The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1874-11-26
Feeding the Animals in Central Park
Menagerle.

The New York Central Park menage-
rie, says the Sun, contains about 900
creatures, equally divided between mann
mails and birds. The animals are obtained
for exhibition by purchase, by gift, by
breeding, and by loans. Whenever MIR.
Barnum or Mr.. Van Amburgh goes out OF
the city for a season he places his more
valuable specimens in the Park Museum,
where they are sure to receive good care.
Inc more prominent donors are the Amer
lean foreign consuls and the officers OF the
army ana navy. OF late years it has been
found possible to breed lions, camels,
ugers, hyenas, and bears, as well as deer
and other American animals, though the
greatest care is required to protect the
young.
The lions, nine in number, are fed about
eight pounds ofraw beef every afternoon
except Sunday. On Sunday they get moth
ing. The tigers, wild cats, hyenas, and
the little jaclal, the only one in America,
are all fed in the same way, but they get
smaller quantities. The tapirs, grizzly and
blocl bears, prairie dogs, and some OF the
bircs are kept on bread and milk. The
sheep get hlrnips during the winter, and
pasture during the summer. The camelsi
zebras, antelopes, yaks, llamas, and buffalo
are pastured until late in October, and then
housed and fed on hay and grain. The
tall slender giratfes are light eaters; a
quart of grain and handful of hay per
day keep, them in excellent condition.
The eagles, hawks, and ravens get raw
meet, andthe many varieties of pelicans,
the cranes, storks, and ducks get fish.
The cassOYary, celebrated by the rhyme
ster in -.F
The giant cassowary,
On the plains of TimbuctoO,
Swallowed a missionary,
Bible, and hymn book too,
is a large, strong bird, of ostrich-like build,
covered with long black feathers as fine as
hair. He has a bold stride, and good,
muscular development, maintained on
bread and water. The swans have grain
during the summer, cabbages when housed
for the winter. The doves, pheasants, and
chickens are fed grain and bread, and the
small birds get canary, hemp and rape
seed, and red peppers at intervals.
The special pets are the elephants, the
little sun bear, and the monkeys. Hay and
vegetables are all the management allow
the elephants, but children never weary of
feeding them bits of apple and cake.
The little sun bear, Jenny" is pro-
vided with a dish of bread and milk every
day, and depends upon visitors for deli
caces. She is favorite, and nine out of
ten of the visitors give her something.
She knows her friends, and if they pass
her by without notice she utters an affect
ing cry. The monkeys number about
fifty, and are of many species. They have
a room to themselves, and it is always
crowded. Their bill of fare is the most
elaborate of any in the menagerie. They
have bread every morning, crackers and
apples during the day, carrots twice a
week, and onions once month. Corn
and peanuts are scattered in the straw on
the floor of their cages, which they can
obtain only by active search.
The reptiles are by far the lightest feed
ers of all. The alligatOrs eat only about
three months in the twelve, and during
that time the largest one consumes less
than thirty pounds ofmeat. Once in two
weeks the rattlesnakes, recently captured
from the Black Hills by Gen. Custer.
awake and swallow one or two sparrOws
apiece, and about once a month the boa
constructor uncOils himself and strangles
and bolts down rabbit or pair OF
pigeons.
For the care of the animals four men
are required. who keep the cages clean
and the Iood supplied. Twice week the
cages are thoroughly washed and the ami
mails cleaned. The temperature OF the
rooms is carefully regulated by steam
pipes, running from the same boiler
which heats the large building.
At halfpast two every afternoon the
carnlvora are fed. They are all confined
in cages in one room, and as the hour ap-
prOaches for their dinner, they show
clearly that their appetites mark the time
well. At two O'Clock they lie almost
sluggish on the floor of their prisons; at
quarter past they are up on their feet
pacing their narrow bounds hastily; at
twenty-five minutes past they are almost
wild, and lash themselves against the bars
of their cages. One lion only OF them all
is calm, and he is the one whose place
a view of the clubhouse where |
the men are preparing the meat. He
watches eagerly, and when, exactly at
halfpast two, he sees the men, heavily |
laden. approach the building, he gives the |
signal crv, and the room straightway Is
filled with the roar of lions and the shrieks
of tigers and hyenas. A large chunk OF
beef is thrown to each one, and quiet
reions again. Sometimes there are ter
rible fights between the inmates of cage.
The old lion Parker" thirty years OF
aoe. has to eat slowly, and he is cursed
With an active spouse, who speedily
finishes her allowance and then harnesses
her lord for a share of his. 1t requires
ali the efforts of the keepers to restrain the
- e., a diSOracefill family quarrel.