56 



HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 



GENERAL NOTES. 



THAT Mr. Reel, of Wilson and Reel, Taxider- 

 mists, say the "Tanga Post," has just returned 

 from a shooting safari, and we noticed amongst 

 his bag a pair of elephant tusks, two pairs of 

 rhino horns, and a fine variety of "heads," 

 amongst which the gurnuk and oryx were the 

 most conspicuous. Mr. Reel reported unsuc- 

 cessfully endeavouring to get within gunshot 

 of an elephant known to the natives as "mzee" 

 (old man) — believed to be the largest tusker 

 known. He will shortly make a further at- 

 tempt. 



THAT during mail week the native population of 

 Malindi was in terror owing to the perfor- 

 mances of a large man-eating leopard which 

 was haunting both road and mainland. So far 

 as was known the animal had not been seen 

 by Europeans, but its depredations had in- 

 cluded the slaughter of four natives. When 

 the mail left a hunting party was being organ- 

 ised. 



THAT a warning has been issued in Graff-Reinet 

 that a large baboon has taken up its abode neai 

 the Willow Walk, a place frequented by the 

 townspeople. Solitary baboons which have 

 been driven from the herd are frequently dan- 

 gerous. A farmer in the neighbourhood re- 

 ports that he has from three to four hundred 

 baboons on his property, which have taken to 

 eating ostrich chicks. 



THAT the rate at which the destruction of ver- 

 min is proceeding in the Graff-Reinet district 

 is disclosed by the fact that this Divisional 

 Council has paid out £576 15s. for the period 

 from 4th July, 1918, to 30th June, 1919, the 

 number of animals destroyed being : 974 jack- 

 als, 69 lynxes and 365 baboons. 



THAT "Nature" states:— 



In an able and very valuable summary of 

 the mammals in the Melbourne Zoological Park 

 Br. W. H. D. Le Souef, the Director, contrives 

 to give a lively description of all the more im- 

 portant indigenous mammals of Australia. As 

 might have been expected, he adds some verv 

 interesting facts to what is known of the life- 

 histories of these animals. Throughout he is 

 constantly insisting on the need for legislation 

 to stay the work of the exterminator. Over 



vast tracts of country some species have be- 

 come absolutely wiped out. It is not a little 

 disconcerting indeed to learn that the skins of 

 wallabies and kangaroo are exported by the 

 hundred thousand, for this means that vested 

 interests are sure to beget strenuous opposition 

 to the proposal which has been made to frame 

 protective measures to secure the survival of 

 at least a remnant of this remarkable fauna. 

 But we trust this legislation will be speedily 

 effected, or it will come too late. An additional 

 toll upon this fauna is levied by the dogs, 

 foxes, and cats, which have been introduced by 

 settlers, and in many cases have become feral. 

 This memoir, which is illustrated by a number 

 of very beautiful photographs,, is issued by the 

 New York Zoological Society. 



THAT a correspondent at Christiania spates : — 



The fifty-fifth birthday of a captive eel was 

 celebrated in the aquarium of the zoological 

 garden here by a company consisting of the 

 members of the Zoological Society and their 

 friends. 



The eel was caught in a creek in the sub- 

 urbs of this city by Dr. Clement Nilssen. It 

 was then no longer than an average earth 

 worm. It is now nearly two feet in length and 

 three inches in diameter. 



THAT the following offer appeared in the 

 "Times" of the 27th inst. :— . 



A PERSON WANTED to LOOK AFTER 

 a BABY GORILLA; wage, 30s. per week. 

 Apply "Alyse," 15, Sloane Street, Knights- 

 bridge. 



THAT the Zoological Gardens, Regents Park, 

 have received many valuable additions during 

 the past month, amongst which are some 

 Walbabies from Herm Island, Guernsey. 



THAT we hear that an Aquarium Society has 

 been formed in London by a well-known 

 F.R.M.S. 



Such Societies are very successful and 

 popular in America, but we believe that this 

 venture is the first of its kind in this country. 



For further particulars write to the Hon. 

 Secretary, S. G. Whittle, 37, Ormonde Road, 

 East Sheen, London, S.W. 



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



Street, London Pocks, E. 



