The Washington times., 1907-02-26
TAMENEss OF WILD ANIMALS.

Several years ago some residents on
one Of the Channel Islands Of southern
California introduced a number OF black
tailed deer. which are protected to such
IN extent that in time they discovered
that they were privileged characters and
assumed nearly the absolute contempt
for human beings being held by the
sacred bulls OF India, that crowd men
and women from the road. They persist
ed in entering gardens day and night,
destroying the plants. and finally to
locate them the dwellers on the island
had bells fastened 10 them. One buck
made his home near the town Of Ca
brilIo. and walked about the place and
over the hills with the freedom of
dog. When a boat landed off the pier
the buck ran down to greet the new
comers and share their lunch, and be-
came q welcome guest at the barbeques
and lobster ard clam bakes.
Nearly all animal life is protected at
this island. l have counted half a
hundred bald eagles in an elevcn-mile
run, have seen them take a large fish
from the water within easy gUnshot, and
they build their nests on pinnacles that
are not difficult of approach The sea
fOcks a few feet from those who feed
them, in the winter hOcks of coromant
swim into the bays. and are so tame
that they merely dive when boat pass
es, and the fishermen often find that
the cOrmorants take off bait almost
as fast as they can put il on. GullS
dash at the bait. and / have seen long
winged birds resembling the petrol fol-
low my line under the 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 the
shrimp, paying no attention 10 ObserV-
ers phOtographing them.
The most remarkable Illustration Of
tameness is that CT the sealiOns. For
ages the animals have held possession
Of mass Of rock on the shore of the
islands few years ago many were
killed by vandals, but laws We're pass
ed, and for a number of years the
sellions have been protected and the
roOkery mas increased in size until a
split has recently occurred, and an
other settlement has been established
halfway up the islard-
It has been the custom for years for
fishermen in cleaning their fish to toss
the refuse into the bay. and the sea-
lions formed the habit Of coming down
( to the bay at this time to dine there
upon. At first only one or two came f.
now a band of two large bulls and
several females make their headquar-
ters at the bay or spend most Of their
time there, constituting Il valuable
sanitary corps, as they eat every frag-
ment of fish. the gulls joining in the
( feast. When not feeding. the sealions
/ pass their time lying within a few feet
Of the beach, sleeping or playing, the
I females and young leaping from the
water and going through various tricks
Z Of interest to the lOoker-On.
But a few feet away from the sea-
/ lions are the boatstands Of the fisher
men and bo8tmcn, and boats are moving
out and over the sealions constantly,
yet they are apparently obliviouS to the
men, who never molest hem This
/ has had a peculiar result. The enOr-
nous animals have become 50 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 / was upon the sands
when no sealiOns were in sight, and
upon asking q boatman where they
were he began to whistle, as though
calling for dog. ard TO call Here,
| Benz repeating the call several times,
whercupon out from among the an
chored boats appeared not only Ben,
but two large bull sealions. which must
have weighed half ton. followed by
two or three smaller females.-Scientihc
American.