Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-09-27
BOUGHT FOR zoo PARK
COLLECTION OF RARE ANIMALS
IN QUARANTINE.
DR.. Cecil French's Experience While
Making Purchases-Gorilla
Dies at Sea.

DR. Cecil French of this city, who spent
considerable time the past summer in Eu-
rope purchasing animals for the Washing
ton and New York geological parks, and
who has just returned was interviewed to-
day by a Star reporter. He said he brought
from the old world for the Washington zoo
some rare animals. including Burrhel
sheep. two moufftcn, one Thar goat, Ba-
rasingha deer and one nylgau. These In
teresting specimens are in quarantine out
side of New York and will not reach the
Geological Park for about fifteen days.
For the New York zoo DR.. French pur-
chased 100 rare pheasants and European
cartridges Egyptian fiam.ngoes, black
alpaca goat, rare reptiles and queer lit
tie Manchu-ian pigmy deer This cute an
fmal Is but two feet high, and Is sometimes
termed the TOY deer
While DR.. French was in London making
lyn arrived with HIS large collection of
African animals from the French Congo. as
described in The Star yesterday. Just as
soon as Dr. French heard there was a live
director of the New York Geological Park
and received a prompt response to pur-
chase the gorilla for $1,000.
Il bought the animal" said Dr. French,
"and was then confronted by the problem
of how to transport it to New York This
gorilla was mcst delicate animal. and
as none of this particular species has ever
lived more than a couple of months in cap
tivity, and none had ever crossed the At
lantic, the authorities OF the New York zoo
realized the great risk they were running
to get the big animal 10 the metropolis
They were, however, wiling to take the
risk. and l had a special cage constructed
in which the gorilla was conveyed to the
Hamburg-American steamship Graf Wall
dersee. A second-class cabin on the steam
Ell was reserved for the animal and q stew
ard appointed to attend to its needs
Gorilla's Food Supply.
DR.. French added that he purchased a
food supply for the gorilla. consisting of
dollhouse grapes, pineapples, bananas and
other things to tempt it's appetite. The
first day or two out the animal ate very
well. and the hopes of DIR. French and the
other passengers were raised that the go
rilla would be landed safely.
But on the fourth day at sea the waters
became rough and the skies stormy and
the gorilla became morose and refused to
eat. On the seventh day It died In fit
of seasckness, to the grief of everybody on
board. The body was preserved, and has
been sent to the Museum of Natural His
tory at New York.
in its actions" said DIR. French. 1.-THE
gorilla was much like bashful woman.
The animal was a female, and as black as
congo negro Like an abashed school
girl, 1t would cover its face with its two
hands, and, opening them slightly, peer at
bashfulness. The gorilla stood five feet
nigh. and its arm was larger than that of
OF the average man.
DIR. French also brought over with him
from Germany small herd of mich goats
for his own purposes. These animals he
said, are in demand by physicians in this
country, owing to the purity and health
1uiness OF their milk for children.