The Democratic advocate. [volume] (Westminster, Md.) 1865-1972, 1879-05-24
cur @lio.
The Philadelphia Zoo.

The splendid Geological Garden at Fair
mount Park, Philadelphia, was opened to
the public in July, 1874, yet it has the
air and general appearance Of famous long
established like institutions 10 Europe.
Its collection Of animals is already very
extensive, lacking hardly any thing Of
grand Importance to the mass Of patrons,
unless VIC might mention the hippopota.
mus. At the last annual meeting the su-
perintendent reported 434 mammals, 453
birds, IS batrachians, and 63 reptiles; and
every visitor can testify to the exceedingly
fine condition Of most Of the animals. The
seals aud sea-lions disport themselves in
the water or sun themselves upon their is
land structures, sleek, fat, and apparently
as happy as seals can be. Que Of them
manifested his yigor not long since by
climbing over the railing around his pond
four feet high, ! should say-and tax
ing promenade over to a neighboring seal
pond, whose inclosure he also scaled.
envy the visitors present at the moment.
Il would certainly be interesting to know
how seal could climb fence. was
told Of this feat by the superintendent
himself-a gentleman of distinguished
manners, bythe-way, and scientist Of
note.
The collection Of seals 10 this garden is
more extensive, / think, than that Of any
other-than that Of the London Zoo, GER
tainly-and seals are very expensive lux
uries. The superintendent Of the London
Zoo says that fourteen hundred-weight
Of fish per annum Is no more than Is abso.
lutely necessary to keep seal In condi-
tion." Of course seals are accustomed to
eating their food alive, and so difficult Il
the task Of teaching them to eat dead fish
that thirteen out of fifteen seals received
at the Philadelphia garden died under the
discipline. The general mortality among
the seals, indeed, appears to be greater
than any where else in the garden. On,
died in 1876 from peritonitis, and an
other under very distressing circum
stances, this was young female who "hat
the habit Of generally staying in the waite
at night. During very cold night, carl,
J in the winter, she lost the air-hOlc she ha(
kept open to breathe through, aud not hav
ing strength to break the ice which lormet
over her, she was found in the morninI
drowned"
Among the rare animals may be men
!, toned two black leopards, a splendid rhi
. nocerous weighing over three tons, thre
: fine giraffes, and large number Of kar
G garoos. The kangaroos appear in mos
S vigorous condition, and almost any tim
3 the visitor may see the little ones protruC
: ing from the maternal pouch-the di
y tinctive characteristic OF the marsupil
: family. There are, however, some fish thi
D have pouch for their young. The hi
p pocampus, or sea-horse, is an exampl
!. No one, it seems, has ever witnessed Ii
5 birth OF the kangaroo; but it is certai
: that when first found 10 the pouch it
Q not much more than an inch 10 lengtl
Q aud looks exceedingly like the commc
/ garden "grub" worm. Strueiurally, il
! deed, the kangaroo is the most wonderfl
e Of animals.
g The collection Of canels, deer, buffalo
n and zebus is very large. The black eel
r (sacred bull of India is splendid amin.
/, presented to the Societies by the Commi
r sioners Of Prospect Park, Brooklyn.
n color is very rare. Besides this on
2 there is another bull, four COWS, aud
I little calf born in the garden. Il
0 said that they eau be easily accliml
5 ted here. If so, there may come to be
e rage for zebus, aud the milk Of the s
s cred COW may yet be considered indispel
c sable to all frst-class hotels and restar
]. HdTpcr's Magazine.