Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1893-09-01

, paper packets OF broken bread and
buns, duly labeled food for the an
!, lmals,' ut the refreShment stalls, or
who know from experience that there
is hardly any creature there from the
hippotamus to the smallest monkey,
which disdains to eat raSin, says the
London Spectator, will be astonished at
the quantity and variety OF the solid
nutriment which has to be provided
yearly for the $50 beasts" ,391 birds,
; and 500 reptiles; though those more
conversant with the powers Of con-
sumption of stock in an ordinary
; farmyard would probably hesitate to
take a feeding contract at a lower
figure.
The years cost for provisions con-
sumed in the gardens is a little under
t4,OOO-1O5 loads of clover, 153 loads
OF meadow hay, $50 quarters Of oats
and $40 quarters Of bran may be put
down roughly as the quantity Of vege-
table food required as the quantity of
table food required for the large an
telopes, elephants, zebras and wild
sheep.
Bread and milk are almost as safe Il
diet for most animals us for human
beings, and 5000 QuarternS of bread
and 600 quarts of milk represent the
quantity of this wholesome food con-
Sumed at the zoo. Most of the insect
eating birds, many monkeys, and GER
tain snakes and lizards are egg-eaters,
and 1900 eggs probably account for
hot = 6,
piled 20 the smaller occupants of the
houses. The large carniyora, of which
the collection contains so many and
such fine examples, require stronger
food, and are not stinted in their sup
ply. The figures in this case suggest
some interesting reflections Oh the raw
ages said to be due to wild beasts
among f1ocks and game
No doubt these creatures, notably
wolves and wild dogs, occasionally de-
strOy more than they require to satisfy
their hunger. But usually lion or d
tiger kills one animal, and feeds upon
it SO long as it lasts, and after it kills
another victim, and no more. The total
of carcasSeS eaten by all the lions, tig-
erS, bears, hyenaS, wolves, leOpardS
and other large carnivora in the gard
ems during the year amounts to $50
horses and 152 goats. If the number
consumed in captivity bears any pro-
portion to the loss of cattle caused by
these creatures when wild, the reports
of natives must be much exaggerated.
The fishmOnger's bill is naturally a
heavy one, when not only seals, offers
and sealionS, which will eat nothing
else. but also numbers Of picivorous
birds, and even the polar bears, have to
be provided with fresh founders, whit
ing and conger eels daily 10000
pounds Of whiting, 10000 pounds of
trough fish," G30 quarts of shrimps and
1900 pounds of filounders were con-
S.lmed by the seals and other aquatic
creatures The live gudgeons, whose
pursuit and capture form the daily eX-
element of the penguins III their glass
fronted tank, do not appear in the list
of food provided. any more than the
army Of mice and rats, and dozens of
live frogs, which frolic behind the seen
es in the snake house.
Unhonored in their lives, iheir deaths
arc unrecOrded, or figure uarkly among
miscellaneous expenses. he fact is,
that the rearing ol tame mice and rats,
and the capture and purveyance OF live
frogs, is an interesting and uneAplored
side indrusty Of London life. Breeding
mice and white rats is an easy and
lucrative addition to small incomes,
carried on in back rooms and attics.
The forgs, which are genuine wild ami
mails, are captured by special emissar-
les employed by the "dealers,' who go
round to the mouse farms and frog
gerieS and collect the creatures, just as
the poultrymen make their rounds to
country farms and cottages. The Zoo
is by no means the largest customer to
the trade, which relies mainly on the
biologists" for it's steady demand.
Fruit is almost as necessary as fish
at all seasons in the gardens, and no
visitor can have failed to notice the
daintlly arranged dessert of sliced
bananas, grapes, dates and apples
which is served up to the rare monkeys
and fruit eating birds. Thirteen thous-
and oranges, 1900 pounds Of grapes
1.2OO pounds of dates and 1,2OO pounds
of raisins and currants represent the
fruiterer's bill; the green-grocer comes
last with 2,64t buncnes of tares, 1900
punches of greens and $500 bundles
of creSS- Cherries, onions, melons, mar
rows, bananas and figs vary the bill OF
fare, which we may close with the solid
item of 139 cwt. of carrots and nearly
two tons of ground nuts.
To provide for the welfare of its ami
NAL pensioners. it's works and repairs,
| its gardens and to assist in the valua-
bic scientific inquiries into animal
structure carried out in the prosector' S
department, the society employs, under
the direction of the superintendent and
, his assistant. a head keeper, twenty
two keepers, a prosecutors assistant,
clerk. head gardener, twenty three
helpers in the menagerie. twelve
gardeners, artisans. firemen. messen-
gers and a butcher-in all nearly one
: hundred persons. At the society S
; rooms in Hanover square, the publ
cation of the Geological Record. con
tanning a complete summary of all the
| geological inquiries of the year through
, out the world, costs annually about
: ESQ, The last. and not the least, in
4 teresting item in the list of expenditure
is that of fSt3 19s Cd for the cost ane
carriages of animals. $500 of which
represents the money paid for the
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