16 



HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 



Kursaal, Southend-on-Sea, at the charge of 

 threepence for admission : — 1 Lioness with 2 

 cubs, 2 Llamas, 1 Sloth Bear, 1 Russian Bear, 

 1 Wolf, 1 Rhea (this bird is described at an 

 Ostrich !) 1 Eagle,, 1 Vulture, 2 Rhesus Mon- 

 keys, 1 White Deer, 1 Goat, and 3 Bantams — 

 a truly wonderful collection for threepence. 



THAT an interesting story of a jackdaw and rab- 

 bit comes from Mountnessing. The couple be- 

 long to Mr. Mason, of Thoby Priory Cottage, 

 and the day s so tractable that it always reponds 

 to the call of its master. For some time past 

 it has lived in the same hutch as the rabbit, 

 and has become almost the inseparable com- 

 panion of its furred friend. Whenever it feels 

 inclined it flies up in the trees, but always re- 

 turns to the rabbit hutch. Recently Mrs. Bun- 

 nv increased the rabbit population, and pre- 

 viously by some means informed her bird com- 

 panion, who threw all his energies into assist- 

 ing to prepare the nest. He flew round the 

 neighbourhood and collected anything which 

 would help to make the expected new-comers 

 more comfortable. Occasionally the contribu- 

 tions were more ornamental than useful, but 

 these were quietly put on one side by the rab- 

 bit. Eventually the family arrived but the at- 

 tentions of the jackdaw did not cease; on the 

 contrary he continued to make himself useful by 

 arranging the nest and keeping the little rabbits 

 covered up. Having completed his share of 

 domestic duties the daw flies off to have another 

 look round on the after world, but always 

 comes home again. 

 THAT Mr. E. E. Pettitt, writing in "Land and 

 Water," states: — 



'"There are six seals reckoned as British 

 these being the Grey Steal, Common Seal, 

 Harp Seal, Bearded Seal, Hooded Seal, and 

 Ringed Seal. The last four are of only casual 

 occurrence, but the first two are residents 

 and breed on th erocky coasts of the north 

 and west. 



"The Grey Seal is a very much larger 

 animal than the Common Seal, being roughly 

 about twice its size, and a well-grown speci- 

 men will reach a length of 8 feet. With its 

 great girth and consequent weight it is a 

 distinctly formidable beast, and a savage one 

 at that. In seeking them in their native haunts 

 one needs to divest oneself of the idea of do 1 - 

 cility which one gets from tame and captive 

 Seals, and not be in too much of a hurry to 

 come to close quarters with a Grey Seal on 

 his own ground. 



"The Grey Seal breeds on the Scillies,. 

 It is also to be found on various rocky is- 

 lands off the Irish coasts, and thence to> the 

 Hebrides and Shetlands." 



THAT Mr. George Jennison,, of Belle Vue Zoo- 



logical Gardens, Manchester, writes under date 

 June 4th :— 



"Probably in a very short time we shall 

 be J. Jennison and Co., Ltd. I am Chair- 

 man and Secretary, also one of the two 

 Managing Directors." 



I presume this Company has been formed 

 for family reasons. Its continued success is 

 assured under such able management. 



THAT a correspondent writing on Life on the 

 Bauchi Tin Fields in "West Africa" states: — 



All alone, 60 miles from a railway, 10 

 miles from the nearest European. It does 

 not sound inviting. Yet this is the experi- 

 ence of many who are holding together the 

 threads of Empire which during the last four 

 years have at one time and another appeared 

 to be perilously frail. 



In this particular spot luck is with us, 

 and the sportsman or naturalist can find 

 plenty to occupy his leisure time. 



In the way of antelope there are the red- 

 fronted gazelle, the oribi and the duiker close 

 at hand, whilst within reach one may get 

 roan, harte-beest, bush-buck, kob reed buck, 

 wart-hog, and leopard. Farther aleld, but 

 not more than three days, may be found the 

 Congo buffalo, locally called the bush-cow, 

 which will acord sport exciting enough for 

 anyone.' All the buffalo tribe have a bad 

 name, but this particular specimen is ack- 

 nowledged to be the most dangerous and 

 most cunning of the lot. 



All these, with others not in this dis- 

 trict, may be shot on a £2 licence, surely the 

 cheapest licence in the world ! It must not 

 be thought, however, that the game is so 

 plentiful that one only has to let off a rifle 

 to get it. There is plenty of work, but it is 

 work that takes one's mind off work and 

 worries, at the same time keeping one fit. 



Big game excepted,, many pleasant hours 

 can be spent and the larder can be kept full 

 by tratmps after game birds round here. 

 Every morning at five I am awakened by a 

 bush fowl (a froncolin) squawking outside 

 my temporary palace. Some day I may have 

 a fit of temper and finish him off, but I hope 

 that that day is distant. There are numbers 

 of them in the bush, and a lordly bird he is 

 on the table. Except the grouse, I know no 

 better. 



Guinea fowl there are in abundance; I 

 know of at least six flocks (each about 60), 

 out of which I can get a couple when I want 

 them. Rock-fowl, green pigeon, and the 

 red-eyed pigeon are all to be found, whilst 

 on a lagoon, curiously formed in a crater 

 well above the rivers, one may see spar- 

 winged geese, duck of several descriptions, 

 waders, marabouts, and storks. 



Printed by W. J. Hasted & Son (T.U.), 306, Mile End Road, E. 1., and Published by J. D. Hamlyn, 221, St. George' 



Street, London Docks, E. 



