Pittsburg dispatch. [volume] (Pittsburg [Pa.]) 1880-1923, 1889-10-06

llama. Short and bob-tailed, like q jack
rabbit, long and scrawny necked and COW
cred with shaggy hght-brown hair it comes
as near being an animated geological
nightmare as an animal can hope to be.
It has already learned all the bad habits of
its unpreposessing parents. It is shy in the
presence of visitors, and continually pre-
and looks angrily back over its shoulders
at all who venture to pay it the compli-
ments of the season. 1t spits when it is ex-
cited and stamps with its forefeet. 1t was
once supposed that this spittls was rank
poison, and that is the present belief OF ma
tive Peruvians, but beyond its rudeness
nothing can be truly said in its blame. The
young llama is worth $3.50 to any man who
doesn't care whether his purchase is vulgar
or not, only so it is llama.
By far the most valuable acquisition to
the menagerie was born q few weeks ago
and only lived week. Kitty, the hand
some lioness, was the mother, and Jack, her
splendid mate, was the father. The little
cub was perfect specimen and would have
undoubted rivaled his father in personal
charms had not his mother carelessly rolled
over on him one night during the cyclone
and smothered him to death. He was worth
$500, and had he lived year double that
There are 81 thoroughbred herds of
English fallow deer in America, in Phila-
delphia, 1 in Cincinnati, and 1 In Central
Park. The last now contains 10 specimens,
of which were born during the spring and
summer. They are the best deer in the
world for parks, and not one has been born
out of captivity in at least five centuries.
The new arrivals are worth 500 each.
AMONG THE OTHER BABIES
is diminutive spotted Indian hog deer,
which in spite of its name is as pretty a
deer as one can find. It is q little fellow,
and is worth about 500 as he stands.
The pack Of prairie dogs has been in
creased by dozen or SO Of yelping puppies.
These youngsters, however, are not long
lived. The stock needs replenishing with
fresh blood.
Two zebus have been added to the small
herd in the cattle paddock. They are no
rareties, and are barely worth more than Or
dinary well-bred calves.
The most picturesque babies in the park
are the little black and white swans that
take life easy in the big lake. The mother
of the black swans chose nest on an un-
hospitable rock near the bridge and hatched
out two broods Of little, downy, long-necked
youngsters that to-day bear little evidence
of their future grace and beauty. The young
ones number six and are worth $50 each.
The white swans successfully hatched out
five newcomers that have added S35 each to
the park boards assets.
These new babies have quite eclipsed the
imported infants who are fast outgrowing
their babyhood. Miss Murphy, the young
rhinoceros, Is now years old, and will soon
be old enough to be matron. Her mate,
Caliph, is three years her elder, and has
ceased to regard her merely as child. This
pair of amiable children is worth S10, 900,
and their infant, had they any, would be
worth almost that sum alone.
1t will:be hard for the park student Of
natural history to realize that the peren-
nially youthful Miss Kitty O'Brien, the
maiden widow Of Mr.. Crowley, the great
chimpanzee, is getting along in years.
Dufing the late Mr.. Crowley's life
tine she was regarded as an in
FAINT, and as such she is now
Held in the memory of the human
admirers. But candor eompels the chroni-
cler to place her age at years, and DIR.
Conklin's records Will bear the statement
out She came here when she was only
months old and has long ago outgrowa her
babyhood. She is as agile with her four
hands, as chatty with her friends and as ac-
complished in her manners as Mr. Crowley
ever was. She has succeeded to his quar-
tiers and inherited his valuable collection Of
household furniture. She presides over the
table where he used to sit and partakes Of
her food with all the grace and charm Of
good breeding that was wont to distinguish
Mr.. Crowley among his fellows as the great
est ape OF modern times.
BENJAMIN NoRTHR0P.