The Black Hills union. [volume] (Rapid City, Pennington County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1889-1904, 1892-01-29
AT THE LONDON ZOO.
HOW THE CHILDREN ENJOY THEM
SELVES ON "A SATURDAY.

nd
HOW THE CHILDREN ENJOY THEM
SELVES ON A SATURDAY..
Seeing tho AnlMals Tn I4ondon's Great
Garden Tako Their Daily Meal il .
Weekly Attraction In the big CITY.
Watching the Creatures Eat. !.
Noday is more animated at the Lon.
don Geological gardens than Saturday,
when the children appear in full force,
marshaled by papas and mammas, who
are doubtless glad enough to visit The
scene OF their own early .'larks," but
who try to look AZ if they came only as
guides and guardians. The little peo.
pie begin to appear early in the forenoon.
some of them bringing a lunch basket.
wherein may be found not only theil
own bread and butter but biscuit and
buns for feeding the animals.
Those who are to take their MONDAY
meal in the refreshment room. how
ever, need not be destitute of provendel
TOR their four footed acquaintance; a
bun may always be bought for a penny,
m biscuit are abundant on many a
convenient counter.
First comes the preliminary ramblo,
and then a skurry back to the fish house.
where at 10 o'clock the diving birds are
fed. A large glass tank of clear water
occupies one end of the room, and into
this precisely at noon an attendant
throws a handful Of tiny fish, a few at
them still living. Then the side Of an
adjoining cage is removed, and down
plunge the penguins to seize their prey.
1t must be confessed that their table
manners are not fine. They literally
gobble fish after fish, and then hurl
themselves about in the water, evidently
delighted with their bath,
Another bird-a slender, graceful
creature, Familiarity called a "darter"--
is admitted alone to the tank, and his
motions in eating his fish dinner are
wonderful to see. He sweeps through
the water like an arrow, and impaling
each fish upon his bill lifts his head,
and in some mysterious and lightning
ike manner catches the victim and
swallows it.
THE RIDE oATHE ELEPHANTS.
Later in the Afternoon the pelicans are
fed in the little yard where they strut
solemnly all day long, A small pond
occupies its center, and into this bits oil
fish are thrown, in search of which the
birds rush pell nell, covering the water
with a confusion Of gigantic waving
wings. AS the attendant approaches to
carry out this pleasing ceremony, the
birds awaken from their .drowsy calm,
and it is a sight not soon to be forgotten
if one can watch a stately old pelican
lift his wings and begin an awkward
curveting in token of his joy.
In the bear pit, a deep and well lighted
inclosure, dwell two bears, who are un-
wieldy with the fairness produced by
many buns. They have been so per-
sistently fed by visitors that when one
looks over the railing his bearship calm
ly rises, holds ont two en~treating fore
paws and sits in pleased anticipation of
a feast.
He catches bits of bun in his mouth
with the unerring skill given by long
practice, and will even climb the polein
the center Of the pit, if ono will but hold
- Otu1 OfS1 SuSpcI1StNu lEOIl ~ SUCK.
But how will he know | want him t.
climb?' said a little girl, who had just
been provided with this plummy bride.
Just hold it lear the pole where he
can get it," said ali attendant, "and he'll
do the rest. He knows as much us we
do"
So, heavily and with much painting.
the awkward creature mounts his pole,
seizes the bun. and descends to munchi it
in content.
The browning joy of all perhaps for
little visitors is that of riding the Gle
plants, which. provided with great sad
dies, large enough for a dozen people,
take their load of shrieking, laughing
children and go numbering off down til.
walks, waving their trunks this side ar
that in the hope of receiving a stray
bit from the ncighboring crowd.
FEEDING THE LIONS.
Later in the day m one great
event, to which even the most serious
grown person must be Interested. at
half past 4 the lions are fed! Long
before the time visitors begin to pour
into the building where, in large cages
against the wall, lions, tigers and leop-
ards are pacing restlessly up and down.
The creatures themselves need no
watches to tell them dinner time is near.
At the appointed moment a man en-
tiers, pushing a barrow of bleeding meat,
and wheels it past the cages to the very
end of the room. At the smell and
sight pandemonium breaks loose. One
terrible roar, made by many voices /
awful concord, fills the place. at the
last cage the barrow stops, a bar is
thrown back, and two large pieces Of
meat are thrown in. The lion SEXES them
in his paws and lies ~contentedly down.
to gnaw and lick them with the DELHI
GRAFTON of a we'll fed animal.
So the programme goes on, until ont
voice after another is silenced and the
barrow is empty. One very interesting
fact is always to be observed. The
animals do not, OH receiving their first
piece of meat, retire to devour it: they
wait for the second and then turn away
with both held securely in their paws.
They have evidently learned how mucl
to expect and can count up to that
number. "
Indeed the delights of the Zoo are
almost inexaustible to animal loving
children. There is the monkey house,
where those grave, wrinkled, half hui
man creatures sit picking heas from