The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-09-04

WncU re 9utUb the bOOF OF inc Freshly
Roasted Nuts Ducks "A Jumpers:
Wolves as Catchers How BruIn Bess.
A visitor entered the deer house OF the
Central Park m~enagerie yesterday and
stopped in front of a stall occupied by a
handsome buck OF he axis family. The
animal caught the odor Of the roasted pea
nuts the visitor was munching and stuck
his muzzle through the bars for some.
He got one and then wanted more. The
visitor held a peanut high in the air, and
the keeper called out: up, Dick, and show
him how you can dance"
The mail crowd Of visitors that were
gathered about we're surprised to zee the
deer get up on his hind feet and move about
the stall in a rough imitation Of waltzing.
He held his head straight up in the air,
his nose reaching about eight feet from
the floor. His forefeet hung down, being
bent at the knees. He seemed to have
no trouble in maintaining the erect posi-
ton for a few moments while performing
his dance step.
DO many deer dance like that7' the
keeper vas asked.
He's the only one in the country that
can do it, 80 far as 1 know was the re-
Spouse.
There is only one waltzing deer in the
whole collection in the park and he is the first
member of his tribe that would consent to
do a stunt for the entertainment of visitors.
The keeper holds the opinion that he has
unusual intelligence for an animal Of his
kind and likes to make himself agreeable to
visitors for what there may be in it for him
self. You've got to ooax him in the right
way If you want to see him dance on two
feet. He won't waste his energy in showing
on his unique accomplishment il he can get
the desired food by just standing on all
fours at the bars.
The lure Of the wild IL a peanut in Central
Park. Hot, roasted ones that give OF an
enticing odor are best The wild creatures
will do almost anything short of breaking
their necks to get them" explained the
keeper.
The performing deer is five years old
and was born in the menagerie. His sire
Of the same name was a great fighter: this
one has too many friends among visitors
to think of fighting. After the perform
ance he comes to the bars for payment;
he doesn't propose TO give a free show.
Mindful OF what the keeper said about
the peanut lure, the visitor tried il on the
wild ducks that make their home on the
small lake in the lower part of the pond.
There's n numerous colony OF the trinity
built, blue winged mallards there. They
are shy enough when one is trying to get
within gunshOt of them at Great South
Bay. but it was easy TO coax a few Of them
from the water TO the edge Of the path in
the park. Then the keen sight of others
Jaw that feeding was going on and soon
there were a dozen or so stretching out
their necks for the delicacy. The visitor
wanted something unusual and held a
peanut higher than the longest neck could
reach. There we're three in the bunch
willing to jump for il. The peanut was
held higher and higher to see how high
these wild ducks could jump. They we're
good jumpers but couldn't always land
on their feet and got many a tumble. They
didn't seem TO mind il. however. under
the spell Of the peanut. Only one Of them
would use its wings in reaching the prize.