The southern sentinel. (Winnfield, La.) 1883-1910, 1905-01-12


Four of the i've puppy seals that re-
Gently arrived at the New York aquarium
are dead, says the New York Times. and
the authorities there are trying to dis'
cover some means to save the life OF the
lone little fellow that remains. When
the seals reached the aquarium they
were apparently in the best OF health
and SO far as outward appearances went
were about the liveliest set CT little sea
dogs that New York's famous home for
captive ocean creatures ever possessed.
They were quick TO catch on to the varl-
Gus tricks that seals are apt at learning.
In less than ten days the little fellows
knew as we'll as anyone when feeding
time came and the greeting that they
gave their keeper as he appeared at the
side of their tank with his buckettul OF
cut fish was one of the sights OF the
aquarium.
The death of the last four little seals
makes the death list Of these smart AMI
mails in the aquarium a very long one.
Several years ago the big West Indian
seal that was known far and wide as
Big No. l was taken suddenly i'll ana
soon afterward succumbed to what an
autopsy showed was bronchial pneu-
monia. The death of Big No. left as
the principal attraction in the aquarium
Nellie, who in point of intellect and
popularity with the general public, es-
pecially the children, was easily the
most loved seal that ever swan the big
tanks.
Nellie knew Mr. De Nyse and Mr..
Spencer as well as those mems own
families did and according to many OF
the attaches of the aquarium, there
were at least hundred little children
in New York all of whom she knew and
always recognized when they visited the
aquarium.
For several years Nellie lived. Then
one winter day she began to sulk and no
longer responded to the greeting of her
little friends. A week later she was
dead and again an autopsy proved that
she, too, was a victim of the deadly
bronchial pneumonia. Two little seals
soon took Nellie's place in the big tank.
They lived a month or so and then they
died and again it was the same disease
that had killed their predecessors. Since
that time new seals have arrived from
time to time, but the best efforts have
not availed to save their lives.
About two months ago five puppy
seals arrived at the aquarium. They
were all placed in single big tank in
the northwestern end of the aquarium.
Soon they became. as all the other seals
before them had been. the NEST popular
attraction in the place. A month ago
one of the little puppies was taken i'll.
Mr.. De Nyse knew at once what the mat
ter was and the little fellow was prompt
ly removed to the aquarium hospital.
A day or two before he died another
baby seal was brought into the hospital
and hardly had this second one passed
away when two of the three that were
left.were placed in the sick tank. They
lived a week and then one day both of
them died. The seal that still remains
appears to be in good health, but close
watch is kept over him all the time. for
the authorities realize that, like his
brothers and sisters, he is likely at any
moment to fall victim to the malady
that killed OF the Others.
Seals require more attention on ac-
count of their susceptibility to disease
than any other animals. but on account
of their popularity II is necessary that q
number of them shall always If possible
be kept On exhibition. Mr. De Nyse, who
has charge of the saltwater animals.
said the other day:
Il have to admit that the problem 10
mighty tough one. Some time ago We
thought that if we secured young pup
pies they might become acclimated and
escape the fate that seems to be destined
for all grown seals in captivity. The
result of the experiment, however, has
proved failure. We have Investigated
the question and find that the fate OF
seals in captivity everywhere is prac-
tically the same. To find a preventive
for this bronchial pneumonia is now our
task. And the task is hard one, too"