New-York tribune., 1901-05-26


elephants-I forget the actual number. Now
and then, just for the fun of the thing. he would
He had an old lion. too, that used To follow
him by day like dog. and sleep at the foot OK
his bed by night. until it took to licking his
face when he asleep. "A lions tongue is
as rough as a file. and scarcely to be endured
on the human hand. to say nothing of the hu-
man face
Young men inheriting fortunes frequently be-
gin to show their Independence by heavy pur-
chases in the animal world. and give flip to
prices. One such appeared some years back
with fancy for snakes. One afternoon about
this time | was having quiet cigar with jam
rach in the back room that serves for an office
lie was telling me of an extraordinary snake,
reported to be twenty feet long, that he had lost
through not going down to the docks as soon
as he had heard about it and purchasing IL
1t had been brought over for Jamraeh by the
captain of steamer from China; but. no Jam
rach appearing. the captain grew nervous with
il in his possession in the docks, and let it go
for f12. Foolish fellow exclaimed Jamrach,
IF he had waited just over night-fOr went
down next morning-Td have given him fio or
f.0 for it. The strange thing about IL, too is
that nobody knows where it has gone. ani it's
exactly a week to-day since it sold" Not
many minutes after he had thus spoken run
Eer burst i'm upon US MIR. Jamrach: ne cried
Certainly; ana III give you a coupe S, Cl sou
the eager runner; I'VE haven't minute to lose
OF they hurried in a cab | afterward learned
that the snake remarkable for size, and
proved to be the rare retculated python from
Java The lucky purchaser of 1T for RI had
been holding it for 800 Being man in a
small way, he got apprehensive. and began 10
fear the snake might die on his hands as the
t1uD did not come quickly as he had antic-
pated. so he had practically sold II fOr tfp 20
another dealer before Jamrach got there The
dealer coming that very night with the
money. Here my good man. is t4I, said jam
rach on hearing the price he had been offered,
and I'll take the snake away with me now
"All right sir; the snake is yours
KANGAROOs NOW UNsALABLE
There was a boom in kangaroos some years
ago. 1t will be remembered that boxing kan
SaroO exhibited in London at the Aquarium
1t drew such crowGs that every ether place OF
entertainment had Ia have its boxing kangaroo;
but kangarOos not to be had in such num-
bers. and some reSOTted 10 the clumsy eXpe'iient
of clothing man in kangaroo skin Even
SO. the demand remained unsatisfied, and cables
sent out To Australia u agents and the
/ captains of ships lying there To bring over as
many kangaroos they could find. Kansaroos
consequently which before practically Un-
saIahle bounded up 10 f1VD apiece; they
again unSalable. and are heard of only IN
connection with rather rich soup that IS ma e
out Of their tails.
y leading animal buyer in this country is the
Hon. Walter Rothschd. He is a keen nat
uraliSt. and buys everything that is specially
rare. The results 0f his observations and in
VestisatiOns he publishes from the TrlnS Zoo
l2sGai MuseGn @ IN ms jouFn ,vi,boDt t7
grams or letters between him and Jamrach. 1t
= the latter's habit, as soon as he lights on a
novelty. u send on = telegram u likely Gus
toner: and often an animal that has been trav-
ellirE for weeks will be sent on journey again
hour two after its arrival. and when it has
been seen h- all right. once "Carnivora' -
Jamyach'S tTuCu!ent Geographic addTeSS-wired
a client that ne had two lion cubs. just ar
rived. price tIO Would he send them? Back
came the reply: Don't want any live pups AT
any price" the first telegram having evidently
been mutiated. To return To Walter ROthS-
child. he has for some years been making Spe
CaI study Of the CaSSOwary, and the Christmas
before last brought book that bird.
magnifcently Illustrated with cOlOred plates.
Very little is known of CaSSOwareS; even
perts cannot always tell the male from the
female. ON one occasion Jamrach sold casso-
wary that all concerned regarded a male.
I customer this telegraphic message, Your male
I caSSOwary has laid egg" Again. there
only some four five species known to science.
Walter ROthschd has established the existence
of fifteen species This has involved enormous
OUTLAY which of science could
have borne. II entailed. To begin with the pur-
chasing of hundreds of live caSSowarieS. which
sometimes as much t1oo each. Then
these CaSSOwaries. which were young birds. had
Ia be kept until they came into color. the owner
knowing all the time that he should derive
profit from his outlay Previous students of the
CaSsOwary had To content themselves with the
study of the mere skins. and could command
only such skins good luck might place in
their way. Walter Rothschild. the other
hand. was able through Jamrach-whOse hearty
cooperation he recognized by presenting him
with copies of the elaborate book. which IS
ternatic search for CaSsOwaries: and the officers
of every ship that sailed from New-Ciuinea and
other hauntS of the bird knew that good prices
awaited them for every specimen they found
There is always a more less steady demand
from geological gardens animals. Even