Evening star., 1899-02-04

Frank Baker. super
intendent of the park. has just departed
| upon tour of collection. The govern
ment naturalists are now giving their
attention to the strange fauna of the
islands soon to become or Already
classed as our new possessions Little
scientific attention has been given to these
species hitherto. They are practically un-
known save to several travellers whose re-
/ ports have been lately obtained
The governments savants are delighted
| at the prospect of poking straws into the
| cage OF a real live "tarsier." 1t may be
you have no idea who Senor Tarsier is
Professor Hubrecht of the University of
Utrecht has lately discovered that he is no
| less parsonage than link connecting
Grandfather Monkey with his ancestors
| Thus the evolutionary scale would be
| changed by Professor Huhrecht to run
| man, ape, monkey, tarSier and so on tar
, sier appearing as what may be popularity
| termed the great-gTandfather of mankind
IarSler may best be described as having
| lace ike an owl and a body, limbs and
| tail Ike those of a monkey His sitting
| height is about that of the squirrel As his
| enormous optics would lead one to s1lnDoSe
ne cuts capers in the night and sleeps in
| the daytime, concealed usually in aband-
| oned cFe3rlngS where new growth has
| sprung up to height of twenty feet or
| more Very often he sleeps in a standing
! posture, grasping the lower stem of a small
| Tee with his long and slender fingers and
| toes. During his nightly wanderings he
| utterS squeak like that of monkey
During the day the pupils of his eyes
IS contract to o, fine lines, but after dark
| expand untH they fill most of the irises
| From his habit of feeding only upon in
sects he has a strong bat-ike odor.
Queer Little Beasts
| Mr.. John Whitehead, who has spent the
past three years studying the animals of
| the Philippines, fOreshadows the proba BILE
| behavior Of tarsier, when he arrives at the
National Zoo" The Philippine natives
call the little creature "magou." In Sa-
mar" says Mr.. Whitehead, in a report
| just received at the Smithsonian. where at
| different times | kept several rnagous alive
| found them very docie and easily man
| aged during the day. They fed freely off
| graSshopperS. sitting on their launches on
| my hand. When offered an insect the
! magou would stare for short time
| with It's most wonderful eyes, then
| slowly bend forward and with a sudden
| dash would seize the insect with both
hands and Instantly carry it to its mouth,
! shutting It's eyes and screwing up it's tiny
| face In most whimsical fashion The
| grasshopper was then quickly passed
| through the sharp little teeth the kicking
legs being held with both hands. When
| the insect was beyond further mischief the
| large eyes of the magou would open and
| the legs and wings were then bitten off
| "hlIe the rest OF the body was thoroughly
| mastlcated. My captives would also drink
| fresh milk from spoon. After the sun
| mad set this little animal became most
| dlfhcult to manage, escaping when possible
| ana making tremendous jumps from chair
| 10 chair When on the floor it Bounded
| about like miniature kangaroo travelling
| about the room on its hind legs with the
| tall stretched out and curved upward nj
| tering peculiar shrill monkey-lik suueaks
| o. Il -.rvff
| tunity offered This remarkable mammal
Is found in the Islands of Samar and Leite.
| probably in Mindanao and perhaps in Bo-
| hol.
Common throughout the Philippines is
| still nearer relative of man. a long-tailed
| green monkey. which the natives call th,
| chongo- Chongo does not behave him
| self web as does magou In northern
| luzon he infests the forests in the neigh
| borhood of native plantations, especially
| those of maize and sweet potatoes and is
| the cause of unlimited Talago profanity
| In Samar the rice fields have to be careful
| iy guarded against his attacks He is to he
| seen anywhere from the cold mountain
| tops to the seacoast. Some pure white
monkeys are, also found in Mindanao.
| DroH Dwarfs.
Another freak beast which will excite
| curiosity in our geological gardens is the
| tamarau, dwarf buffalo found in the
| forests of Mindoro of the Philippine rroun.
| 10. not of the American bison. It sometimes
| occurs high up in the mountains. 1t tun-
nels pathways through the thick bamboo
| underground covering the mountain sides
above 6,eo feet. Hunters must go upon
hands and knees to follow these trails. The
abortgines never hunt this little beast he
| ing deathly afraid of it.
The midget Philippine squirrel is another
| odd creature. 1t is about the size of a mouse
| has legs longer in proportion than those of
| the ordinary squirrel, larger eyes and
rounded ears. A large brown rat, gray un-
derneath and with squirre!-Iike head and
| eyes. but black, cord-like tail. is of still
| greater interest from evolutionary point
| of view. 1t is discovered to be the last link
long needed to complete the chain of rela-
tionship between the true rat and the water
rats. A wild pig. dgnifed by the name
'sus celehensis Philppinensis." is found
throughout the whole Philippine group II
Is exceedingly exclusive during the day
when 1t hides in the forests but sallias
gayly forth during the night into the ma
tive maize and rice fields, where it does
| beloved mig ''babui."
The Philippines will also contribute
giant fruit-eating bat All American bats
OF course, substst entirely upon insects and
are provided with sharp teeth with which
to nip them. The frIit-eating hat of these
Islands is larger than rat, has a long head
and blunt teeth. 1t makes nightly inroads
upon the banana plantations and other
fruit preserves. During the day it sleeps
hanging head downward from a tree.
The Mouse Deer.
In Bataan Of the Philippine group is found
chevretain. or mouse deer" tiny little
pigmy rs cunning fox, and which when
SHARED feigns death until freed when If
leaps up like a lightning flash and takes to
the forest, leaving the inexperienced trap
per in great surprise. The Philippines also
contain civets, wildcats, porcupines liz
ards, snakes and atiigators. The "chacon /"
one variety of alligator, is priced by the
natives as affording immunity against death
by earthquake shock
Prof. Dean C. Worcester lately appointed
a member of the Philippine commission has
submitted to the Smithsonian an extensive
report upon the ornithology OF those ST.
ands, whore he recently counted no less
than 256 different species of birds Notable
among these are some beautiful little para
keets. cockatoos, mound-builders, hornbills
and jungle-fowls. The last named are the
principal game birds Of the group. The ma
tives tame the hornbills and keep them as
pets. The only important food fishes of the
fresh waters of the Philippines are species |
of catf1shes and carp.
Eouno of