Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1906-08-24
TAMENEss OF WILD ANIMALS.
Wonderful Instances Of It From al
Island Where Life is Protected.

From the Scientific American.
That wild animals become extremely
tame is well known. The wild quail Of
southern California will enter gardens and
nest there, and in the protected season l
have seen a flock stand in a country road.
a jaunty male between them and my horse,
not twenty feet away, moving only when
moved, and then with reluctance.
Several years ago some residents on one
of the channel islands of southern Cali
fornia introduced a numbe of black-tailed
deer. which were protected. to such an ex-
tent that in time they discovered that they
were privileged characters and assumed
nearly the absolute contempt for human
beings held by the sacred bulls Of India,
that crowd men and women from the road.
They persisted in entering gardens, day
and night destroying the plants. and finally
to locate them the jewellers on the island
had bells fastened to them. One buck
made his home near the town of Cabrillo
hills with the freedom of a dog. When a
boat landed off the pier the buck ran down
to greet the newcomers and share their
lunch and became welcome guest at par
becues and lobster and clambakes
Nearly all animal life Is protected at this
island. have counted half hundred bald
eagles in an eleven-mile run. have seen
them take a large fish from the water
e,
nests on pinnacles that are not difficult or
approach. The sea birds are equally tame
Gulls gather in nocks few feet from those
who feed them; in the winter f1ccks OF cor
morants swim into the bays and are so
tame that they merely divide when boat
passes, and fishermen often find that the
cormorants take off bait almost as fast as
they can put 1t on. Gulls dash at bait. ana
I have seen long-winged bird resembling
the petrol follow my line under water at
a cast using its wings to fly along and
take the bait, and at times scores OF sea
birds are seen inshore feeding upon small
shrimps. paying no attention to observers
photographing them.
The most remarkable illustration of tame
ness to be seen here is that Of the sea
lions. For ages the animals have held pos.
session OF a mass of rock on the shore OF
the islands. A few years ago many were
killed by yandals, but laws were passed
and for number of years the sea Hohs
have been protected and the rookery mas
increased in size until split has recently
occurred and another settlement has oeeh
established halfway up the island
It has been the custom for years Tor nsh-
ermen in cleaning their fish to toss the
refuse into the bay, and the sea lions lorm-
ed the habit of coming down to the pay
at this time to dine thereupon. At first
only one or two came: now band OF Two
large bulls and several females make tnelr s
Headquarters at the bay or spend most OF
their time there constituting aet sHsrS ,rsrment
Of fish, the gulls joining in the feast Wnen
not feeding, the sea lions pass the time
lying within few feet OF the oeacn. Sleep
ing or playing, the females and young
ieaping from the water and going through
various tricks of interest to the looker-on:
But a few feet away from the sea Mons
are the boat stands of the hshermen anu
bcatmen, and boats are moving out ana
over the sea lions constantly. yet they are
apparently oblivious to the men, VINO never
modest them. This has had a peculiar re-
suit The enormous animals have become
so tame that they almost allow the men 10
touch them, and readily come out upon
the shore to feed from their hands. II SO
happened that I was upon the sands wnen
no sea lions were in sight, and upon asking
a boatman where they were he oegan 10
to call ..Here. Benz" repeating the call sew
eral times, whereupon out from among tne
anchored boats appeared not only Ben; Dus
two large bull sea lions. which must nave
weighed half a ton. followed by two or
three smaller females.