REMINISCENCES FROM THE MELBOURNE ZOO. 
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younger birds became addicted to roaming abroad. Their progeny now 
go over the grass lands in flocks, hunting for caterpillars and beetles, 
and, although they may be destructive in some orchards, the liberator 
says it must always be remembered in their favor that they only dig 
open the apples to find the grubs. The first lot of gold-fish brought 
out came under the care of a man named Kimpton, from Covent Garden, 
by engagement with Mr. George Coppin. That was in the ’fifties. Our 
Settlers from Canada. 
mynahs, those friendly birds that love to frequent our cities, were brought 
out about the same time. 
Who introduced the sparrows? The Acclimatisation Society gets 
the credit of it. They certainly brought out the hedge sparrow, which 
is a different bird — in other countries — from the house sparrow. But, 
somehow, like the starling, the hedge sparrow has sadly degenerated in 
his new southern home, and instead of being an unqualified benefit, as he 
was intended to be, he has become as bad a character as his rascally 
