ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

Dominion, Volume 11, Issue 215, 30 May 1918, Page 9

ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY

■ ■ MEETING' OP MEMBERS. A~mcetin{f!.of the' Wellington Zoological. Society was held in Mr,- Castle's' room at Newtown oh -Monday evening. Mr. .Fathers presided. As the numerous activities in relation- to-'the war tax to the utmost the energies of many of the active members of the 'society, the meetings of Iho society are infrequent, and as a consequence the important ■'questions raised and discussed were Humorous. The Kov-. James Pinfold; D.D., who hns recently come, to reside in the- ..Methodist Wellington district, .was.. unanimously "elected" ii .member...,.' ......'

Tho -Rev. J. Crowes intimated'that, he had been informed on good, authority that Councillor George Frost, chairman of the E-esorves Committee of tho City Council, had recently married a lady who tnkes a great interest in the Wellington Zoological Park, and the meetinjr reeolvml to' congratulate Councillor irost on the auspicious eTent and to assure Mr. and Mra. Frost that the.society wislied them long and evor-increasing happi-' ness.

To prepare for the advent of tlic pair of tigere that the City Council has purchased, and expects to receive eoon, Mr. Caetlo, the secretary of the society, read t. very interesting paper on tigere. The paper and the discussion -which followed were so much appreciated that one member of the meeting expressed the hope that the secretary would* always mention in notices of meetings when papera were to be rend. The president also'expressed high appreciation, of Mr. Castle's- paper, nnd concurred in* the opinion' that tho reading of papers should he regarded as one of the society's methods for the mutual' improvement Of its members. .Mr.-A. -J. Martin' supplemented Mr. Castle's suggestions with some rcmnrke on the : abnormal colours of tome tigers. The Hov.' J. Crowes directed attention to some-poetry : quoted-by Mr. Castle, and Biiijgested that.a paper might be written on the subject <>f the eyes of tho tiger and the animals in tho Zod, and Mr. H. J. Creives promised that if military circumstances permitted hu would write a paper on the subjeot. Tlie secretary expressed: the opinion that seeing that citizens had honoured the society by using it as the medium by which such interesting, valuable, and handsomo animals as the brown bear, tho leopard, the ostrich, tho American eagle, the satin bower-bird, the flamingo, the Mandarin duck, and others had been introduced into the Zoo, and contributions • towards the purchase of the zebu cattle, the Margay cat, and the camel had been presented to the City Council, it would be appropriate■for Uie society to pay the full amount of the purchase money for- the tigers, and thus acquire tho honour of introducing,the ligor into the Zoo. He accordingly aigjjestod that thetsocioty should offer that, if the City Council would agreo to the rociety taking a collection towards its animal purchase fund, in Newtown Park, on the first fine Sunday after the tigers appear on ex. hibition in tho Zoo, the society's cheque for £15 should be paid to tho City Council on tho Monday morning following. The society adopted the suggestion, and an offer will bo made accordingly. Tho Rev. .1. Crcwes raised ar. important discussion on the management of Kapitl Island, and tho president and the secro. ta'ry also emphasised the importance of directing immediate .attention to thin matter. Tho president, the secretary, and Mr. Crewcs were appointed a committee to deal with tho mutter. Mr. Crowes warmly deprecated the manner in which tho City Council had dealt with his complaints about tho guard to tho bears' pons in tho Zoo, but, in view of ivhat has recently been reported in tho city newspapers, the meeting; con-1 eiderod that a discussion on this matter : just now was undesirable. The mooting unanimously resolved that a letter bo sent to tho Wellington Roso and Carnation Society congratulating tho society on the splendid results of its efforts to boautify tho grounds of the Zoo ( nnd suggesting that such beautiiication, ii applied to the entranco to tho grounds, would be magnificently effective. _ It was resolved also that a special vote of thanks be sent to the several schools that have eent contributions to the Zoological Society's fund for tho purahaso of tigere. .. , , In reference to a question about a pro. posal to establish on tho island at Island Bay a factory to convert fish offal iuto manure, tho meoting resolved that Island Bay should bo regarded as one of the moat, if not the most, promising seaside resorts in tlio neighbourhood of Wellington and ono of tho finest in New Zealand, and that any attempt to establish such a factory on the island, which is a fitnkiiiK feature capable* of great improveniont, should bo sternly opposed. Tho meeting discussed also tho animals that huvo recently died in tho Zoo, and passed a resolution expressive of wonder that if so many of tho animals that Councillor Castle recently inquired about wore "common" and could easily bo roplaced, they had not boon replaced. •