The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1891-04-28
cow TaE ANIMALS SLEEP.
A Midnight Visit to the Central Park
Mens gerie.
From The Nslg York Tribune.


Fronl The NsIc York Tribune.
An interesting study to any one fond OF
natural history is 10 note the different posi-
tons in which birds and animals rest. A
visit to the Central Park menagerie late at
night. allowed by the kind courtesy Of
Supt Conklin, revealed some curious sights.
The elephants were no longer looking for
peanuts, but lay stretched out on the floor
OF their cages, their huge legs lying out at
full length and the trunk curved under the
body. They were all resting on their right
SIDE Near by in the deer house the differ
emit deer had all crouched down for their
rest with their forelegs bent under them
and the hind ones drawn up, while the
head was turned to the right aud rested on
the side of the body. The Onyx, with its
long horns, was resting with its head away
from the body ana the horns making an
arch over the shoulders. The al paca
simply looked like a large ball OF black
wool Jack. the donkey that draws
the cart with the commiSsiariat
of the menagerIe, was lying down and only
delgned 10 wink at the lamp that revealed
him resting on a well-littered bed with his
forelegs slightly turned inward from the
knee and the hind ones also drawn inward.
The female camel, who has q temporary
home in the deer house, lay on her stomach
while her head and neck were stretched
straight out The little axis deer was cud-
died up close to its mother, the two looking
like some piece OF mahogany picked out
with white. Fanny" the skye terrier, who
gives her chief attention to the rats that
swarm in the house, looked out inquisitive~
ly at the visitors, while her pup lay ourled
up on an empty sack.
In the lion house the lioness was living on
her left side at full length. while the lion,
couchant, rested with his head on his fore
paws, that were crossed, his hind legs half
drawn under him, aud the tail curled in
toward the body. The pumas, tigers and
leopards we're all resting on their sides, in
nearly every case lying on the right side
The hyenas, pariahs and scavengers OF the
forest rested with their hind legs under
them, the forelegs stretched out with the
head slightly bent 20 the right. Opposite
them the two-horned rhinoceros was lying
at full length on his left side gently snoring
The hlppopotami showed only sheir heads
aud backs above the water, and "Fatima,"
the baby hippo, rested its ponderous nose on
the right shoulder of the mother.
In the smaller mammal house, given up
almost entirely to civet cats. possums and
such like, every animal had ourled itself up
into the smallest possible space, burying
the nose under the stomach, with all their
paws drawn up close to the body. The
monkeys were squatting up their cages,
their heads bowed down over thsir chests
the arms resting on the thighs of the hind
ones. baby monkey was sleeping cud-
died up in the arms of its mother its little
eyes peering out inQuisitively and fearlessly
at the midnight visitors. The bears were
resting in various positions, some
lying out at full length, others
curled up. The two polar bears were
all huddled up in a heap, with their noses
buried deep in their white fur and forepaws
crossed over their eyes. Most of the birds
were resting on their perches, their legs
bent under them and their heads tucked
under wing, in every case the right one.
The parrots had only drawn their necks in,
while the toucan had turned its head aud
rested its large beak on its back. The peli-
cans slept sGuatting on the ground their
heads drawn well back and resting their
ponderOus bills on their breasts. In
the same inclosure the sea lion had
left the pond and was lying on the
coping stone. 1t lay on its right side, tho
left fin resting on the body. The head was
turned upward, showing the lower
jaw, which iB without fur. The emu was
resting with the first joints of its legs on the
ground, the body short distance above,
and its head buried in the plumes. The
porcupine was lying on It's stomach, its
head bent to the left with the quilts stand
ing out In every direction. The iimns,
zebus and African buffalo were resting as
cows rest, with the foreegs drawn under
them and their bind ones drawn in, and this
was also true Of the American bison, Under
the caves Of the houses sparrows were roost-
ing, aud for a time, at loast, were not chat
tering and fighting