The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1892-02-11

| Garden Take Their Daily Meal Is q
Weekly Attraetion in the Big City
| Watching the Creatures Eat.
No day 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 as if they came only a;
/ guides and guardians. The little peo
/ pie begin TO appear early in the forenoon
some of them bringing lunch basket,
wherein may be found not only then
own bread and butter but biscuit and
buns for feeding the animals.
Those who are 20 take their noonday
| meal in the refreshment room, how
ever, need not be destitute of provender
for their four footed acquaintance; q
/ bun may always be bought for penny,
and biscuit are abundant on many /.
convenient counter.
First comes the preliminary ramble,
and then a skurry back TO the fish house,
where at - 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, few OF
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 "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
like manner catches the victim and
swallows it.
THE RIDE ON THE ELEPHANTS.
Later in the afternoon the pelicans are
fed in the little yard where they strut
solemnly ali day long. A small pond
occupies its center, and into this bits of
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 sight not soon to be forgotten
if one can watch stately old pelican
lift his wings and begin an awkward
curveting in token Of his JOY.
In the bear pit, deep and well lighted
inclosure, dwell two bears, who are I'M
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 out two entreating fore
paws and sits in pleased anticipation of
feast.
He catches bits Of bun IN his mouth
with the unerring skill given by long
practice, and will even climb the pole in
the center Of the pit, if one will but hold
a bun over it suspended from a stick.
But how will he know l want him to
climb" said little girl, who had just
been provided with this plunmy bride.
"Just hold it near the pole where he
can get it." said an attendant, "and he'll
do the rest. He knows as much as we
do"
So, heavily and with much painting,
the awkward creature mounts his pole,
SEXES the bun, and descends to MUNICH it
in content.
The browning joy Of all perhaps for
little visitors is that of riding the ele-
plants, which, provided with great sad
dies, large enough for dozen people,
take their load of shrieking, laughing
children and go numbering off down the
walks, waving their trunks this side and
that in the hope of receiving stray tit
bit from the neighboring crowd
FEEDING THE LIONS.
Later in the day comes 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 Loop
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 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 In
awful concord, fills the place. At the
last cage the barrow stops, a bar is
thrown back, and two large pieces ef
meat are thrown IN. The lion seizes them
in his paws and lies contentedly down,
to gnaw and lick them with the DELHI
Grafton of well fed animal.
So the programme goes on, until one
voice after another is silenced and the
barrow is empty. One very interesting
fact is always TO be observed. The
animals do not, on receiving their first
piece Of meat, retire 10 devour it; they
wait for the second and then turn away
with both held securely in their paws
They have evidently learned how much
10 expect and can count up to that
number.
Indeed the delights Of the Zoo ara
almost inexsusuble 10 animal loving
children. There is the monkey house,
where those grave, wrInkled, half hu-
man creatures sit picking feas from
each other with an air Of funny absorp-
ton There Is the chimpanzee sally"
who viii count five for her keeper by
passing aim the requisite number Of
stTaws. and who, at request, VIII eas
with her fingers. as she used 70 do"