Not only children, but all lovers of animal nature, will be delighted 
with this fascinating volume, wherein artistic treatment has combined 
with long experience in weaving into consecutive story the life history 
of many of the denizens of the Melbourne Zoo. Mr. Wilkie, who for 
half a century has been in intimate familiarity with the birds, the beasts 
and the reptiles included in this collection, and has bestowed upon their 
habits and their idiosyncrasies an increasing and affectionate scrutiny, 
is responsible for the facts. Mrs. A. R. Osborn has undertaken the 
duty of giving these facts effective representation. Originally the work 
was done for the Children’s Page in “The Leader,” and the appreciation 
it received is extenuation and justification for its reproduction in more 
permanent form. 
Animal life, while differing from the human, has many of its charac- 
teristics, and we may see mirrored in their ways an adumbration of the 
feelings and the motives which influence our own action. They are 
responsive to kindness, always allowing for the legacy of hereditary 
incentive. They are subject to rages, even as we are, and they feel and 
resent their environment as we are liable to do until we learn the virtue 
of resignation where things cannot be altered. The capacity of memory 
is largely shown and there is also evidence of reasoning power, as many 
of these records illustrate. The facts given are genuine, founded on 
the knowledge and experience of one who has had a life-long association 
with the animals he describes. The book will recommend itself to 
popular favor. 
HENRY SHORT, 
Editor “Leader” 
