i aie Umversitj
PRICE, FIFTEEN CENTS.
V\A.V\N VKW^. V TO\\.V.
GUIDE TO THE GARDEN
OF THE
Zoological Society
OF PHILADELPHIA,
(fairmount park.)
BY ARTHUR ERWIN BROWN,
Member of the Academj' of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the American
Philosophical Society, &c.,
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE GARDEN.
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY!
OF PHILADELPHIA
Was incorporated in 1859. The Garden was first opened to
the public July 1st, 1874.
It has four different classes of members, viz.:—
1. Annual.—These pay five dollars a year and receive
one annual ticket of admission.
2. Life Members.—These pay fifty dollars upon election,'>
in lieu of all future dues. • Annual members may at any time
become Life Members upon the payment of forty-five dollars
additional.
3. Honorary Members are those who, in consequence of
liberality to the Society, or who, holding a distinguishec
position in science, are elected by the Board. ,
'
4. Corresponding Members are those who are interested
in the Society, living out of the city, and are of service to it
abroad.
Persons who wish to become members will please commu¬
nicate with the Secretary of the Society.
All members are admitted to the Garden during the time
it is open to the public, which is from 9 A. M. until sunset,
every day in the week, including Sunday.
PLAN
OF THE
Philadelphia Zoological Garden.
A. NORTHERN ENTRANCE.
B. SOUTHERN ENTRANCE.
C. EXIT GATES.
D. CARRIAGE SHEDS.
E. RETIRING ROOMS FOR MEN.
F. RETIRING ROOMS FOR WOMEN.
H. DRINKING FOUNTAINS.
1. CARNIVORA HOUSE,
3. MONKEY HOUSE.
4. BEAVER POND.
5. BEAR PITS.
6. EAGLE, HAWK, AND OWL CAGE.
7. ELEPHANT HOUSE.
8. SEAL PONDS.
9. PHEASANT ENCLOSURE.
1 O. WINTER HOUSE FOR DEER, &G>
1 1, LAKE FOR WATER FOWL.
12. RESTAURANT.
1 3. BADGER CAGE.
14. DEER PADDOCKS.
1 5. STREAM FOR WADING BIRDS.
1 6. BUFFALO, CAMELS, AND ELK.
1 T. WOLVES AND FOXES.
18. CONSERVATORY.
1 9. GOATS, SHEEP, &c.
20. SQUIRREL CAGE.
21. REPTILE HOUSE.
22. PRAIRIE DOGS.
23. SOUTHERN HAWK AND OWL CAGES.
24. AVIARY.
25. SODA FOUNTAINS.
26. ELEPHANT POND.
27. POLAR BEAR PIT.
28. STREAM FOR WATER FOWL.
29. LYNX CAGE.
GUIDE TO THE GARDEN
OF THE
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
Hi
OF PHILADELPHIA, Garden.
(Fairmount Park.)
SEVENTH EDITION.
REVISED AND CORRECTED.
BY ARTHUR ERWIN BROWN,
Member of the Academy of Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the American
Philosophical Society, &c.,
SUPERINTENDENT OF THE GARDEN.
Entered, according to Act of Congress, hi the year 1892, by
ALLEN, LANE & SCOTT,
In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington, D. C.
7 3//
INTRODUCTION.
To A large class of visitors, who desire to find in a zoologi¬
cal collection means of instruction as well as amusement, a
brief statement of the meaning and the relative value of the
groups into which the animal kingdom is divided by natural¬
ists, will not be without interest. In order to arrive at a cor¬
rect understanding of these, it is necessary to look at the
animal world, not as a mere mass of living forms bearing hap¬
hazard resemblances to each other, but as great family groups
of beings, formed, more or less, on the same plan, varying,
it is true, to a vast extent in its mode of expression, but all
the forms of which, starting from a common point, may be
arranged in more or less divergent series, presenting com¬
binations of structural peculiarities, differing from each
other to an extent somewhat proportionate to their distance
from the starting point.
The first complete systematic classification of living forms
was- made by the great Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus, about
the middle of the last century, chiefly from mere external re¬
semblances, but the growth of knowledge since his day has
profoundly changed both the methods and the views of zoolo¬
gists and the systems now in use, based mainly upon anatom¬
ical characters, aim at indicating the real relationship and
successions in time, borne to each other by species now ex¬
isting and those already extinct.
