Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-08-31


ton, indeed has witnessed so
great increase OF popular
interest in wild animals that,
when Young bison kills his father Massachusetts
paddock, mother giraffe in European park spurns
her offspring the press of all Chr1stendom records the
fact among the notable happenings of the day. Doubt
less for the change is the establishment in so
many cities of public ZOOS where children can spend
part every holiday feeding peanuts to the elephant
and Easter Monday in tossing their gaily coored eggs
to the hippopotamus and watching him catch them in
his mouth.
Large and small, there a couple of hundred
geological collections existence, the United States
containing more than any other country Most of
maintained by the cities in which they situated
by private societies. but the National Geological
Park at Washington D. c. is the property OF the whole
nation and all federal officers stationed in the wilder
parts of the United States and at outof for
eign posts expected to procure specimens for It,
The way most of American have been started
Is interesting Somebody into possession of an
owl eagle, bear deer, which tor time he en-
joys keeping and showing to his friends but after its
novelty has passed and it's has become burden
he looks for take it off his hands AS last
he presents to the town in which he lives, where
it is kept awhile at the public library or in some little
park. His example others similarly troubled to
do the thing and thus by degrees the collection
grows until it has to be provided with regular accomo
dations suited to its needs Its maintenance may be by
private contribution endowment or by taxation, or
by charging trihing admission fee Often ANIMALS
whose value them for sentimental reasons are
sent to public SO that the whole community may
enjoy them, although no title passes
For number of years too 1t was the practice OF trav
cling menagees deposit their animals during the idle
winter in the custody of some well equipped pub
lie zoo which would them in good condition in
the spring. This arrangement has fallen largely into
disuse, however, since the public have to be
managed a more businesske plan and are generally
seeking quality rather than quantity In their collec-
TONS The managere animals besides being more liable
to infection with disease compare unfavoraby with
animals owing to the unnatural life they forced to
lead the road with their confinement in close cages
and in a dust-laden atmosphere, the nerve-rackng
noise and motion of the railroad trains the of
crowds close to Them and the wakefuness induced by
artificial lights and confusion when they ought to be at
Most of the ZOOS therefore, keep their supply OF
animals by going into the market regular purchasers
THERE is no standard scale of prices for the de-
= srable classes of wild animals A few concerns
carry trade in them, the way that dealers
buy and sell fancy dogs and certain like the late
Carl Hagenbeck exhibitors and trainers well
merchants. Besides these every becomes trader
when it has surplus of the minor animals The Ma
tional Geological Park for example, last year sent
Segment of to Toxic and received in return
fine specimens of Japanese ducks. In the more
important ANIMALS, however, purchase is the rule be-
tween Dr. Flower, superintendent of the garden
at Gizeh in Northern Egypt considerable dispenser
of specimens, being of the most fertile
sources of supply. A few years ago he published
pamphlet quoting the range Of prices paid the leading
for animals which has been very servceabe
guide to collectors not only in warning them of
what they must be prepared to pay, but sort of
check list to remind them of what they still lacking
The most costly of all wild animals exhibited in
is said to be the singlehorn Indian rnoceros which
brings anywhere from thousand to ten thousand