HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
FOOD SUBSTITUTES AT THE 
BERLIN ZOO. 
The quarterly report of the Berlin Zoological 
Society shows that the wild animals there have 
not been able to digest the food substitutes pro- 
vided by German science. The mortality has been 
heavy — the giraffes, the mandrill, the chimpan- 
zees are among the more valuable animals which 
have died this winter — while the general health of 
the surviving animals is not good. The society 
expresses some doubt as to the exact cause of 
death of the chimpanzees. It is admitted that 
the dates and bananas and other tropical fruits 
being unprocurable, the apes were fed on a kind 
of biscuit made of musty flour; but it is said they 
may have pined away with grief at the loss of 
their keeper, who was called up for the Army. 
The carnivores managed to get on fairly well 
on scraps from the slaughter-houses, but the ani- 
mals requiring grain and seeds have not thrived 
on the wild roots given them as substitute. 
CAMOUFLAGE RATIONS. 
From time to time it is officially announced 
in the German papers that such and such an extra 
allowance of food will be made on a certain date. 
It is mere camouflage. There has been of late 
no single instance when an announced increase 
in rationing has been forthcoming. As long ago 
as March 26, for instance, Berliners were promised 
an extra allowance per head of one pound of 
artificial honey and four pounds of margarine. 
The Berliners are still waiting for the fulfilment ofi 
this promise. 
By April it was promised that the rations of 
eggs, lard and bacon would be increased. For 
the last three weeks there have been no eggs, 
lard or bacon at all on the Berlin bill of fare. 
WHY NEUTRALS ARE WELL FED. 
From the complaints of hotel keepers at their 
meetings of protest against the way they are 
being treated by the Food authorities may be 
gathered the explanation why so many neutrals 
visiting Germany have declared they have always 
found the fare satisfactory in the hotels. The 
hotel keepers state that the police give them 
special instructions with regard to the food to be 
supplied to neutral visitors, and the terms to be 
charged, but do not make them any extra allow- 
ance, so that their German visitors have to go 
short. Their demand is for special provisions to 
be sent to the hotels for foreign guests. 
The Destruction of Birds at the Light- 
houses on the Coast of California. 
By 
Walter Albion Squires & Harold E. Hansen. 
from the Audubon Association of the 
Contribution 
Pacific. 
From time to time we hear accounts of the 
destruction of migrating birds at government fight 
houses. Such rumours concerning the destruc- 
tion of birds on the California coast reached the 
Audubon Association of the Pacific last spring, 
and led C. B. Lastreto, president of the Associa- 
tion, to undertake a systematic investigation. The 
data obtained was turned over to the two authors 
of the present paper, forming the basis of the 
report which they herewith present. Mr. Las- 
treto was fortunate enough to secure the co-opera- 
tion of Captain R. N. Rhodes, lighthouse inspec- 
tor for the district covering California. The fol- 
lowing questionnaire was prepared by the Asso- 
ciation and sent out under the supervision of Cap- 
tain Rhodes. , 
1. Give such estimates as you can concern- 
ing the number of birds found dead 
about lour lighthouse. 
2. At what season of the year is such mor- 
tality greatest? 
3. During what kind of weather does mor- 
tality seem to.be greatest? 
4. Are there more dead birds on one par- 
ticular side of the lighthouse than on 
the, other sides ? 
5. Does the destruction of the birds seem 
to you to be due to their flying violentr 
ly against the glass, or do they become 
confused and fly around and against 
the glass until they become exhausted 
and fall to the earth? 
6. Have you noted any injury in such birds 
as you have picked up about your 
lighthouse? 
7. Is there a railing - around your lighthouse, 
or any other support on which birds 
might perch? 
8. Name as many birds as. you can which 
have been found dead at your light- 
house. 
9. Give location of your lighthouse; is it on 
an island or on the mainland; at what 
elevation is it? 
10. Is the number of birds killed at lighthouse 
stations increasing or it is decreasing, 
in your opinion? 
