BOTANIC GARDENS MENAGERIE. 169 



and M. rufus, and ? ualabatus, and several smaller species were 

 also kept. Kangaroos do not thrive in this country on account 

 of the damp which appears to cause diarrhoea. Two very fine 

 black Wallabies were sent by Mr. Le Souef from the Perth Gar- 

 dens in Australia. They arrived in the wet season, and though 

 most carefully housed and fed on dry food, both died in a few 

 days from diarrhoea. The smaller Kangaroo rats lived much 

 longer. One however a charming little animal the day after it 

 came in hopping about the cage at night must have overlooked 

 the wire fencing and struck its head against it. It was found 

 partly paralyzed next morning and though it lived for some 

 time all pains taken with it produced no improvements and it 

 eventually died. Three common Dasyures (Dasyurus Geoffroyi) 

 lived for some time, but the climate did not seem to suit them 

 well, A fine Cuscus, Phalangista ur sinus was presented to 

 the gardens some years ago, but owing to the long voyage it 

 suffered from diarrhoea and it succumbed shortly. The 

 Australian opossum, Trichosunts vidpecida proved the easiest 

 marsupial to keep. A pair presented in 1898 which had long 

 lived in captivity and were quite old lived long in the gardens and 

 bred regularly. They were only lively at night, sleeping most 

 of the day. Though the old pair were very friendly to each 

 other, they occasionally got up little squabbles about places 

 on a perch or food, and after swearing at each other would 

 curl up together and go to sleep. Nearly all suffered sooner or 

 later from ulceration of the tip of the tail, which was treated 

 with idoform, and usually healed readily, though the tip often 

 died off. 



Birds. 



The record of the lai'ge number of birds of different kinds 

 kept in the aviaries is very incomplete, as owing to difficulties 

 in identifying them in the early days, they were often simply 

 recorded by simple names, such as parrots, pigeons, etc. No 

 attempt was made to keep insectivorous birds as there was no 

 means of properly feeding them, and the expense of keeping a 

 cooly to catch insects for them would have been too great. . 

 The gardens themselves abound in birds of all kinds which 



R. A. Soc, No. 46, 1906. 



