The Bennington evening banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 19??-1961, 1916-09-13

FIRST VERMoNTER HAS A zoo
Y. M. c. A. Leader Tells Of interest
ing Collection Already Made.

NY OOllCStiOH NlECauJ
Henry H. Chapman. who is in
charge of the Y. NJ. C. A. building of
the First Vermont Infantry at Eagle
Pass. Tex, writes to The Middlebury
Register as follows:
ITO the Editor of The Register:
Il think that the readers OF The
Register would be interested in an ac-
count of the small zoo we are main
tanning. 1t affords much amusement
to the men, and is interesting from the
scientific point of view. 1t comprises
quite a variety of animals: | doubt if
even Barnum & Bailey could show
anything just like it.
"The nucleus of this unparalleled
collection of live stock was a horned
toad which was brought in one day
and given to Mr. Brown. 1t was small
er than some OF the garden toads that
we have at home, and about as hand
some as a Chinese idol, but perfectly
harmless. A few days afterward a
small desert turtle was brought in,
and Mr.. Brown made small cage for
the two. 1t wasn't long before the
men began to bring in all the speci-
mems that they could lay hands on,
and Mr. Brown had to build larger
cage. One day the chaplain came in
with a bundle in his hand, and said,
Colonel Reeves presents his compli-
| ments, and sends you another horned
toad We had three already, but this
was the largest we had seen, larger
than any Of our garden toads. and
twice as homely. They are found in
all sizes, from one that you could
cover with a twenty-five cent piece, to
| one as large or larger than bull
frot.
after some time gopher or ground
| squirrel was added to our mob of
| turtles and horned toads, and then the
men had something really interesting
and amusing to look at. | was de-
| light to watch him dart around the
| cage, or sit up and eat the mesquite
beans and bread which we fed him.
holding them in his paws, and comb
ing his whiskers after each meal. A
few days ago another gopher was
| brought in, and the two are pretty
good chums.
| I'VE. did have large crayiish which
was caught in a pond not far from the
camp, but it didn't last long in cap
tiyity. We also had fine large cen
| tipede which we put in the small cake
| which Mr. Brown first made. We
thought that it couldn't possibly get
| out. but the next morning it was gone.
However, there was inc in a ditch
outside the building which looked ex-
actly like the first one. We put 1t in
a box but il also got away. and we
haven't seen it since. We hsye a dead
one which one of the officers pinned
TO a stick after taking ii to the hos
pital and having 1t chloroiormed. I
will not describe it in detail as there
is nothing In the appearance of the
creature to appeal to ones sense OF
the beautiful. 1t is enough to say that
the color scheme is red black and
yellow. and that they are much
larger than the little brown centipe-
des we sometimes see in Vermont |
wouldn't recommend them as pets for
children.
Besides the other animals that |
have mentioned we have a small rab-
bit, young sparrow and hound
with litter OF seven pups; not all in
the same cage, by the way. The pup
pies are in corner OF the office, and
the rabbit and the bird are in the
On the best of terms. The bird will
perch on Mr.. Browns finger and eat
from his hand.
This afternoon there was a figh,
between one of the gophers and a
horned toad. This particular toad
had vicious disposition. and when
ever one CT the gophers came near, II
would make dash at the gopher
though It couldn't possible do any
damage. This happened several times
in the past, and today the gopher got
his fighting blood up. won't tel
what he did to the toad, had tC
take the latter outside and put an enc
to its sufferings.
"The turtles have orange and biacl
shells which would be quite ornamen
al II they were cleaned and polished
, ! think that they are of the variety
known as the box turtle. They Ger
tainly are not mud.turtles. for the!
prefer dry land to water.
81 presume that by the time this Il
published Chaplain Thomas will b,
, back in Middlebury. The regiment
, will miss him sCrely.
Henry II. Chapman.
, Eagle Pass. Tex. Aug %. 1916"
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