The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-03-05
NELLIE AND TIE LITTLE ONE.
Incidents of the Feeding of the HRrbol
Seals ut the Aquarium.

Incidents of the Feeding of the Harbor
Seals Mt the Aquarium.
Nellie. by which name the larger OF the two
hnrbor seals at the AQUARIUM Is known. and
the little one. as the smaller Of these seals is
commonly called. get along together most
amicably. but Nellie would take more than her
share OF the food at meal times il she had the
opportunity. 80 care is exercised in feeding
them to see that each gets its portion. II the
food. consisting Of strips OF cut-up fish. were
thrown into the water all in one place. Nellie.
by virtue OF superior size. strength and ac-
tivity. would get the greater part Of 1t. though
the little one has improved greatly in every
way, In strength and activity and tameness. to
say nothing OF fairness. since II has been here.
now about six months: and SO Is the better
able to look out for itself. Nellie has been here
for years and Is quite familiar with her sur
roundings and quite tame and ut homo. For
a year or moro before the little one was put
into the pool Nellie had been alone there. and
the companionship of the little one was well
come to her. There were some slight an
tagonistic passages between them when the
little one was first put In. but they were ap-
parently mere formalities and they soon
ceased. and the two seals soon became very
friendly. as they have since remained. skylark-
ing and racing and playing about like two
fb . bigf Sgt' the dssP oIder tn sSe a l5lera and e The iS oeR,ser;
in possession. Is the undoutted boss OF the
pool. a position that is acknowledsed and un,
S Sart t Of S saE special show Of authority on the
At one end Of the pool is the stone llatiorm
upon which the seals creep to sleep at night.
Sloping down from this platform, into the
water and to the bottom Of the Uo9l is an in
gated, up which the seals climb to reach the
platform. the l,ityle ridges giving them good
up. The man that feeds the harbor seals
stands upon the platform with the food in q tin
bucket. The older OF the two seals knows him
Just as one person knows another. and she
manifests the greatest interest In his coming.
tearing and plunGing around the pool and jump
ing almost out OF the water In looking for him.
The seals are well and full of life. and their
appetites are good. Sometimes they stay in
ing to the platform and take their food there.
The two seals might be then, in the water. par
but maybe hall a dozen feet apart. 4 piece OF
food would be tossed in to Nellie. perhaps the
nearer one Of the two, and then q piece to the
little one. At first, under such circumstances
that is-when the little seal was first brought
In. Nellie. having bolted her piece. would turn
to gobble up the piece intended for the little
one. too. an.a ction,t that seemed com pounded
PH ntsn 81 tnSivg q asreiess seiss hna eeen A so le sRs
seemed. too. like n child that was afraid IL
wouldn't & get t, iS S.I HhaI cau,5 But nss shis m %0 SS.neat
place which she had lust turned from. another
thus leave the other piece for the little one.
Nellie, however, being bigger. needed more
and d,t got R mere than MnnI thS mS oIhef fb any SIysyit ., tno
pool. swimming with great swiflness. and
make for the platform at a speed that would
ment. OF her. fiDpers there; And there she
would take food from the hand. like, a dog,
s sdrm foli9T the m mSa e0r rGreles y so8 Iapp ths pi the
backing Off his boots with her fippers as she
fell Q I'VE bu IN her E shs wSu fS get siy thS Si% GSn hsP f, Of
per. OF demand. iraely and willingly some
times. indeed. voluntarily. Bat wh;!e this
telligence. with a full realization OF the act. it
Is also commonly done with an air o. preoccM-
P PsfIoG and q" srm acct aP and no ne t too. a ns' Nj.
lie Is. her thoughts are on the bucket: still,
for all that. she restrains and.controls herself
enough 20 put her nippef m more than once,
II so invited. before the next piece OF food Is
Wien the little one first came it had the
hardest kind OF hard work. in struggling up
the incline to reach the platform. Sometimes
~ w0u' ius na ~ loot 40 s op two %ou and ~ lien he sta NJ and |,
struggle on again. BIT IL can climb the slope
readily now. and it makes . very good blum.
water, in one smooth sweep. as Nellie does.
and sometimes IL does It, toe. And ii is much
Nellie. but not wild at all, II will come up on
the platform now on its " account and ioaT
there sometimes after tho feeding is over with
the hone Of getting more. which Nellie never
does. Nellie knows when the food is gone;
The other day, when there Were lpst two
pieces Of fish left IN the bucket. with Nellie Up
on the platform with her head up as usual, will,
ing 10 take all there was and more. too. II 1t
was given TO her. the man said:
NOW. Nellie, there's lust two pieces left
one for you and one for the little one. There's
yours'-and Nellie stretched up her head and
took it-'and now you 60 and let the little one
have his"
Whereupon Nellie dropped her, head smooth
" down uron the stone and slid down the slope
into the water. where. at the edge, the little one
wa fyinR. As Nellie passed. the little one
joined her. md they went kitinG. side By side;
charging for the platform. Nellie stopped
short at the waters edge on the slope the little
the platform and received there the piece that
mad been saved for IL.
OF course this may all have lust happened
go. but IL looked as though both seals under
stood IL all Perfectly.