(3)
4
Under a system, which though simple, is sufficiently com¬
prehensive for the present purpose, the primary divisions
are:—
I. Vertebrata—possessed of a backbone, as mammals, birds,
reptiles, batrachians, and fishes.
II. Mollusca—soft-bodied, as oysters, .cuttle-fishes, and
snails.
III. Articulata—formed of rings, as worms, centipedes,
insects, &c.
IV. Ccelenterata—as sea anemones and jelly-fishes.
V. Echinodermata—as star-fishes and sea-cucumbers.
VI. Protozoa—as sponges and infusoria—the lowest forms
of animal life, many of them microscopic and bordering
closely on the vegetable world.
It is with the first division only that the collection in the
Garden has to deal. The Vertebrates—animals possessing a
skeleton of bone or cartilage, enclosing cavities in which the
soft parts of their organization are contained and protected
from injury—are arranged in classes, according to the near¬
ness with which they approach to one of the five great types
of structure which have been found to exist among them :—
I. Mammalia—animals which suckle their young.
II. Aves, or birds.
III. Reptilia—as turtles, lizards, and serpents.
IV. Batrachia—as frogs, toads, and salamanders.
V. Pisces, or fishes.
These classes are again broken up into orders, each possess¬
ing ^n association of structural characters which is common
to all the individuals included in it, and in which they differ
from all other individuals in their class. These orders have
been differently constituted and arranged, according as differ¬
ent points have been made use of for their determination.
5
They are again divided into smaller groups called families,
which, possessing the characteristic mark of their order, yet
depart in some minor consideration from its type—or, in
other words, from that form which has been taken to show
most clearly the peculiarity of the order.
Families are again broken up into genera, which bear to
them much the same relation as that which they, in turn,
bear to orders. Thus—to illustrate with a familiar example—
the lion, tiger, panther, &c.j are all cats and belong to one
genus—Felis ; they are classified as follows:—
Division Vertebrata—because they have a backbone or ver¬
tebral column.
Class Mammalia—because they have organs peculiar to
those animals which suckle their young.
Order Carnivora—because their plan of structure is that
possessed by mammals which live on flesh.
Family Felidce,—because, in addition to the above, they
possess a common arrangement of teeth, claws, and other
structural points, which none of the other carnivora share.
Genus Felis—because certain minor modifications are un¬
like those existing in a few other individuals, which so far
have agreed with them, but which now become another genus
of the same family.
But to go a step farther—the lion, tiger, and panther,
though so far they have been precisely similar, are yet recog¬
nizable—there are still smaller points of difference; they
are, therefore, said to be different species, and a second name
is added to the scientific designation of their genus ; thus the
Lion is Felis leo, the Tiger is Felis iigris, and the Panther is
Felis concolor.
The value of species has been admirably expressed by
Professor Huxley:—"Thus horses form a species, because
6
the group of animals to which that name is applied is distin¬
guished from all others in the world by the following con¬
stantly associated characters:—They have—i. A vertebral
column; 2. Mammae; 3. A placental embryo; 4. Four
legs; 5. A single well-developed toe on a foot provided with
a hoof; 6. A bushy tail; and 7. Callosities on the inner side
of both the fore and hind legs. The asses, again, form a dis¬
tinct species, because, with the same characters, as far as the
fifth in the above list, all asses have tufted tails, and have cal¬
losities only on the inner side of the forelegs. If animals
were discovered having all the general characters of the
horse, but sometimes with callosities only on the forelegs, and
more or less tufted tails, or animals having the general char¬
acters of the ass, but with more or less bushy tails, and some¬
times with callosities on both pairs of legs, besides being in¬
termediate in other respects, the two species would have to
be merged into one. They could no longer be regarded as
morphologically distinct species, for they would not be dis¬
tinctly definable one from the other."—Westminster Review,
April, i860.
GUIDE TO THE GARDEN
OF THE
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY
OF PHILADELPHIA.
< • K
The visitor taking the route laid down on the accompany¬
ing plan of the Garden, is supposed to enter at the Girard
avenue gate; those entering at the other end of the Garden
can, however, pursue the same course by taking the path to
the right around the lake (No. n), and following the route
until they come to the Penn Mansion, when they should
turn to the left and enter the Carnivora House, after which
the route can be followed until they are brought back to
the point from which they started. As many of the animals
are shifted from one place to another at different seasons,
they will not always be found at the location designated by
the Guide ; each cage, however, bears the name of the ani¬
mal which it contains, and its description can readily be found
by a reference to the index at the close of the book.
