HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
ANIMALS FOR SINGLE-HANDED 
COLLECTIONS. 
By Frank Finn. 
Among cold-blooded creatures, the British 
reptiles and amphibians make a nice group. 
For a general collection of animal life, with- 
out regard to domestication or local interest, there 
are several subjects besides some of those I have 
mentioned above, which have peculiar advantages 
from their convenient size, ease of keeping, and 
attractiveness. Such are, among mammals, the 
squirrel monkey and the various marmosets, 
which are free from the objections often raised to 
monkeys in general; jerboas, chinchillas, and the 
smaller Australian "opossums," such as the 
lovely little "flying" species; while the flying-fox 
makes a most interesting pet, and is particularly 
long-lived for a mammal; one kept in London 
reached the age of twenty years not long before 
the war. 
Birds for such a collection should comprise 
the larger weavers and the bower birds, for their 
interesting habits of nest and bower building res- 
pectively; some tanagers, such as the superb and 
scarlet, and sugar birds, for their exquisite col- 
ouring; while we may hope humming birds will 
some clay be easily obtainable. Among waders, 
the scarlet Ibis and the porphyrias or blue rails at 
once suggest themselves; and there is no> need to 
advertise the charms of the various parrakeets 
or of the waxbills, among seed-eating land birds. 
Among the reptiles and amphibia, water-tor- 
toises, tree-frogs, and salamanders, are universal 
favourites. 
There is a great attraction in collections of a 
quite different type from those I have been des- 
cribing—I mean those which aim at a complete 
series of certain zoological groups, within the 
present case, due limitations as to convenience of 
keeping. Among mammals, the squirrels are par- 
ticularly well suited for a series of this kind; but 
the different sorts must not be put together — 
though perhaps a male of one and a female of an- 
other, ir of the same size or thereabouts, might 
agree all right. 
Squirrels, however, might, I think, safely 
share- the quarters of pheasants, a bird group 
equally well suited for a series exhibition, and 
equally requiring segregation as to species, while 
the accommodation of sheds and covered runs is 
suitable for both birds and mammals concerned. 
A collection of pigeons and doves would be 
less generally attractive, but some amateurs might 
like it, and they could be housed! along with a 
series of finches, or a "midget aviarl" could be 
made up of waxbills and the tiny Cape and Dia- 
mond doves, along with Chinese Painted Quails 
and Hemipades. 
The newts among cold-blooded creatures 
make a charming series collection, and require 
the least attention of any; we have three species 
in England, the great, common and palmated, 
and even more handsome are the Continental mar- 
bled and Alpine newts, and the scarlet-bellied 
Japanese kind. I must not forget the remarkable 
African claw-footed frog, with its aquatic habits 
and donderful transparent tadpoles; but I am sorry 
to say that when Mr. Hamlyn imported a lot of 
these some years ago, they did not go off well, 
so that obviously here is an excellent creature 
which is not well known to the pet-loving public. 
These frogs differ from all others I know in 
taking dead food; chopped meat thrown into the 
tank is seized and crammed into the mouth with 
both hands, and they are so aquatic that, as with 
newts, a piece of projecting- rock- work or a raft 
is all the land accommodation they require. With 
regard to newts, our common species is apt to 
show a decided disinclination for aquatic life after 
the breeding'-season; so a certain selectios should 
be exercised, and those which persist in attempt- 
ing to leave the tank should be disposed of, by 
setting them at liberty in a suitable place if neces- 
sary. 
Water-tortoises, if you cas get fairly small 
specimens — the very tiny ones are delicate — make 
a charming series collection for tanks with land- 
ing places; most ol the kinds available come from 
North America, but the Indian painted terrapin 
and some other Eastern kinds are very attractive 
as well. Another good reptile group are the 
typical lizards of the genus Lacerta — our own com- 
mon and sand lizards; the green lizard and the 
wall lizard, with its many fascinating variations, 
which can just claim to be British owing - to being 
found in the Channel Islands; the fine eyed lizard 
and Gallot's lizard of the Canaries. All these need 
dry sunny cases, and should not be kept in those 
devoted to ferns. 
Besides the various silk-moths, some other 
splendid foreign invertebrates would well repay 
attention; in India I made the acquaintance of a 
splendid grasshopper (Aularches miliaris) coloured 
black, scarlet and yellow; in Ceylon I boug'ht a 
big beetle alive, which in its burnished green 
looked just like a mechanical toy of some won- 
derful metal; and in East Africa I found, and 
brought home to the zoo, millepedes as thick as 
lead pensils, and coloured jet black with scarlet 
heads and feet, as also great whelk-shaped snails 
several inches long,. But here I must stop; I hope 
I have made it plain that there is plenty of material 
for sllall menageries, whatever their principle. 
