FLANNED BY A WOMAN

Evening Star, Issue 19661, 14 September 1927, Page 11

FLANNED BY A WOMAN

WORLD'S BEST REPTILE HOUSE For two years a woman has been working at the London Zoo to evolve the finest reptile house in the world, and at last she has succeeded (states tho London ‘Daily Chronicle’). She is Alias Joan Proctor, curator cl reptiles, and one of tho foremost exports on the subject in the world. Miss Proctor is primarily responsible for the planning of the new reptile house, which, built on ilie lines of the aquarium, has cost over £5(5,000. Each case in the house represents the habitat of the reptiles which occupy it, and, by the aid of living plants and beautiful painted scenery-—-the work of Mr John Bull—the effect is strikingly realistic. On a stretch of the alkali desert of Arizona, bare save for nigged boulders and thorny cacti, monsters reelhio beneath tho realistic rays of artificial sunshine shed from invisible lamps. Crocodiles loTl upon the banks of palm-bordered lagoons of seemingly unlimited expanse, whilst tropical snakes disport themselves in jungle: apparently dense with vegetation Water-hyacinths float in tho -smaller pools, and the collection of palms, cacti, aloes, and other plants aro in themselves interesting exhibits. The larges: and most spectacular case of all is probably that iu which “George,” the menster alligator, and In's orethreu navi taken up residence. All the roof lights and windows are of “ vitaglass,” permitting the passage of ultra-violet rays Special thermos tats control tho electrical heating sup ply, so that the current is automatically shut off when it reaches 83deg until it falls to 77deg, when it is auto matically switched on again. By ; system involving between eleven am twelve miles of wire, iu the event q. temperature rising to 85deg, a bell h rung and a red light is shown ngains the number of the cage and also oi an indicator board in the head keeper 1 ! room. Similarly, if the temperature falls to 75deg, the warning bell sound: and a green light is shown.