The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-06-06

ter mother OF good many survivors OF the
Simisn tribe-meaning monkeys, sir. That
was psregoric that / gave
THAT RING-TAIL UP THERE
Just now. And cod liver 0il-well; il is
enough to cause mensgerie to go into bank
ruptcy, the way monkeys demand cod-liver
oil. Me2 Oh, yes, l have had the care of
monkeys for year,, most of the time. They
soy that blue-faced baboon takes bottle 8
dsy-which is amply hoggish. Monkeys
generally pass away easily-dying mostly of
consum ption or some disease of the lungs
cbest-snd it makes them hopeful and cheer
full to the Last. But when they become very
sick we have to segregate them"
He paused and looked thoughtful, and
said, to keep up my end Of the conversation,
"Does il hurt them much2"
He gurgled at me gentle laugh, and an
swered:
q Segregated means removed TO another
cage-separated. We have q sort of monkey
hospital most of the lime. That is in order to
prevent the well monkeys from teasing and
bothering the invslids. That is all mistake
into which Darwin and Alfred Wallace
have fallen into-the story that animals take
care Of their sick and even sometimes start
hospital for their old and infrm. 1t Is ex
actly the contrary. Both in state of ma
ture and captivity the strong and well beasts
Of ell kinds delight in tOrturing to death the
old and the sick. 1 sometimes wonder what
God made them that way for"
Here or hereabouts the conversation closed.
But the next day L went up to our collection
of 800 beasts at Central Park, and found Mr..
COnkling, the Superintendent of the collec-
ton, and editor OF magazine which treats
eff animals. He is fne intelligent man,
with large experience in this direction.
VARIOUS ANIMALS.
Large snakes" he said, generally die of
canker Their teeth drop out and their
jaws decay. They perish of starvation.
Monkeys generally die of some disease of
the lungs, but sometimes of regular fevers.
] had a yak that died of pneumonia, por-
lar bear of bronchitis, black bear of peri
toDitis, lionees of kidney trouble, a tiger of
consumption, and an antelope from disten-
ton of the stomach from overeating. This is
danger of al bay or corn eating animals;
they never seem to know when they have
had enough.
"MOst animals will cough when their
lungs sre affected. We held an autopsy on
a leopard that died of fatty degeneration of
the heart. II was occasioned partly by lack
of exercise Elephants are pretty tough.
Their feet need frequent trimming-even
more than those of horses. Elephants have
the shskes-regulsr fever and sgue. We
call it "the thumps," on account Of the mani.
fe'tations, When they get chill, as they
are very apt to when exposed in the eli
mate in winter, palpitstion of the heart en-
sues, resulting in the shakes. If we don't
get them warmed up right away, they will
die. Some of Bsrnum's elephants up at
Bridgeport get the thumps every winter,
when they take them out and move cars
with their heads. When an elephant gets
the thumps we give him q quart of whisky
every hour. They like it very much. Ele
plants often have distended stomachs from
overeating and little exercise. Then we
give each afflicted elephant water pail full
of castor oil. Quinine 10 a most valuable
remedy for animals that need tonIng up, and
in case of colds We generally give hun
dred grains day to q sick camel, and to an
elephant under the weather they give pill
sbout IS big as goose egg.
SOME HABITS OF ANIMALS.
aLons and tigers are very fond Of catnip
just like cat. Throw in q spray of green
cstnip and they will sniff it pleasantly, jump
around 1t, lay their faces caressingly on it,
and finally roll over and over on it, exactly
as the house cat acts. 1t n funny and in
teresting TO watch their antics. Animals 90.
pear to have no sympathy for each other
not even for sick or unfortunate members Of
their own species. When one is sick or
MANNED the well ones are inclined to worry,
and even torment it. Some of our sick ami
mails have been badly wounded, and even
killed by their companions, for no reason
that we could conjecture except because they
were sick. Another odd thing: We feed ct
$50 o'clock each afternoon, every day. The
animals learn to keep time-I am certain of
it. About 2:l5 they begin to be uneasy. If
they are sleeping, they wake. If they are
lying down, they rise and walk around the
csge, putting their noses to the bars, and
watch every movement of the attendants.
But Sunday is an of day. We obey the
code, and on Sunday we never feed the ami
mails at all They have learned that fact. all
OF Thorn, and they keep 8 reckoning of the
days and know when Sunday comes ss well
IS 1 do. They never look for 8 morsal of
food on Sunday, at 2:30 o'clock or any other
time"
"MAy it not bail suggested, "tbst they
know the day by the difference in the num-
Der Ct visitors7 On Sunday there is generally
a crowd.D
"No,' he said, that would not explain it.
Crowds differ from none at all to thousands
on week DAYS, out the animals never make
mistake. am satisfied that they can ell
count seven.
OLD LIONS NEVER DIE NATURAL. DEATH
in their native climate; they generally perish
Of starvation, or else get equity and rheum-
attic, and, losing their teeth, are torn to
pieces by hyepss. Bears are naturally
gaOd-natured, and will seldom attack q hu.
man being, unless they are very
big and very hungry. 1 slept all win
ter once with three good-sized black
bears, and they gave me my share of the bed
and were very considerable. used one Of
them for pillow. You can not trust tigers
or elephants. This tiger out here in the cage
the big chsp-was kittened here, and when
he was cub he was loose in my Office here.
He'd run around anywhere like . colossal
cat, and was affectionate as could be. That
answered very we'll ss long - be was email
and could crawl up into my arms, but when
he got as big as dog his sharp claws laoerat-
ed my knees and tore my clothes. When he
had torn my pantaloons into rags had to
shut him up in the cage. From that moment
he has hated me, and he snaps and tries to
strike me whenever go near the cage. Ee
never forgives me for that L think. per-
hape, the camel Is one of the most dap .gerous