136



Mr. D. Seth-Smith,



When I entered the gate almost the first sound that greeted

me was the voice of Lorikeets, and I consequently made straight

for a large aviary from which I imagined the sound proceeded.

I discovered however that the sound eminated from a large

Eucalyptus tree which was covered with its pretty feathery white

flowers. Not more than six feet from me, on a branch of this tree,

sat a Musky Lorikeet (Glossopsittacus concinnus ) busily extracting

the nectar from the flowers. It is extraordinarily difficult to

detect these birds among the green leaves of the trees. This tree

contained quite a dozen of these pretty Parrakeets, but it was

only after very carefully searching the branches that I was able

to detect them. These birds were remarkably tame and I think

I could nearly have captured them with a butterfly net as they,

in company with various Honev-eaters, especially the White-

bearded or New-Holland Honey-eater (.Meliornis novce-hollandice)

busily hurried from flower to flower in quest of the drop of sweet

honey which each contained.


I made towards the house of the Director, Mr. A. C.

Mincliin, who courteously gave me particulars about the Gardens

and conducted me round them. Here, as in the other antipodean

Zoos, foreign animals are better represented than those indi¬

genous to Australia ; but it is hardly surprising that the Aus¬

tralian people should care little for their own native fauna which

they chiefly regard as vermin, to be destroyed at every oppor¬

tunity, but Adelaide was by no means so far behind in this

respect as Sydney.


The large Carnivora are well represented and the climate

appears to suit them to perfection ; Lions, Tigers, Leopards and

Jaguars having bred successfully. The inside dens for these

animals are lined with white glazed tiles, and look beautifully

clean. Monkeys also succeed to perfection and most of the

commoner kinds have bred. Yaks, White-tailed Gnus, and

Camels have also bred ; and an old Indian Buffalo has lived

in the Gardens for twenty-four years.


The semi-tropical climate is excellent for a Zoological

Garden and most animals do well. There are some nice aviaries

recently erected. A large octagonal flight, about thirty feet in

diameter and about the same height, is fitted up with numerous



