Saturday news. (Watertown, S.D.) 19??-19??, 1915-01-14
SERMONETTE
Continued from Page u
Apes and ostriciics.

Apes and ostricitcs.
The apes such as the orang-outang,
chimpanzee. and gibbons occupy a
house of their own and are separat-
ed from the public by a glass screen
as they are subject to many Of the
diseases Of the human race.
Many ostriches are here. and 1t was
very amusing to see these great birds
taking exercise in the large pens in
the rear Of their house. Birds close.
ly related TO the ostrich r there
from South America. the emu from
Australia, the cass0wary from north,
east Australia, New Guinea and the
adjacent islands. and the XVI or ap
terix from New Zealand. Z
Birds and Sea Lions.
These birds differ from most others
in having a nat breasthone and a
tail with many bony joints. Perhaps
no animals in captivity are more In
teresting than seals and sea-lions.
Just before feeding time one of the
seaIions clambered up the rocks en-
the edge OF the pond. and waited until
he saw the keeper coming to give
them their dinner of fish. With a
glad cry he Owed into the water and
with his companions in close pursuit
swan across the pond and climbed
the opposite bank. Hither and thith-
er they dart through the water as the
fish are thrown to them. Quite often
they catch the fish before It strikes the
water. One big fellow labored up
the rocks after a fish that had been
thrown there on purpose to tempt
him in making the ascent. He always
waited until another fish was thrown
to him. Then, when he saw that the
next one was going to fall into the
pond, he sprang from the rock. catch
ing 1t before 1t reached the water.
Besides the common seal and sea-lion
there Is the elephant seal. q large, fat.
sluggish creature. too lazy TO give any
exhibition of his skill as a swimmer.
Wolves and Foxes.
In the dens Of the wolves and foxes
may be zee q good mary animals
which are near relatives of the dog.
The foxes are quite tame and yet they
seem rather distrnstful. The lion
house Is a very large structure, and
in 1t are all the large members of
the cat family. Shortly before feed
ing time the Hons and tigers grow
very uneasy and their roaring is
enough to strike terror ~ the stoutest
heart. They have both indoor and
outdoor cages, and when they are
given the freedom of these large en-.
closures they are quite q different
animal from those seen In a small
cage. In n cage were two leoparIs
one Of which raj Jet black. Besides
the Bengal tigers there were two fine
fellows from Siberia.
rho Rest,ssa Hyena.
would like to Tell you about the
many antelopes, but | can not aH my
letter II already rather long and
have several other things to tell you
about. The small birds house ia the
home Of many birds of paradise. IT
may surprise you to learn that these
beautiful birds are near allies Of the
crows.
To me one Of the most Interesting
beasts u the hyana. not that + admire
hin. but because he Ii. perhaps. the
most restless animal oil all when nj
captivity. The fioor Of ones den wea|
actually worn almost through where
he had passed ceaselesaly back and
forth before the Iron bars which shut
him An There are two varisties IN
exhibition. striped and spotted.
A whole volume could be written
shout the birds alone Tor there are
several thousands of them. The|
perchers. waders; swimmers andl
acratchers are all wen represented.
The large colony o. birds Of prey nj
cludes many eagles. eondors, buzz
xards, hawks and owls, count
ed thirty eagles. The most beauti-
ftl of these are the golden eagle aad
the harpy ssgle.