and shipping arrangements havo. rendered our calculations somewhat precarious. However, we may,' I think, hops to see soon in our Zoo two fine illustrations of tho most wonderfully compact and useful caravan of natural adaptabilities noticeable in the animal kingdom. The Spinebill, Another welcome new arrival appeared in our Zoo aviary this week, The "spmebill was never seen in our Zoo before, perhaps never seen in New Zealand baiore, but is well worth seeing. <V charming, ' livelycurious, lifctlo creature is tho 6pincbill, a little larger than the English wren, but having a bill very long_ for such a small bird. In rlie scientific world the honoured patronymic he right worthily adorns is "Aeaiithorhvnchus temiirostris." Should lie ever be fortunate enough to get into Uie Newtown Museum, he will. I pronine, bo dubbed "Cobbler's awl."

"J.P." and the Eagle. "But, where is His Worship's official rfebcP" exclaimed the venerable ex-presi-dent of the Wol'injjton Zoological Society, when I showed the block from which we were to take an impression of His Worship's likeness to be published in our Society's Handbook and Guide to the Zoo. ''Oh," I tsaid, "ho will not, allow liis official block to be used l'or other than official publications." "Ah," said tho ■ ex-president, "I see now that explains something that I could not understand." "What is that, may 1 ask?" said I. "Well, yes," lie said, "you know that we have an eagle in the Zoo." "Yes," I said. "Well, that eagle is supposed to be of tho whitehead species; and to bo the national emblem of tho American United States, but his head is not wliite nor are there more white feathers on it than when ho was brought to the Zoo. It seems evident,' then, that it is not ettiquette for official eminentiali-

fcies to wear their official distinctions outsido the limits Of their official jurisdiction, and that eagie will not put oil his emblematic headgear here. Ah, well," said the old gentleman, "I will not honour that cajjlo in my classification; there he shall simply be a plain eagle without any scielitilio distinction, and I will go up to the Zoo and name him after our Mayor, who at each end of his name has 'J.P.'" Soon afterwards, wlieu I saw tho venerable, I said, "Well, have you named tho oagle?" "Oh, pes," said he, "and the brown-headed bird fook.it as-the greatest piece of fun imaginable, and laughed until ho shrieked with laughter." "Nonsense,"' I said. Soon after, wards the vonerablo and I wero at the Zoo together, and lie said to .me, "Now, you watch tho eagle when I call J.P." The name was soundod, and immediately the eagle shrieked and laughed until he was tired. "A very remark"ablo coincidence," [ said. "Yes," said the venerable. "I will not argue with you sceptics, but is that a mere coincidence. which takes place whenever I call the bird 'J.P.'?" Well, an eagle is supposed to be a quiet, mopish sort of bird in a Zoo, but our eaglo always becomes lively and laughs when he hears our ex-president call "J.P.," and the bir,d is becoming very fond of laughing. Aye, and that is not the only funny part of the coincidence business. Tho eagle, since ho was named, haß been putting on white feathers as fast as he oan grow them, so that just as the last copies of our Handbook are, being sold J.P. in tho Zoo is a genuine' white-headed eagle, ready to be rightly and fully described in the City Council's Official Handbook, in which, I presume, thevo will be a likeness of His Worship'the Mayor in his official robe.

1 A Good Place. "This is a good_ place for young men . to put some of their spare time in," said a fino young fellow at tlie Zotf a few days ago. "I never saw a Zoo before I 1 came here and I had 110 idea that there . was such a show in New Zealand. I had heard that there- was a Zoo at Wellington, and I had read tho notesin tho newspaper, but I did not believe tliat we had such an interesting show as this in the Dominion. I never saw a lion before I came here." The speaker was a member of one of our Expeditionary Forces—a fine young fellow, who believes in taking'care of himself and making himself fit for the servico to which lie has devoted himself. He keeps bis character clean and his intellect alert, knows how to appreciate the educational institutions that his people are establishing, and will prove himself worthy of New Zealand wherever he goes. "You must come and see us again when you come back," said the curator. "Aye," said the young man, "and if I get a chance before i go I will he up again." More News. A Methodist minister, a young man who was born in Australia., was at our Zoo a few days ago, and being fascinated by what he saw in one of the aviaries, said: "Well, after all, I think the birds are the most interesting things in the Zoo." Well, in a Zoo, each department seems most interesting untri one studies the next. But the Wellington Zoological Society believes in trying to keep up a good supply of birds, and Mrs, Langridge, the' wife of the curator of the Zoo, is a good helper to her husband, and to 1 our society in obtaining these. She knows a good bird when she sees it, and is ever ready to help. us to place it in the Zoo. Wit'h_ the assistance of Mr. and Mrs. Langridge my society has recently procured and presented to the Zoo: Cinnamon canaries, Norwich canaries, bullfinch, goldfinch, ; and canary, mules, _ red-pole, pair of blackhead manakins, pair white-head manakins, pair of aniadava, one chestnutbreast finch. A ring-neck turtle dove base been presented by Mrs. Brown, per my society and outward bound ships are carrying orders for tigers, and inquiries abort birds, which, I hope. 1 will be in the Zoo when our army* conies home, and New Zealandors flock from all parts of the Dominion to hear the proclamation of peace read 011 the steps of Parliament Buildings.