The weekly intelligencer. [volume] (Lexington, Mo.) 1891-1901, 1900-05-12
WILD LIFE IN THE CITY.
AsImais Of Field and Forest That
suII Make Their Homes IL the
Heart Of ChiesEo.

When IL is known that within the year
4 great horned owl was seen trying to
capture a c~otton-tail rabbit on an in
habited street in the city Of Chicago It
will be the less difficult TO beieve that
there are living amongthe Lincoln park
lagoon and In and about the Lincoln
park ponds enough wild miuks to sup
ply a large family Of girls with fur
enough for a winter cloak apiece. II
seems a bit strange perhaps that within
sound OF the rattle OF cable cars and
practically within touch daily Of thou
sands Of people there should exist so
much mammal life In the same state OF
wildness that it did when the Potta-
wattamles hunted in this region. The
fact that the parks are so carefully
guarded and the wild life within their
borders is SO carefully conserved Is re-
sponsible largely, Of course, for the
preservation Of species. Walk along the
big lagoon that, with the lake, makes an
island Of the outer driveway and upon
any quiet evening you may hear per-
haps the splash, splash" OF half dozen
diving minks. The mink likes q fowl
dinner as well Rs any Of its brothers in
the animal kingdom, and the keeper Of
tho Lincoln park animals has to guard
mis- feebler pets well TO keep them safe
from the incursions of these blood-lov-
Ing animals. Some time ago, before the
advent Of the present keeper and be-
fore the building OF the new cages, q
mink, bent on a breakfast. made its way
from the lagoon across the driveways
aud over the green grass plats to the
dwelling SGT aside for the frat pair OF
golden pheasants which the park pos
ssssed. i, worked is way up through
the flooring Of the ~phsssantE house,
and. despite the met that the attack was
made at noon tide. the deprsdator sue
ceedsd In throNlng the male pheasant
and drinking Its life blood before the
deed wa discovered.
A pair Of wild rabbits manages 70
maintain Its existence IN Lincoln park.
They are moi Gagged IKE their brethren,
but live 4 free II not = wholly untram-
mslsd existence among the trees and
bushes which lie directly north OF the
new stables, Thess c~otton1tails are
wilder than wild. They probably wish
a thousand times that fate had not cast
their lot for them In a place that is lit.
orally infested with their enemies, men.
There IL a nursery Of young trees near
the rabbits habitat, and, al rabbits are
notorious tree girdlerA the nsrasry.
men do not look upon than with beneV-
olsnse. II IS . mystery to all but the
rabbits themselves what 1t IL that they
feed upon to keep UP their usn-tsd ap.
p~earanee and the extreme vitality and
strength which they show when they
take TO their heels at the sight of a paL
OF prying eyes. There are no vegetable
gardens tAsrsabouts upon whish they
can prey; the trees seem 10 have e.
capped girdliBEi the clover patches are
few and iar bstweel, and the belief /,
forced upon oas that the tWs LIzsslH
park sotton-taiis must live wholly upon
a diet Of Erais.
Thss haVs for comparisons q score oil
two 81 gophsrt, whose helss lead undol
the tree trunks On the hill top. RsyOnd
them 10 the eastward are the dreaded
mkpka Uhtah NTH faw ma.l.~