Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1910-01-16
<~ - AVE you seen the seals fed
~ at the Zoo?'
And, oh, the bears
These somewhat enthu-

And, oh, the bears.
These somewhat enthu-
siastic CALCULATIONS were
not. as might be supposed, uttered ny
youngsters. They were the inquiries OF
full-grown woman of a visitor to
Washington. And she added: WELL
then, I must take YOU to see what is
the most spectacular thing in this city.
There are quite a number of people
in Washington, too, who would thorough
ly coincide in the opinion expressed In
the latter remark. 1t is truly signt
to see the great Alaskan peninsula bear
he tips the scales at nearly Loco pounds
standing upright. and suggesting Kip
ling's Bear That Walks Like a Man.
the while he utters weird and plaintlve
sounds as he realizes that dinner time
has come and the keeper with the pro-
vender is on the way.
Enthusiastic spectators follow all the
stages Of the bear feeding, and the Dig
fellows antics are especially the OBJECT
| of amusement. Like gigantic emDoo1-
ment of an animal infant, he begs ana
whines. standing all the time upon MS
| hind legs. quite upright, his mammoth
body webbing and sagging. his fore
| limbs that, with their formidable claws.
would rip the body Of an elephant or a
rhinoceros, begging and waving piteously.
AS tle keeper Win the baskets VI looo
| hea.ves in sight. the great fellows an
| tics become truly frantic. His cries and
actions are outrageous. And all for
big loaf of specially prepared graham
bread that, large as it Is when compared
| with the average similar article for hui
| man consumption, seems nevertheless
| woefully inadequate in relation to the
monStrous creature which 1t is intended
(. to nourish. Yet, a thoroughly well nour-
4! ished animal is the Alaskan peninsula
contours and sleek and beautiful fur of
| a golden brown color. With a prodigious
grunt of satisfaction he clutches and
| hugs the brown loaf Of bread and scamp
| erS off with it to his den, to dispose of 1t
| at his leisure.
| This big Alaskan bear is probably the
most voracfous creature In the Zoo
That is saying a good deal. too. and he
is closely rivaled by his fellow-bears in
the circular row of dens overlooking the
seal pond. But the other bears lack the
imposing bulk of the peninsula. and even
| the grizzly is way behind as star per-
| former. The polar bears-they have been
named by a waggish keeper of late
''Peary and Cook"-are the only ones of
the bruin tribe that are given meat, and
| they regale themselves on huge beef
! steaks while their confreres are fed, like
Twice day the bears are fed, at 8
o'clock in the morning and In the
afternoon. and even at the former hour.
and during this winter season. persons
come out to see the performance.
| After the bears are fed, the seals come
in for their rejection. DIR. Baker. super
intendent of the Zoo. is especially proud
of the scenic effect achieved in the seal
pond. nesting as 1t does in its little val
ley and rejecting in its green water the
trees on the thickly wooded embankment
| above. To be sure, as the superintendent
| acknowledges. the environment Is not
exactly that of the seals and the seal
| lions in their native habitat. which Is,
of course, the open sea, or the shores
thereof. This circumstance. however.
does not seem to affect the spirits of the
| occupants of the pond, particularly the
lively and noisy northern sea Ion. who
| disports- himself joyously all day long
with his quiet little companion. who, as
one OF the keepers remarked never says
a word.' while Mrs. California Sea Lion
sails about with more dignity and de-
corum The seals by the way, although
| the pond is named after them, are rarely
seen and never heard. They are a re-
markable quiet family, and, like the adj
miral in "Pinafore.' usually go be-
| low
| Upon the rocky eninence at one end OF
the pond the keeper. with the food-a
quantity of fish OF moderate size-takes
| his stand. And before this the strangely
named lions have displayed just as
much peckishness and eagerness for their
| food as have the hears. The noisy one
| has greeted the appearance of the man
with the basket with ringing barks, and
his two companions have lifted their
queer bodies half out of the water In
! their eagerness. AS soon the keeper
stations himself upon the rocks, the crea-
| tures-tWo of them at least. for Mrs.
| California Sea Lion is too demure for
the feat-proceed to wrggle themselves
! toward him. climbing the steep with
really remarkable agility with the aid of
| their finlike rudimentary fore limbs. These
| two "lons.'' which are, by the way.
about the liveiiest and most intelligent
animals i'm the whole Zoo, despite their
| aquatic bodies. would evidently prefer to
| take their food direct from the keeper s
! hand, but the latter individual has A
| proper regard for the requirements of
! Mrs California Sea Lion. who keeps In
| the off1ng. and filings a goodly proportion
| of the fish in her direction. Then it is
| a spectacle to witness those two vora-
cious creatures of the deep f1inging them
| selves off the rocks in mad attempt to
| catch the far-f1ung fish. And sometimes
| they do catch At on the fly with dexterity
that would put the most expert base ball
| fielder to shame. The average observer,
beholding a sea lion for the first time.
| would probably pronounce 1t the most