Evening star., 1896-01-11

~ tleInan from the Arc
tic zone as he eager
II ly shifted the north
west wind.
1T gives one an appetite for whale blub-
ber and the like" continued the Esquimo
Dog.
Really, you know, was just thinking
I would like to have a nice, fat seal for
dinner, with a cake of ice to sit upon dur
ing the meaL"
did you hear that one Of the baby lions
bad died of pneumonia?"
well. 1 have my opinion of anything
that couldn't stand little bracing weather
Like this without getting pneumonia" sniff
ed the Polar Bear, scornfully.
1t was only too true about the death Of
one of the baby lions from pneumonia. 1t
might be supposed that an animal so we'll
endowed with lung power for roaring pur-
poses as a lion would be jnpervious to
pulmonary troubles, but such was not the
case with this heir apparent of the king
of beasts. The other day the watchful eye
of Supt. Blackburn discovered that one of
the three baby lions was ailing, the fact
first being apparent by his turning away
from his beef. The little chap was ''off
his feed" and closer examination showed
tendencies to Group, developing rapidly into
a bad cold and then into pneumonia. Ev-
cry effort was made to relieve him, but un-
aVailingiy, and he departed this life, after
four days illness, to the great grief of his
mother and the apparent unconcern of his
brother and sister.
His mother missed him sadly for a few
days, giving every evidence of being in
state OF mind over his disappearance. At
feeding time, when she was wont to gather
the three little cubs around the beef thrown
into the cage, she would look around for
Str of
the inner cage and whine pitifully when
she didn't find him. The deceased is now
in the hands of government taxidermist,
and will soon fill position in a glass case
as stuffed lions cub.
Animal Comforts.
With the winter well advanced, the oc-
cupants of the Zoo are passing it according
to their several fashions. Every dumb
brute is made comfortable, and enjoys life
after the nature of the beast as we'll as it
can be enjoyed in captivity. In the main
building, where the animals and birds and
reptiles from tropical climates are confined,
summer heat is maintained night and day.
The house is heated by steam, and a ther-
mometer operated by clock work traces
the nourly temperature of the interior, so
that those in charge can keep constantly
apprised Of the state of the weather in
side.
The sleepy looking allfgators in the tank
when they close their eyes cannot tell from
the temperature of the water that they are
not snoozing in the sluggish waters of a
Florida swamp The Potomac water is so
muddy at present, however, that they are
compelled to poke their heads above the
surface to observe what is going on about
them, and as they are very curious rep
tiles their tank presents the appearance
OF pond of muddy water with half a
dozen ugly black snouts protrudng out CT
it The hippopotamus wallows as of old
In his great bath tub. and splashes the
water over his thick hide, altogether un-
conscious that ice is two inches thick on
the creek at the foot Of the hill.
With the Monkeys.
most susceptible to cold. With other mark
ed resemblances to humankind they are
subject to coughs, colds and consumption,
and the Xxx cough-drop'' man would prob
ably do a thriving business if he could es-
tablish communication with them They
wheeZe and sneeze in ludicrously human
like way and many of them would doubt
less be glad to get leave of absence to at
tend the sale on handkerchief day at one
of the downtown emporiums In the large
cage of monkeys a spring board has been
erected. which is the source of neyerending
amusement to the long-tailed gentry. They
have a trapeZe or two, hung from the cell
ing to the cage, and one of the young mon-
keys will dance up and down on the spring
beard until he gets good start, and then
make a flying leap for the trapeZe, where
he will perform acrobatic evolutions that
would drive circus man crazy with envy.
Sometimes there will be two monkeys On
the spring board and by the time one has
safely landed On the trapeze the other viii
make leap and grab him by the tail Then
tnere Is sure 10 be scrap. Others spoil
ing for fight will join in the scrimmage
and make things lively for little while,
The social season in the main building
beginning with the approach of winter has
elllv2nA6 of
Der or parrots and tropical birds of gay
plumage and strident voice, that passed
the summer in cages under the trees. They
keep up an inceSSaut chatter of small talk
with their neighbors with an occasional
family quarrel in individual cages, at
which times their chickering's are apt to be
encouraged and applauded from adjoining
percheS until the hippopotamus loses pa
tfence and silences them all with mighty
roar.
In Glass Cases.
The boa constructors. pythons and other
snakes of low and high degrees are passing
the winter behind their glass cases between
eating and sleeping. The boa constructor
never wakes up unless he gets hungry, and
when he has filed several feet of his body
with food, ties himself in double bow
knot over the limb of a tree in his domicile
to sleep off the effects. Little he recks
whether it is winter or summer for it IS
warm and the provisions held out, and to
him the realization of these two facts
brings endless contentment. In fact there
Is only one inmate of the main buil1ing
which gives one the impression of being
really discontented, and that is the rhinoc-
eros. This gigantic and repulsive beast
has way of emitting sound that makes
the hearer laugh because it is such a ridic-
ulously feeble and puny sound to emana.e
from so formidable an animal. 1t is a
squeaky treble and sounds very much like
the noise made by a child's doll that cries
upon pressing the chest. But after you
listen to it while there is something real
plaintiye and sad. querulous complaining
in the tone that makes the rhinoceros an
object of pity.
The Outdoor Animals.
For the outdoor animals, nature has sup