The Sun.
London, England, 1867-01-07 00:00:00

Arrivals at the Zoological Gardens.

There have been few arrivals of late, for donors abroad
generally contrive that the specimens they transmit should
not reach England in midwinter. A South African baboon
(Cynocephalus porcarius) may be mentioned, and two or
three of the commoner monkeys ; also a few birds of no
particular note, as one of the Australian " piping crows,"
as they are commonly designated.
The latter compose an easily recognisable group of birds,
with which most visitors to the gardens must be familiar.
They aro not crows at all, nor are they magpies (as some-
times denominated), and as little are they connected by
immediate affinity with the family of shrikes, to which
some systematists refer them. They constitute, rather,
to all intents and purposes, a distinct group by themselves,
which is peculiar to the Australian region, and which
divides into three well-marked genera, one of them being
distinguished by having a strong hook at the'extremity of
the bill, and by highly predatory habits, but great variety
in the form of the bill occurs in most natural groups among
the passerine birds, and the shrike-like modification of
that organ, accompanied by a strong predatory propensity,
is foul d a ;alit and again, in widely different natural sub-
groups, tha `, have little else in common. In general, the
birds n( w u icier consideration have a remarkably flute-like
tone of vt fee, and rapid utterance of a confused jumble of
notes, not at al suggestive of either one of the particular
affinities re' or e I to. One species (Gyinnorhina or gani-
cum) is described by Mr. Gould to pour forth, when
perched on the dead branches of the tree soon after day-
break, a succession of notes of the strangest description
that can be imagined, much resembling the sounds of a
hand-organ out of tune, which has obtained for it the
colonial name of organ-bird. It is very easily tamed ; and
as it possesses the power of imitation in an extraordinary
degree, it may be readily taught to whistle various
tunes, as well as to articulate words. It consequently soon
becomes a most amusing as well as an ornamental bird for
the aviary or cage. Most of the species are peculiar to
Australia proper, and, as the same naturalist remarks, they
are chiefly confined to the southern portion of the t island
continent, their geographical range being limited to the
country comprised between the 25th and 40th degrees of
south latitude, and their great stronghold being the most
southern portion of Australia, the islands in Bass's Straits,
and Tasmania. According to Mr. Gould, the birds of this
group seek their food in or near the ground, sometimes in
swampy situations. and even on the sea shore ; at others on
the most sterile plains, far distant from water. Grasshop-
pers and insects of every order are eaten by them with avi-
dity, and to these grain-seeds and fruit are frequently
added. They hop with remarkable agility over the broken
surface of the ground, and leap from branch to branch with
great alacrity. Their flight is feeble, and they seldom
mount high in the air, except for the purpose of crossing a
gully, or for passing from one part of the forest to another,
and then merely just over the tops of the trees ; during
flight they usually utter a peculiar shrill cry, which is fre-
quently repeated and answered by other birds of the same
troop, for they mostly flit about in small companies of from
four to six in number, apparently the parents and their
offspring of the year. All the species occasionally descend
to the cultivated grounds, orchards, and gardens of the
settlers, and commit considerable havoc among their fruits
and grain. They usually build open, cup-shaped nests, and
the eggs are generally three, but aro sometimes four, in
number. As observed in captivity these birds remind us
of the starling family more than that of the crows and
magpies ; except iu tho instance of the more shrike-like
genus (Cractku3), which is less terrono in its habits, and
predacious in a very high degree. Different species of the
group aro rather numerously imported into this country,
and are therefore commonly to be had from the dealers._
Land and Water.

DEATH OF A SCOTCH POET.—The death is an-
nounced of Alexander Smith, a poet of some note in Scot-
land, which occurred on Saturday morning at Wardie, near
Edinburgh. He was born on the 31st December, 1830, near
Kilmarnock, where his father was a drawer of pattern;
a lace designer, and the lad having shown some literary
inclination, was destined for the ministry of the Presbyte-
rian Established Church. A serious illness and adverse
family circumstances interfered with the continuance of
his theological course, and he was apprenticed to the busi-
ness of lace-designing. He cultivated literature, however,
and from a work ho composed, " The Life Drama," he for-
warded some extracts to the Rev. George Gilfillan, of Dun-
dee, who obtained a place for them in the Critic. Ile sub-
sequently published a volume entitled " City Poems," and
other works, which obtained for him a wide celebrity In
1854 Mr. Smith was appointed secretary of the University
of Edinburgh.