Zoo Notes 
73 
Cape call the Secretary Bird :—“ After an 
obstinate battle the serpent, realising the 
inferiority of its powers, stealthily tried to 
regain its hole; the bird, however, quick as 
thought, with one bound faced the reptile 
and cut off the retreat. This was several 
times repeated, when, as a final effort, it 
erected itself to its full height, making a 
dreadful hissing noise, its head swollen with 
rage and venom, its eyes: inflamed and almost 
starting from their sockets and its jaws open 
to the uttermost; but the bird, shielding its 
body with one of its wings, renewed the 
attack and struck down its enemy with 
the bony projection of its other wing; the 
reptile staggered and fell; the bird was 
instantly upon it and with one stroke of 
its beak split open its skull.” Afterwards, 
on dissecting the bird, Levaillant found 
in its craw eleven good-sized lizards, three 
serpents, each as long as his arm, eleven small 
tortoises and a number of locusts and other 
insects, and also a large-sized ball of undigested 
matter formed of vertebre of serpents, 
lizards, shells of tortoise claws, and shields of 
beetles, &c. Truth seems stranger than fiction. 
You have Levaillant’s account, not mine. 
LE 
Two Garden’s Night Herons from the Falkland 
Seas 
WHITE TAILED GNU AND YOUNG. 
They are chiefly remarkable for the beautiful 
marking of the plumage, which, however, 
leaves the bird when it gets older, and they 
then assume the usual grey appearance. 
Although these birds were described officially 
as Garden’s, I notice in the Report of the 
additions to the menagerie they are now 
called Dark night herons. 
FR, 
A SILVERY GIBBON from Borneo has just 
: arrived for the new Ape House, 
Gibbon. 
Night Isles have just been presented . 
Herons. by Mr. W. Grey-Wilson, C.M.G. where it has ample space to go 
through the wonderful acts of ‘“ Leotard” 
gymnastics for which it is well known. The 
enormous reach of arm and accuracy of Judgment, when 
swinging from one hand-hold to another, is worth 
watching, and the picture well shows the great length 
of arm. The difficulty of getting this photograph 
has only been equalled in my experience with the 
Cape hunting dog. 
TS 
Tur Macacus-rhesus monkey is the one generally 
found with Itahan boys and organ 
erinders, and, although they may be 
taught many simple tricks, they never 
really show much intelligence. If visitors should 
desire to see one of the fiercest monkeys in the Zoo, 
they have only to ask to see one of this kind “ kept 
inside” for safety. I should be very sorry to get 
within his reach. The one photographed is also not 
quiet enough to be allowed loose in the big cage, 
so is kept in the corner chained up. 
Rhesus 
Monkey. 
HARTEBEEST (Bubalis caama). 
