New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1911-06-04
The Socially Inclined Enjoy It
Because Now They En-.
terrain Crowds on
Every Bright Day.

He will gather his long arms fun OK
straw and grab the edge OF the shell win
one hand. The edge is smooth. and before
he can climb up he slips back and taiis
with a heavy thump on the straw covered
floor. Then he will sit for minute, scratch
his head and gaze from the straw TO the
coveted top shelf. His face looks thou-
sand years old, and is as grave as Mr.. OAR
wins must have been when he was hatch
ing out his famous theory.
Badly refuses TO throw up the sponge.
1t probably will be better for him II MS
ambition is never accomplished. After he
gets that armful of straw into the upper
berth he won't have anything to live for.
one of the things that impress one
most among the attendants at the zoo Is
their LOYALTY to their own departments.
The man who works with the snakes mas
the idea firmly set in his head that his
pets are about as clever as those of any
other building in the Zoo. The keeper who
takes care of the birds can't see why the
entire crowd doesn't hang around his place
all the time. The elephant man doesn't
have much respect for the monkey house,
and the monkey house man wouldn't work
IN any OtLleT department IL aii'J
double his money.
Have you anything particularly inter-
esting in here?" a visitor inquired ~ SAM
uel Stacy, headkeeper of the bird house.
Have I anything particularly Interest,"
ingr' Stacy repeated Indignantly. Every
thing | have here is particularly interest,"
ing Come along and III prove IT"
, Before they had crossed the room Mr..
Stacy pointed out one of the regulars"
/ He was a little old man. with spectacles
| and face that seemed sour. lie was
peering through the cage where the shore
birds are kept Suddenly the face lit UP
and lost it's sourness. He puckered his
thin lips and gave a queer, haunting call.
A small brown striped bird. that was in
dustriously scratching in the sand. raised
its head and answered the old mans call
with one. Just like it. The old man was
immensely tickled.
He'll be happy for a week now" Stacy
said He comes here every few days. L
| don't know who he IS or what he does. L
don't believe he ever enters any of the
other Zoo houses. lie is bird bug
Past great cages of screaming parrots we
walked. Before these cages were groups
Of women asking the parrots over and over
| again whether or not they would like 10
have crackers. You cannot expect a parro5
TO develop much originality when that is
about the only question persons ever ask
him.
See that boy?" asked Stacy. indicating
n bird with a dark blue coat OF velvetllke
| feathers That's the Australian satin
bower bird We had pair of them but
4 ~ oxa
much interest in things now. They get
! their name from the habit they have u
making bowers in which to play with their
mates They place sticks in the ground in
row and with the tops pointing toward
each other. The male then gathers pieces
or bridge pebbles and stones and decorateS
the bower with them. When this is fixed
the two birds dance and waltz in and out
among the stakes. 1t sounds like pipe
but these used to do it right here in the
bird house before the female died"
Another one of his favorites is Milliner.
the largest of the Zoos pelcans. Milner
has found way of amusing himself by a
sort OF harmless duck hunt. He will carch
one OF the teal ducks which are IN the
same cage with him. and snap the small
or bird up in the pouch beneath his bill.
In moment he opens his big yellow beak.
and the teal flies out unframed. And Mil
liner stretches his beak in a yard-long grin
after each of these catches
The prize actor OF the whole collection IL
the secretary bird. These are the snake
killers-the white hopes of the bird race.
ANY snake that gets into the ring with
these birds might as well say good0y 10 his
family and have his Will drawn at once.
The secretary birds claim Africa as their
home address They are about three feet
tall. and have long legs covered with PACK
feathers down to the knee II makes them
look as though they were wearing snort
trousers. They get their name from tho
feathers that stick out from their neads'
giving them the appearance OF having
writing quilts stuck behind their ears.
They eat snakes and rats and such UNI
nleasant things. Every now ana theh
Continued OF seventh page.