Los Angeles herald., 1906-11-11
by DWIGHT BURR0UGHs

BY DWIGHT BURROUGHS
TN this glorious old land of the free
and the home of the brave, where
millions of pieces of mail go through
the postal service annually. 1T is a
most uncommon thing to see an animal
of any kind--other than man--depicted
on the postage stamps. Persons who
have enjoyed the privilege of handing
Uncle Sam money are authority Ior
the statement that the eagle is en-
blazoned on some silver coins. while
the buffalo or bison is on some paper
denominations. Be that as it may, SUCH
of the postage stamps as at this time
fall in the way of the masses OF the
people for payment of mail tolls are
without representations of birds, or
beasts or creeping things In the
northwest corner of the postal caro-
there is inscribed an eagle, but 1t is
purely an allegorical figure, for, with
all due respect, there is some question
whether there can be found under the
blue vault of heaven any member OF
the feathered tribe that can at one ana
the same time execute quite as many
feats of intelligence as are presented
by this versatile creature.
1t will be surprising to many, how
ever, to learn what a long list OF DUMP
creatures are portrayed in lifelike rep
reSe1ltaClOn Oh poStdSc St"hiPS =,
this, too, exclusive of the mythical
and conventional characters such as
the dragon of China, the sea horse OF
Barbados, the mermaid of Portugal,
the sphinx OF Egypt, the double-headed
eagle of Austria, and dozen others
| forming a class to themselves. The
writer recently saw COLLECTION con-
tanning so different quadrupeds ana the
collector explained that his particular
hobby was to gather animal stamps
which had served as mail carriers ana
arrange them in a little album which
he designated as his menagerle.
Here he had everything from the ante
Iope of Rhodesia to the zebu OF NADIA
gascar, and from the auroehs OF Rou"
mania to the peculiar duck-bill pla-
typus of Tasmania.
II annears that the popularity of
stamp ZOOS is due to the fact that the
little letter carriers of the beast, bird
and reptile class are as easily OBTAIN
able as they are pretty and interest
ing. -. a..
Looking about us on our visit TO the
stamp zoo we are attracted by an IN
scription "Guyane Franchise above
strange looking creature. This is the
anteater from French Guiana, on the
northern coast of South America. 1t
Is also sometimes referred to as the
ant bear. The French Guiana ant
eater stamps were printed III lSOp ana
are in six denominations, all dluer-
emily colored. so that you may ada 10
your zoo a "myrmecophaga -Junata III
either black, blue, red-brown, green,
rose or violet.
There is not a single lioness in the
stamp zoo, but there are several nons'
Nowhere does he look more imposing
and majestic than on the 1908 stamps
of Paraguay, which is rather surprls-
that either Africa or Asia would con-
tribute a more lionly lion than South
| America The Paraguayan lion may
| be had in anything from an orange
brown to a yellow green, from Vef-
million to blue.
Baby animals are always interesting
and for that reason a group In an
other corner of the zoo must attract
attention. 1t is composed of baby
camel standing at the side or lts
mother. The stamp Is from Nyassa,
Portuguese coleny in Africa, and is
companion piece to another interesting
exhibit in the menagerie, the glrafte,
The two stamps are OF the same set
and We're issued In 1901. The giraffe
holds sway on all from the 21a reis up
| to and including the so reis. baby
camel ana it's mother appear on the 20
reis and remain in evidence until tne
end of the set Is reached with the SUO
rels. Obock, the French possession In
Africa, has some pretty triangular
stamps showing the camel The
| Obock camel is Of the two-hump drome-
dary type. but, as will be testified to
| by any we'll informed naturalist, is
not of distinct type.
In proximity to the camels the zoo
visitor naturally finds his genial high
ness, the elephant. There are African,
Asiatic and white elephants In the
A ,1.a,,r Tl,a A f,.ica,, ia q fina fell
low from the Congo Free State, who,
however, appears to be In desperate
straits, as he Is closely beset by naked
natives poising dangerous-looking
spears. This stamp Is In two colors.
| the black center being framed In lilac
in the issue Of 1894 and IN rose or car
mine in the issue of 1901, II is IN but
one denomination--1 franc. The Ash
attic elephant is pictured on q group OF
stamps of the Federated Malay States,
each stamp showing several OF the
pachydermE.
The white elephant Is exhibited by
the Nanking CChina) local post. There
are two OF the curious animals ana
they stand eyeing each other solemnly,
while outside Of the oblong panel on
which they are presented two ferocious
dragons are raging like Wild. The
stamps TO which they belong are rated
high artistlcally and for this reason
and because Of their iuexpensiveness
are popular.
The zoo might have drawn from two
or more sources for its specimens OF
the tiger. but selected the Malay
States The tiger Is shown IN full
form, springing from his lair. The
stamp 10 printed with its center differ
ing Ia color from the surrounding I'M
scription and frame, and is to be had
in various combinations and many de-
nominations.
OF the monkey family an exhibit il