The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1879-04-23
The PHILADELPHIA Zoo.

The splendid geological garden at
! Fairmount Park, PHILADELPHIA, was open-
ed to the public in July, 1871, yet It has
the air and general appearance of famous
| long established like institutions i'm Eu-
rope. It's collection of animals is already
very extensive, lacking hardly anything
of grand importance to the mass of pa
irons, unless we might mention the hip
popotamus. At the last annual meeting
the superintendent reported 434 mann
mals, 453 birds, fifty-eight batrachians
and sixty-three reptiles; and every visi-
tor can testify to the exceedingly fine con-
dition of most of the animals. The seals
and sea-liOns disport themselves in the
water or sun themselves upon their is
land structures, sleek, fat and apparently
as happy as seals can he. One of them
manifested his vigor not long since by
climbing over the railing around his
pond-four feet high, | should say-and
taking n promenade over to a neighbor-
ing seal pond, whose inclosure lie also
scaled. envy the visitors present at tie
moment. 1t would certainly be interest,"
ing to know how seal could climb
fence. l was told of this feat by the
superintendent himself-a gentleman of
distinguished manners, by-the-way, and
a scientist of note.
The collection of seals in this garden
is more extensive, ! think, than that of
any other-than that of the London Zoo,
certainly-and seals are very expensive
luXuries. The superintendent of the Lon
don Zoo says that fourteen hundred
weight of fish per annum is no more
than is absolutely necessary to keep a
seal in condition." Of course seals are
accustomed to eating their food alive,
an Il f1 hp g L..
them to eat dead fish that thirteen out
of fifteen seals received mt the Philadel-
phia garden died under the discipline.
The general mortality among the seals,
indeed, appears to be greater than any
where else in the garden. One died in
1876 from peritonitis, and another under
very distressing circumstances; this was
a young female who "had the habit of
staying in the water at night During
a very cold night, early in the winter,
she lost the air-hole she had kept open
to breathe through, and not having
strength to break the ice which formed
over her, she was found in the morn
ing drowned"
Among the rare animals may be men
toned two black leopards, splendid
rhinoceros weighing over three tons,
three fine giraffes and a large number
OF kangaroOS. Ine kangarOOS appear in
the most vigorous condition, and almost
any time the visitor may see the little
ones protruding from the maternal pouch
the distinctive characteristic of the
family. There are, however,
some fish that have pouch for their !
young. The hippocampus, or sea-horse,
is an example. No one, it seems, has |
ever witnessed the birth of the kanga-
roo; but it is certain that when first !
found in the pouch it is not more than
an inch in length, and looks exceedingly |
like the common garden grub" worm. |
indeed, the kangaroo is the
most wonderful of animals.
The collection of camels, deer, buffa- |
loes and zebus is very large The black |
lebu (sacred bull of India) is splen-
did animal, presented to the society by |
the commissioners of Prospect Park, |
Brooklyn. Its color is very rare. Be |
sides this one, there is another bull, four1
COWS and little calf born in the gar
den. 1t is said that they can be easily |
ncclimated here. If so, there may come |
to be "rage" for zebus, and the milk
Of the sacred COW may yet be considered |
indispensable to all first-class hotels and |
!-Harper'S Magazine.