HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
Important Notice. 
ALTERATION !N TELEPHONE NUMBER. 
On and after January 1st, 1917, 
AVENUE 4360. 
All letters to be addressed in future : — 
JOHN 0. HAMLYN, 
221, St. George's Street, London Docks, E 1 , 
London. 
NOTICE. 
The subscription for Vol. Ill,, 1917—18, is 
10/-, post free. All subscriptions commence with 
No. 1, Vol. 3. Yearly subscriptions only received. 
Specimen copies can be sent post free on receipt 
of twelve penny stamps. Subscribers not receiv- 
ing- their Magazine should communicate at once 
with the Editor. 
IMPORTANT NOTICE. 
All Subscribers in Norway, Sweden, Den- 
mark, Spain, Portugal, Switzerland, Holland and 
United States, who have not received their usual 
numbers, are requested to communicate at once 
with the Editor. They will in future receive the 
Magazine through the Office of Messrs. W. H. 
Smith and Son, Strand, W.C. 
* * * * 
By arrangement with Messrs. W. H. Smith 
& Son, 186, Strand, W.C., "Hamlyn's Menagerie 
Magazine" is on sale on the 16th of each month 
at the following Railway Stations : — 
Charing Cross (South Eastern and Chatham 
Railway). 
King's Cross (Great Northern Railway). 
Liverpool Street (Great Eastern Railway). 
St. Pancras (Midland Railway). 
Victoria (South Eastern and Chatham Rail- 
way). 
Waterloo (South Western Railway). 
INTRODUCTORY. 
Volume 3 of " Hamlyn's Menagerie Maga- 
zine" commences with this number. Although 
living! in strenuous times it still survives. I am 
well aware that its monthly appearance surprises 
many Amateurs. It was predicted, when this 
Magazine was first started, by one of these gentry, 
that it would not live to see a third number. It 
lias lived to see a third year. Most interesting 
Articles have been received from Contributors in 
all parts of the World, and enough matter is al- 
ready in hand for many future numbers. 
I shall be extremely thankful for original pho- 
tographs in connection with interesting matter, 
more especially from West and Central Africa. 
I know full well this is a bad time to ask for 
subscriptions, still I am very anxious to obtain 
one hundred yearly subscriptions to commence 
with Volume 3. The actual number of yearly 
subscribers for the last volume was 82. 
The sales at W. H. Smith and Son's book- 
stalls are very encouraging. They improve 
monthly. Some fifty specimen copies are also 
applied for monthly, i have set aside IOC 1 copies 
to be sent free of all charge to the first hundred 
applicants from the British Expeditionary Force 
in France or elsewhere. 
Just a few 1 remarks on the Trade during the 
past twelve months. 
Nothing further has been heard of "The 
Amateur Syndicate," who proposed to capture 
the Wild Beast Trade. 
I trust they have invested their ;/j5,0OO to 
better advantage. Let me suggest a War Loan. 
A certain American Zoological Society has 
had a collector in South Africa. I wonder what 
they lost. Taking as an example, the freight on 
two small Duikerboks, both in one small bo<x, 
being forty pounds alone, whilst the actual value 
of both the animals could not be more than twenty 
pounds. I understand they paid ;£20 freight for 
each Antelope irrespective of value or size. How- 
ever can a dealer follow on trading after these 
Amateurs ! ! ! Other American collectors have 
been in Calcutta and Singapore. Their losses also 
must have been tremendous. My Agent in Singa- 
pore writes that in a very short stay there the 
following stock died : — 5 Ourang Outangs, 6 
Gibbons, 1 Probascus Monkey, 8 Black Entellus, 
2 Crown Pigeons and 1 Elephant with one eye. 
The above constitute a good starting loss. 
On the other hand I have had losses here. 
The last arrival ex s. s. "Media," from Calcutta, 
showed a loss of 5 Pandas, 1 Pallas Cat, 20 Im- 
peyan Pheasants, 20 Chukars, with some 20 large 
Python Snakes, total value about ^200. 
The importation of Wild Animals, etc., con- 
stitute a perfect " Heavenly Gamble. ' The impor- 
ter must never consider large profits, for larger 
losses arrive] sooner or later. As far as general 
trade is concerned in Great Britain I have none. 
It is all American. The outlook for the Wild 
Beast Trade is far from rosy. 
Innumerable suggestions as to the restrictions 
of Food are emanating from various "cranky 
brains" as to pets in general. One versatile female 
writer suggested that our Regents Park Zoologi- 
cal Society Gardens should be turned into a potato 
