REMINISCENCES FROM THE MELBOURNE ZOO. 
185 
fighting as the lesser members of their tribe, and both throw themselves 
on the vanquished opponent in the hope of smothering him. But when 
he is angry the feet of the camel are not nearly as much to be dreaded 
as his vicious teeth. The camels that were used in the Burke and Wills 
expedition were housed in the Royal Park for some time before the day 
of setting out, and one old male, in a fit of temper, bit an Afghan’s hand 
completely off. It is interesting to know that the framework of that 
The Orphans. 
camel-shed is still doing excellent service as the framework of the Zoo 
■stables. 
The two baby camels in the illustration were orphaned very sadly 
during the first month of their lives. A number of camels were being 
travelled into the interior of Australia when, unfortunately, near Mildura, 
they picked up some poisoned bait laid for rabbits. Among those fatally 
poisoned were three newly-made mothers. Their babies were hand-reared 
at Merbein — or these two were; the third did not survive its bereave- 
ment more than a week. 
