HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
Many who took a deep interest in the prosperity 
of the newly-founded Zoological Park at Corstor- 
phine, near Edinburgh, feared that as a result of 
the war the enterprise would be seriously ham- 
pered. Happily, however, as the second annual 
report shows, this is not the case, and although 
the balance on the year's, working is less than on 
1913 — 14, it is extremely satisfactory, all things 
considered. The Zoological Park was opened in 
1913, thanks in large measure to the energy of Lord 
Salvesen (one of whose sons, we greatly regret 
to say, has recently been killed in action in 
France), and shows every prospect of becoming 
one of the finest gardens in Europe. Its site, on 
the southern slope of the wooded and rocky hill 
of Corstorphine, is a magnificent one, and lends 
itself especially well to the modern system of 
exhibiting animals in natural surroundings. Dur- 
ing the past year a great deal of work has been 
done. The principal donation is the new acclima- 
tisation house, presented by Lord Salvesen, at a 
cost of ,£1,100. Among other gifts is a new pen- 
guin pool, a sum of money for the purpose of form- 
ing a large paddock for eland and the larger ante- 
lopes, and two double aviaries. Many valuable 
animals have also been received. The acclimatisa- 
tion house is on novel lines. The cages are ar- 
ranged along a covered passage, which is dark, 
while the cages themselves are light. They are 
heated and communicate with outside shelters, and 
the heating is so arranged that the animals can 
choose the high temperature of the sleeping box, 
the lower temperature of the cage, or the cooler 
outside air. Owing to' the lighting, the animals 
are well seen, which the spectators are in dim 
light; thus the more timid animals are less dis- 
turbed. The house will be used for the accommo- 
dation of small mammals unable to stand our 
winter, and for the gradual acclimatisation of 
others. The penguin pool is excavated from rock 
near the polar bear pool, and forms a more appro- 
priate home for the valuable collection of penguins 
than the waterfowl pool in which they have hither- 
to lived. The polar bear pool has been much 
enlarged since last year, and most of the tem- 
porary work has been removed. The brown bear 
enclosure still requires some expenditure before 
it can be completed. The chief additions which are 
immediately required are a reptile house, esti- 
mated to cost £1,200, further aviaries, and deer 
yards. It is found that deer suffer in health when 
kept entirely in grass paddocks, owing to the 
fouling of the ground, and ! it is necessary to pro- 
vide stables with floors, macadamised or cemented, 
to admit of greater cleanliness. It is also desirable 
to extend the accommodation for wolves, etc, 
which are now in small kennels. These animals 
will be in future contained in a shrubbery which 
exists in the grounds. It is on a slope, and is filled 
with trees and undergrowth, which will be ad- 
mirably adapted to display these creatures to 
advantage. Another pool, a racoon enclosure, and 
a badger enclosure are also needed. Since the 
report was issued, it is announced that the Car- 
negie Dunfermline Trust has granted £8,000 for 
the purpose of building an aquarium in the park, 
which will materially enhance its usefulness. The 
present number of Fellows is 2,449, including 2l79 
names added during the year. The total number 
of persons who visited the Park during 1914 — 15 
was 2170,328, and the largest attendance on any 
one day 11,4221. The health of the animals has 
been very good and the mortality low, thus annull- 
ing the gloomy prognostications of those who 
doubted whether the fauna of the tropics could 
resist our Scottish winter. 
WAR AND WILD BEASTS. 
AN IMPROVEMENT IN THE DEMAND 
NOW REPORTED. 
At the beginning of the war there was a com- 
plete standstill in the wild beast trade, and mon- 
keys and foreign birds could be picked up for a 
mere song. Now things have changed. An 
"Evening News" representative was informed at 
Jamrach's, the East End animal dealer, that there 
is now an astonishing demand for birds, beasts and 
curios. Mr. Jamrach attributes it to the total 
stoppage of supplies. 
"Prices have reached a figure that I can never 
remember seeing them at before," he said. " Birds 
that were almost unsaleable for the first four 
months of the war are now at a great premium, as 
the following table of increased prices will show : 
Grey parrots (25s.) increase to £3. 
Senegal finches (Is. 6d.) increase to 15s. 
Brown's parrakeets (£8) increase to £16. 
Blue-fronted Amazons (25s.) increase to £4. 
Cockatoos (6s. 6d.) increase to £2. 
Eclectus (£4) increase to £8. 
The same applies to Japanese and Chinese china. 
Collections are now being formed with an eye to 
the future." 
Evening News. 
NO LIONS WANTED. 
FALL OF 80% IN PRICE OF WILD BEASTS 
CAUSED BY WAR. 
SMALL ZOO FOR £1,000. 
Lions, tigers, elephants and other wild animals 
now at large in tropical forests have reason to 
bless the present war ! There are no sportsmen to 
shoot or capture them and shipping companies 
will not be troubled to bring them to Europe. 
