Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1891-06-11
HOW THE ANIMALS SLEEP.
A Midnight Visit to the Menagere in Cen
trail Park,


trail Park.
I'm interesting study to one fond of nat,
ural history is to note the different posi-
tions in which animals and birds rest. A
visit to the Central park menagerie late
at night, allowed by the kind courtesy of
Superintendent Conklin, revealed some
curious sights, says the New York
Tribune.
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 sides. Near by in the deer
house the different 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 and
rested on the side of the body. The oryx,
with its long horns, was resting with its
head away from the body and the horns
making an arch over her shoulders. The
alpaca simply looked like large ball of
black wool. Jack, the donkey that draws
the cart with the commissariat of the
menagerie, was laying down, and only
deigned to blink at the lamp that revealed
him resting on well-littered bed with
his forelegs slightly turned inward from
the knee and the hind ones are drawn in
ward The female camel, who has tenn
porary home in the dear-house, lay on her
stomach with her fore and hind legs bent
under her. while her head and neck We're
stretched straight out. The little axis
deer was cuddled up close to It's mother.
the two looking like one piece of mahOg-
any picked out with white. Fanny, the
Skye terrier, who gives her chief attention
to the rats that swarm in the house, looked
out inquisitively at the visitors, while her
pup lay curled up on an empty sack.
In the lion-house the lloness was lying
on her left side at full length, willie the
lion, couchant, raised with his head on his
forpaws, that were crossed, bis hind leg
half drawn under him, and the tail curled
in toward the body. The pumas, tigar
and leapords were ali resting on their
sides, in nearly every case laying on their
right sides. The hyenas. pariahs, and
scavengers of the forest, rested with their
hind legs drawn under them, the forelegs
stretched out with the head slightly bent
| to the right. Opposite them the two
horned rhinocerous was lying at full
length on his left side gently snorting.
The hippopotami showed only their heads
and backs above the water, and 'Fatina, y
the baby hippo, raised its ponderous nose
on the right shoulder of its mother.
In the smaller mammal houses, given
up almost entirely to civet cats, 'possums,
and such like, every animal had curled
iteslf up in the smallest possible space,
burying the nose under the stomach, with
ali their paws drawn close up to the body.
The monkeys were sporting about their
cages their hands bowed down under
their chests, the arms resting on the
the thighs of the hind ones. A baby
monkey was cuddled up in the arms of
its mother, its little eyes peeping out
inquisitively and feariessly at the mid
night 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 heap, with
their noses buried deep in their white
fur, and forepaws crossed over the eyes.
Most of the birds were resting ON their
perches. their legs bent under them and
their head under their wing, in every case
the right one. The parrots had only drawn
their necks in, while the tucan had turn
ed its head and rested its large beak on
its back. The pelicans slept soutting on
the ground, their heads drawn well back,
and resting their ponderous bills on their
breasts. In the same enclosure the sea
lion had left the pond and was lying on
coping-stone. 1t lay on its right side.
the left fin resting on the body. The head
was turned upwards, showing the lower
jaw, which is without fur. The emu was
resting with the first joint of its legs on
The ground. the body short distance