REMINISCENCES FROM THE MELBOURNE ZOO. 
181 
answer will come floating back on the stilly night air: “Where where 
where where where?” from all the jackals in the vicinity as they rush 
in the direction of the sound. When they have feasted and are full, the 
adjutant takes his turn, and thus together they end the travels of the 
dead. 
THE CAMEL TRIBE 
ALPACAS. 
In the middle ’sixties a flock of about forty alpacas were imported 
in the hope of acclimatising them. At first they were housed on the 
original park north of the Yarra, then they were moved to the Albert 
Park, and finally to the Royal Park. But apparently such close prox- 
imity to the sea did not suit them. They were an anxiety from the 
first, and then a species of scab broke out among them, and despite shear- 
ing and dipping and every other means of allaying the trouble, they died 
off very quickly. Those few that did not die from it were affected, and 
as it was feared that there might be some contagion about the disease 
that might contaminate our sheep, the last were destroyed. Several 
specimens have since been bought for the gardens, but in no instance did 
one thrive. 
LLAMAS AND HUANACOS. 
QUEER FIGHTING. 
The alpaca is a squat animal, the llama is larger and more graceful ; 
the huanaco is the largest and most graceful of the three. They are 
like in difference. The alpaca is a rusty black; the llama is sometimes 
all white, sometimes all brown; and sometimes half -brown and half- 
white — not in patches, but one-half of the animal will be white and the 
other half brown, when somehow it reminds one irresistibly of the cen- 
taurs, so unconnected does the forepart seem to be with the hindquarters. 
The huanaco is the aristocratic relative of the alpaca and the llama. He 
is the biggest of them all, and by far the most graceful. He is a soft 
buff in color, and although all this tribe have beautiful eyes, the huanaco’s 
eyes are such a wonderful liquid black that they brighten his whole 
appearance. All three make the same squealing noise as the angry 
