286 Report on the Council and General Summer Meeting.


it is considered that the places are practically speaking never empty

it is a wonder that they live at all. The extremely rare Gardener

Bower-bird, presented by our Editor, is alas ! dead ; a bird which

some aviculturists considered to be the ‘ bonne bouche ’ of the

collection. The small Bird House must he a perfect sick bay and

one trembles to think what a culture of the dust there would

not reveal. But the birds are kept beautifully clean and certainly

do not lack attention. It is customary to run the Zoo. down,

but it is doubtful if any of us would succeed better under the cir¬

cumstances, except perhaps in the matter of food for the foreign

softbill birds. Such w T ere the thoughts of members who strolled

round the aviaries, of which the summer aviaries were much

admired and approved of. One event of interest was the hatching

of two Andean geese. They were quaint little creatures and quite

captivated the hearts of us all. Mr. Seth-Smith who, we are sorry

to say never writes for us now, told several amusing and interesting

anecdotes, one which related to the stealing of a broody hen and

several sheldrake ducklings in broad daylight and to get which the

thief must have climbed the fence and returned the same way. He

made off with his booty and no trace of either hen or ducklings was

ever seen again. A member inquired if the lions and tigers were

quite safe. He was assured they were. A visit to the pheasants

showed them to be as dull and lethargic as usual. The birds of prey

looked reconciled, and the owls taken aback at our insolent gaze.

One wonders what the authorities would do were it not for the gen¬

erosity of our member Mr. Ezra. He evidently finds it far more

blessed to give than to receive. The afternoon thus passed off all

too quickly (as all pleasant afternoons do !) and by 6.30 most of us

had reluctantly decided that all good things must end some time.

About thirty members were present which, considering the times,

was quite encouraging.


At the Council meeting matters of considerable importance

were discussed. The election of officers resulted in the choice of

Mr. St. Quintin and Mr Shore Baily, together with Miss Chawner

on the Council in the places of Mr. Arthur Denman (the retiring

member), Mr. B. C. Thomasset (who acts as Treasurer), and Dr. L.

Lovell-Keays (Acting Secretary). It was announced that our late



