The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1890-07-06
A PERFECT MnTHFR

g
some other kinds of animals are never
caught.
A PERFECT MOTHER.
As an example of a perfect mother may
be taken the 3-year-old lioness Belle in Bar
NUNS circus. Rather more than year
ago she had two whelps, fine fat fellows.
She fed them regularly and took every
possible care OF them, but, most remarka-
bic to state, she not only allowed anybody
to look at the cubs, but let the keepers
take them out of the cage for half an hour
at time. She neither resented this nor
relaxed her care for the little ones With
many animals such liberties would have
ended in the killing or abandonment of
the cubs
Belle is large ioness in excellent physi-
cal condition. She has powerful and ex-
pressive countenance. The cubs are stolid
looking fellows, with not half as much in
tellgence as their mother. They are not
savage, but have no particular respect for
the keepers or the public.
The lioness weans her cubs when they
are nine months old Before they attain
that age she takes all meat and solid food
away from them, although at times they
would very much like to have some At
the end of nine months she selects the ten
derest pieces of meat to give to them. Soon
after that they are taken from their mother
and placed IN residences of their own.
IRREGULARITIES OF BREEDING.
Tigers, leopards and other felines must
be left alone with their young. If they are
not separated from the other animals, in
Guiding males of their own species, they
will probably kill the young ones Not
+ long ago leopard ate up her three cubs
simply because she was stared at so much.
and did not want her offspring to grow up
to live life like hers.
In case it is not possible, on account Of
bad temper, death or illness, for the mother
to suckle them, young lions, tigers, leopards
and wolves are given TO Newfoundland or
st. Bernard dogs TO suckle. They only re-
main with the dogs four or five weeks At
ter that there might be danger that they
would gObble up their foster mothers
Animals reared in this way are not so
healthy as those sucked by their own
mothers. They are apt to have the ricketts,
Lions and tigers have three or four young
ones at a time, the leopard FIVE bears three
or four, monkeys one, elephants one, gi-
RATES. one, nylghaus two and antelopes
one.
Monkeys do not breed much in the cap
tivity of a menagerie, because they are al
ways dying. The monkey who goes around
with his Italian master in all weather gets
as hardy as. it is possible 20 be. But the
menagerie monkey is pampered and kept
in warm cage, so that a shower of rain
or a draught Of air will kill him The white
Chinese monkey possesses the strongest
constitution of any simian. He is "A big
fellow with an arm like a blacksnith's
and apt TO be quarrelsome The mandrill,
who is distinguished by blue cheeks and
a red nose, is affectionate and very deli
cate
AN ELEPHANT STORY.
The mother elephant bestows the greatest
care and affection on her offspring This
fact is illustrated by the following story:
A gentleman well known in this city
paid visit, when 10 years old, to a circus
in Brooklyn.
An elephant and her young one were the
center of attraction for crowds of Brooklyn
small boys. The young elephant had not
attained by the course of years that dis
erection which would enable him 10 decide
what was within his powers OF digestion,
and he would have swallowed a hat as
cheerfully as "A bundle Of hay On this &C
count his mother took all the articles which
were handed TO him, examined them for
an instant and then, If they were quite
good 70 eat, she gave them 10 him; If they
were only moderately good she ate them
herself, and il they were not good at all
she returned them to the generous giver.
Several youths found amusement in
handing in their caps, whick were returned
as no good, because they were made Of
cloth. The youth OF whom We speak was
never lacking in enterprise, and he, too,
passed in MS hat. II was promptly eaten
by the mother elephant. II was a large
new straw one. The sufferer complained
very loudly TO pe manager OK the circus,
but was unable~O regain his property.
A nimRls born and raised in confinement
are usually as strong and healthy a. their
relatives from the wilderness. But, strange
to say, they are much less easily tanned
Familiarity with man has bred contempt
Such animals are not always s4vage, but
they calmly decline 70 make 81 exhibition
OF themselves by doing ridiculous tricks.
Trainers sey that for their purposes ami
mails born IN confinement ara useless
New York Evening Sun