No. i.—THE CARNIVORA HOUSE.
There would appear to be little in common between the
domestic tabby, which lies purring before the fire, and the
majestic lion, which the visitor sees with much pleasure is
here separated from him by a solid framework of iron; yet
there is no difference between them so far as the essential
points of their structure are concerned, and none even in
their habits, excepting such as are caused by the different
circumstances under which they liva? The one preys on
deer and antelope, while the other lives on rats and mice;
(7)
9
but they hunt for them and catch them in one and the same
manner. They are the two extremes of the Felidce, or cat
family, regarded in point of size.
The domesticated house cat probably originated in Egypt
not less than thirty to thirty-five centuries ago, and most
likely is descended from Felis caligata, a wild species still
found in that country.
The true cats—composing the genus Felis—are externally
distinguished from the other members of the family, or the
lynxes, by their slender form and by a much longer tail than
is ever possessed by any of the latter genus.
They are distributed throughout America, Europe, Asia,
and Africa.
The Lion (.Felis led) ranges all through^Africa, from the
Cape of Good Hope to the Mediterranean, and through a
great part of southern Asia, but there, at least, in rapidly
lessening numbers.
the lion and lioness.
IO
In ancient times they were known in Greece, but civiliza¬
tion has long since driven them out of Europe.
As with all animals whose wide range of distribution ex¬
poses them to many different climates and kinds of food,
under the action of which, with other conditions, they are
apt to vary more or less, the lion of different parts differs
much in appearance, chiefly in color and thickness of mane,
but as these variations are indefinite and do not involve the
slightest change of structure, they are looked on as being of
no specific importance.
The lion reaches maturity at about eight years of age. A
full grown male should be from ten to ten and a half feet
long, including the tail, and should weigh about four hun¬
dred pounds. Mr. F. C. Selous, the famous hunter and ex¬
plorer of South Africa, states that wild lions rarely grow as
large and luxuriant manes as those kept in menageries.
THE TIGER.
II
The Tiger (Felis tigris), among the Carnivora, is the sole
rival of the lion, in strength and ferocity. Its range is much
more restricted, as it is never found outside of Asia, where its
principal home is in Hindostan and the adjacent islands,
though it is sparingly found toward Siberia on the north, and
through China into Korea on the north-east. It is very com¬
mon in the marshy, wooded tract known as the Soonderbund,
formed by the extensive delta of the Ganges and Brahma¬
pootra rivers.
The male and female tiger are similar in appearance, and
have been beautifully adapted by nature for the purpose of
stealing unobserved upon their prey; the tawny yellow of
their skin, striped with vertical bars of black, blending so
perfectly with the jungle of canes and bamboos, among which
they live, that it is almost impossible to detect their presence
until revealed by motion, when it is usually too late for the
startled victim to escape.
Eleven feet in extreme length, with a weight of four hun¬
dred and fifty pounds, would be the dimensions of a very
large tiger.
The Leopard (Felis pardus) has much the same distri¬
bution as the lion, and varies almost to the same extent.
The Black Leopard is a rare and beautiful animal, but is
merely a color variety of the common form ; animals of both
colors being found, as is stated, in the same litter.
Among the members of the cat family now found in a wild
state, the only one which seems to be susceptible of domesti¬
cation is the Cheetah (.Felis jubata), often known as the
Hunting Leopard, which is found in India, south-western
Asia, and Africa. It differs much in disposition from all of
its kind, and so far surpasses them in intelligence and tracta-
bility, that for many centuries it has been trained in the East
for the purpose of the chase, the animal being blindfolded
and led by a chain until a deer or antelope is started, when it
is unhooded and loosed to run down the quarry.
The claws of the cheetah being much less retractile than
those of other cats, and the skull presenting some marked
differences, it is usually placed in a separate genus—Cynce-
lurus.
The Jaguar (Felis onga) is the largest of the cats of the New
World, Baron Humboldt having described one which equaled
12
THE COMMON LEOPARD.
the average tiger in size ; it inhabits the hottest parts of the
continent from South America into upper Mexico, sometimes
even ranging into the United States,—the principal home of
the species being in the dense forests which stretch away from
both banks of the Amazon. In appearance it is very similar
to the leopard—the jaguar having a shorter tail and the
spots covering the skin presenting a more broken appear¬
ance.
Many instances are given by South American travelers of
the strength and ferocity of the jaguar; D'Azara, in particu¬
lar, relates that he once saw one drag off the body of a horse
to a considerable distance, and then swim with it across a
wide and deep river.
