The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1878-01-02
What and How Wild Animals Eat.

Here is the bill of fare of the menag
erie of the Botanical Garden of Paris
The guests are numerous, varying gen
orally from l, 100 to 1900. Their tastes
are naturally different, according to the
divisions and orders to which they be-
long. In the first place, come the flesh
eaters, the lions, tigers and bears. These
each consume about eighteen pounds o.
meat in twenty -four hours. The hyena,
although much smaller animal, receives
because of it's greater voracity clever
pounds. Only eight pounds are allowed
to the panther.
The great eater Of the house is the
elephant, which consumes 1855 pounds
of bread, carrots, grass, straw and bran.
After such q repast he may well be
thirsty, and from eight to ten barrels Of
water are ready to satisfy his herd.
The hippopotsmus is inferior in height
to the elephant, but not in appetite.
His rations are Like those of his neigh.
Dor of the proboscis, only the bran is
replaced by coarser quality, which is
cooked.
The bears would accommodate them
selves to this regimen, but they have
meats, which are less dear.
The rhinoceros absorbs daily about 110
pounds OF nearly the same nourishment
he has also rice.
The other quadrupeds, such as the
giraffe and the bison, Notwithstanding
their great height. require much smaller
quantities of food, of which barley, hay
and bran form the principal parts. The
deer, antelopes, sheep and goats receive
hay and grass.
The annual expense of food for the
museum is $7,s12, which is about $22
per day.
The bill of fare of the geological Gar.
den of London differs little from that Of
Paris. Fish, however, are used in
greater quantities in the former. They
are designed for the birds and marine
animals that live upon them in state OF
freedom. All the fish brought for food
are carefully examined, as a sea-dog
came near strangling himself one day
with fish which had several hooks in
it's mouth.
The sea-dog eats gluttonously the
otter, on the contrary, eats slowly and
chews carefully before swallowing. The
most greedy lovers Of fish are the
pelicans. The keeper throws the 6th
into a pond; then opens the gate and
leaves the passage free to the pelicans,
who rush in and the fish are devoured
in an instant. Dainties are generally
reserved for the monkeys. Turnips,
cooked potatoes, apples, oranges, nuts
are given them, and all divided into small
bits.
The monkeys usually eat together,
which often causes very comical disputes,
much to the delight Of spectators.
The birds of prey are fed with rabbits,
guinea piga, eggs, insects and sometimes
small birds. The serpents have gener-
ally but one meal in week. Their din
der, which they take seven days to di-
gest, sometimes consists of dozen
rabbits, twenty young guinea pigs and
as many birds, and rats and mice which
sre given them alive, this being essential
to the health and preservation of these
terrible reptiles. The venomous SER
pents are fed solely with rats and guinea
pigs. These poor little creatures sue
cumb quickly after the reptile has bitten
them.
The great pachydermatous animals,
such as the rhinoceros, hippopotamus,
and the elephant are fed in London as in
Paris. The last receives cabbages and q
few crackers, delicacy that he accepts
with much pleasure. Every evening a
new bed of straw is made for him. In
the morning his cell is thoroughly
cleansed, and the straw must be re-
newed. A visitor one day observed to
the keeper, "Here is a very clean
beast, and very careful Of her lodging
she would make an excellent house.
keeper"
"Oh, no" answered the keeper, "she
eats her mattrass every morning"