The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1907-09-10
AQUARIUM's SEA COW.
1t Has Broken the Captivity Record
and Hasn't Missed Il Meal.


and Hasn't Missed q Meal
The sea COW now at the Aquarium
has been kept alive in captivity longer
than anv other animal of its Speciei
ever exhibited here The previous re-
cord for sea cows was then ten
months and eleven days; this sea COW
months. having been received on Sep
TENDER ,. 1906. and 1t is still ia ex-
cellent condition.
It has never missed a meal since
the day of its arrival except on two
occasions when for brief periods food
was denied it for its own good 1t
eats about half a bushel of green stuff
daily; supplied to it in two meals. one
at a. m. and the other at 2. m.
Eel grass is what il eats principal
". but II eats also ulva. or sea lettuce
and romaine and carrot tops 1t likes
eel grass best of all, but il is very
fond of lettuce; give il all the lettuce il
would eat and it would kill itself by
overeating. just as a land COW might
kill itself by overeating If il got into a
cabbage patch.
The various green things grown on
the land that are fed to il constitute
winter when eel grass is unattainabIe
on account of ice: eel grass is the
staple of its food in summer 1t might
seem that il would be rather expensive
Florida lettuce and Boston lettuce
grown at that season under glass, but
as matter of fact it is not
The lettuce thus fed is the trim
mings the ranker outside leaves cut
away by the wholesale produce dealers
TO give the heads a sightlier appear
ance for the market. which trim
mings the Aquarium buys for so cents
a bushel. 50 that to feed the sea COW
on lettuce or celery in winter costs
really only 25 cents day.
The marine farmer. who keeps the
sea COW supplied with eel grass in
summer has this season SO far moved
an area of four acres in a spot on
the shores of Gravesend Bay; like the
land farmer. he uses a SCEthe in his
moving. but unlike the land farmer
he swings his scythe under water do
ing his moving at low tide, when the
depth of water on the grass is least
The eel grass grows in a season to
be four or five feet in length, the tops
of IL 20 be seen undulating. with tine
movement of the water over it. when
the tide is high: equally familiar is
the sight of it as it all lies low and
all one way. when the tide is low.
and it is at that stage of the tide that
the marine farmer gathers so much
of the crop as may be required for
tn sea COW : needs.
Before the present in cutting eel
grass for the sea COW. il has been
cut down TO the roots. but this sea
son in moving over a space. about
four inches OF the grass has been
left standing. In the course of two
OF three weeks the grass thus left
standing adds five or six inches to its
length by growth. and then this space
is cut over. down 10 the roots for
second crop. this secOnd-crop grass
being found better and tenderer-
When the sea COW was first brought
here from Florida waters. in which 1t
was taken it had in the upper part of
IL Of g
tail a deep wound with an opening
about three-Quarters of an inch one
way by one-0uarter of an inch the
other wound such as might be made
by spear head. and which was per-
haps inflicted upon the sea COW in an
attempt to capture it For six months
this wound was treated daily with an
antiseptic solution. il has since oeen
dressed every other day with an an
tiseptic powder: these treatments be-
ing given when the pool is drawn
clear of water 10 be cleaned and the
sea COW is lying on the pools floor
At first the sea COW tapped its tail
with pain when the treatment was ap-
piled. but now IL takes IT very kindly
Twice the wound has closed and pus
formed in il. each time TO be lanced
and cleaned and the treatment resm-
ed.
It might seem that it would be diff
fcult or impossible to keep a powder
dry within a wound uDon an animal
that for so much of the time remains
submerged in water. but this is &C
cOmpIished easily. The powder is
placed in the wound on cotton. the
orifice of the wound being then plug
ged with cneesecloth. this making
plug that proves perfectly efficient
When at the end of the second day.
as now the dressing is renewed. dry
powder is found on the dressing re-
moved Originally this wound in the
sea COW was five and half inches in
depth: but now It has healed to with
in about an inch of the surface. and
there appears no reason to doubt that
- v-itI in due time be healed COM
pletely-
So this sea COW. which has now
broken the record. is getting along in
every way very nicely II Is certainly
as well cared for and as comfortable
mere as ary sea COW could be anywhere
in captivity.-New York Sun