Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-12-27
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day mink escaped from one Of the cagee and
there was . stampede of rats all through the
building. A hundred at least tried to escape
from the ravenous animal through this hole,
but az fast az one would put its head up Into
the opening ii would be nabbed by one OF the
waiting nine. The owls had more to eat that
day than they have ever had since.
THE ocsLor.
One Of the prettiest animals in the indoor
collection is q small tiger cat or ocelot that has
been here for about five months. II il about
strongly marked, with darker stripes than the
home tabby. II is very tame, being quite play
fnl with the keepers 30 that it 10 frequently
taken from its cage and Let to run on the grass,
making no effort to escape. The STAR re-
porter tried TO get photograph Of the little
fellow the other day while he was out on the
lawn. but the animal had 50 much curiosity rs
to the camera that it insisted upon following
the reporter around 80 closely that it was i'm
possible to get proper focus 1t was worse
than the average baby in photograph gallery.
This animal is somewhat lame and iimps badly
when it walks. Keeper Weldon says that it
has been hurt by door falling upon it, but it
il thought by the officers Of the museum that
this is one OF those queer cases of spinal disease
that comes to animals Of this nature when con-
fined in small cages where they cannot give
their leaping muscles full play.
THE BEAR CAGE.
At the west end of the building is o cage Of
four bears, perhaps the best collection of those
animals that the Zoo could have in the present
quarters. There are three black bears and one
cinnamon and the four form a very happy
family. Their cage is so arranged that they
have little yard in which to walk around in
the open air and they seem TO be quite happy
in their home. Two of the smaller black bears
came together and are known ~ Romeo and
In ba hos 10 n n "a
very tame, and has habit of climbing up on
the top of the building and walking along the
roof. to the great astonishment of the visitors,
who invariably run to the keeper and tell him
that one OF his animals has broken loose. He
never trles to get away, but always returns
after his little trips along the ridge pole.
In the other end Of the room are several
cages containing small animals, such as foxes
OF various kinds, ''possums," wood chucks,
hedge hogs and porcupines. A pair of African
form one of the leading attractions of the room.
They have beautiful quIlls of extraordinary
length and sharpness, and brlstle up at the
least alarm.
FROM WARM COUNTRIES.
In q small room on the north side Of the build
ing are some tropical animals that require con-
siderable heat, and here is the source of a loud
noise that usually frightens the visitors to the
Zoo. This noise sounds as If there some
one outside who wanted to get i'll very hastily
and was loOsing temper because no one paid at
tention to the knocking Following up the
sounds it is found that they proceed from one
or both of pair of monkeys in q large cage at
the end of the room. They are very vicious
well as mischievous. and furnish more
amusement than the rest of the Zoo put to-
gether. One of them il quite old and is almost
worried into grave by the FRANKS of the other.
he loud noise Is made by one of the monkeys
jumping to the top of shelf that runs across
the back of the cage, and taking hold OF it
with both hands and shaking it up and down
with all of its might Or else il will jump over
to the netting and shake it back and forth so
violently that it would seem as if it would es-
cape.
RING-TAILED MONKEYS.
In the other cage is trio of monkeys of
another sort, two of them being veritable ring
tails and the other one q Mexican spider. The
former are of the sort that curls its agile,
sinuous caudal appendage around neighboring
objects, to the great DISCUS. of the owners Of
the objects. They are very expert with their
tails and furnish a vast amount of finn for the
multitudes. The spider is n solemn little fellow
with a long reach and the three Of them often
give very clever exhibitions of rope swinging
and various sorts of cOntortions. Just beneath
these cages is long trough in which are
half a dozen or more great tortoises, that lie
stupidity all day long withou. moving. They do
not seem to be of the same brand az that which
Nj. Esop once heard of as beating haze.
LIZARDS ALLIGAToRs.
In another sort of cage trough il collection
Of lizards and alligato-s. One of the latter is
about three feet long, being two years old.
Another is somewhat shorter, but the rest of
them are between six inches and foot long
They, too. are very sluggish and are reused
from their sleep with great difficulty.