The commonwealth. (Greenwood, Miss.) 1896-1923, 1905-05-26
IMPORT MANY WILD PETS.
People Of This Country Pay High
Duty on Animals for Zoolog-
ical Collections.

II you want TO bring a wild beast into
the United States for a pet or playthiny
you will have to pay duty on him--20
per cent. Of his value, says the Chicago
Record-Herald. If you need him for SCI
entif1c purposes or for educational uses
or intend to present him to a museum
or a zoo, duty is not charged. You can
get a full grown elephant for 1880,
an Old one or a very young one for
10000, and the duty upon that kind Of
an animal would be about 81 600 more.
Royal Bengal tigers, man eaters, fierce
and full grown, can be bought for 5000
or $500 in various parts OF India. The
maharajah of Jevpore, who catches a
good many on his preserves with traps,
gives them away to his friends, and last
year expressed a desire to send one to
President Roosevelt as a souvenir. But
if you buy them at Hamburg or Colom-
bo, which are the centers of the wild
beast trade, they will cost you $1,000 or
$1,000, and the duty on them a fifth
more, A ~rhinoceros is an expensive
beast, usually costing more than an ele-
plant, because it is hard to catch, hard
er to take care Of and more sensitive
TO disease and exposure. Most of the
rhinoceroses come from the tributaries
of the upper Nile.
Last year the importations of wild an
imals into the United States we're val
ued at s121, 039, of which $23,519 was for
scientific and educational purposes, and
paid no duty, $19,58O in duties being col.
lected on the rest, which were imported
by circuses and private menageries. In
1903 the wild beasts imported were val
ued at $147,544, of which $50. 500 was
for private purposes and paid $3.50 in
duties.
The government of the United States
occasionally imports q wild beast for
the ZOO at Washington, which is under
the Smithsonian institution, but most
of the animals there have been present
ed. But Uncle Sam, through the agri-
cultural department, imports immense
quantities of bugs, and some very queer
ones. One particular kind of bug i'm
ported by the United States from Aus
tralia has earned SIS, 000, 900 or $6,000,-
600 every year for Is years and has
never received any wages. Another
bug, imported from Russia, saved the
farmers of Ohio and Indiana at least
$45, 600, 900 in the year 1900, and the
wheat growers at large more than $780,
900, 900 a year for the last ten years.
The government imports two kinds
of bugs. First, parasites and natural
enemies of other insects that injurs
grain, fruits and vegetables; and, Sec
ond, insects that are useful because OF
their products or their beneficial rela.
lions to cultivated plants.
In the first class are perhaps 1000 spe-
cies, but only a few Of them have been
of notable value. When | ASKED c. l..
Marlatt, the entomologist of the agri-
cultural department, who is in charge
of the experimental field work, which
foreign bug has been the most useful to
the people Of the United States, he
thought awhile and then expressed the
opinion that the parasite introduced
from Russia to drive out the Hessian
fly probably had accomplished the most
good, although the Australian lady bird
had been exceedingly useful.