The black jaguar is much more rarely met with than the
black leopard, and in menageries is considered a valuable
prize.
13
The American Panther (.Felis concolor) covers a greater
extent of country in its range than any other existing cat, be¬
ing distributed through North and South America from Canada
nearly to Cape Horn, though in the most settled portions
of the former, civilization has generally driven it to the
secluded parts of the mountains of the north and east, and
the cane brakes of the south.
They are notably wild and shy, and in regions where they
are known to abound the animal itself is rarely seen.
They are found of several shades, from silvery gray to reddish
brown, and are all of one species, though known by the differ¬
ent names of Panther, Puma, Couguar, and Mountain Lion.
The latter name was given to them by the early colonists of
the country, probably for the reason that the panther, having
no mane and approaching in color to the lion, was taken to
be a female of that species, which is also devoid of a mane.
They are prodigiously active, even among this family of four-
footed athletes, and without doubt can cover as much as
thirty feet at a bound.
the spotted hy^na.
14
The Ocelot (Felispardalis) is a native of Mexico, Central
and South America, and occasionally those parts of the United
States bordering on Mexico. In the desolate region lying
along the Rio Grande in Texas, known as the " brush
country," it is by no means uncommon. It is a beautiful
animal, not much larger than the domestic cat. Like all the
smaller members of the cat family, it climbs trees with great
agility and lies in wait among the branches for its prey.
Several other species of small cats range from Mexico south¬
ward through tropical America. Among these the Eyra
(F. eyra) and Yaguarundi {F. yaguarundi) have peculiarly
long, flattened heads, with short legs, which cause them to
look much like large weasels.
A number of others are found in Asia and Africa, of which
the Serval (.Felis serval), a beautiful animal from Central
Africa, about the size of the ocelot, will be found in the south
wing of the building. Near by is the Golden Cat (F. moor-
mensis) from Nepaul and Sumatra.
The Spotted Hyaena (Hyczna crocutd), the Striped Hyaena
(H. striata), and the Brown Hyaena {H. brunned) constitute
the Family Hycenidce,. Of all these, specimens will be seen
in the Garden. They are readily distinguished from the
dogs, which they somewhat resemble, by the excess of length
in the fore over the hind limbs. Their molar teeth are un¬
usually strong, and the jaw muscles are very powerful, thus
enabling them to crush with ease large bones, which they
devour.
The Striped Hyaena inhabits both Africa and India, and
presents a marked appearance by reason of a mane or crest
of hair, running the length of the spine, which it has the
power to raise at will, probably for the purpose of increasing
its apparent bulk and giving to itself a more frightful ap¬
pearance, thereby deterring from an attack those enemies
which would otherwise overcome and destroy it. It is
more cowardly in disposition and solitary in habit than
the Spotted Hysena, which is confined to the southern part
of Africa.
A great deal is currently believed of the hyaena which is
without doubt much exaggerated ; for instance, its reputation
of being a persistent and incorrigible ghoul, which has
passed so generally in^o belief that skulls and tombstones are
usually introduced as background in portraits of the unfortu-
15
nate animal—the truth being that the hysena seems to be
closely on a par with the dogs'" and wolves in the matter of
diet, preferring its food fresh, and eating carrion only when
it is much more convenient to get at.
The Bornean Sun Bear (Ursus malayanus) and the
Himalayan Bear ( Ursus tibetanus) belong to a group of the
Ursidce known as sun bears, from their favorite habit of bask¬
ing in the sun.
Leaving the Carnivora House, the visitor passes the old
mansion, " Solitude," erected in 1785 by John Penn, a de¬
scendant of the founder of the Commonwealth, and now oc¬
cupied by the offices of the Society—and descending a flight
of steps turns to the left by
No. 4—THE BEAVER POND.
The American Beaver ( Castor fiber canadensis) has been
so valuable to commerce in times past, that much has been
written of its habits, and volumes have been filled with mar¬
velous tales of the intellectual feats which have been revealed
to wondering authors. It is too often the case, however, in
popular natural science, that much nonsense of almost super¬
stitious character has passed accepted into animal life-his¬
tories, with painfully misleading results. There is little doubt
that such has been the case here ; the intelligence of the
beaver being of the primitive kind which bears relation only
to the common and most pressing needs of life, while
in the higher grade of reasoning power which leads its pos¬
sessor into ready adaptation to new conditions, he is striking¬
ly deficient and is really a dull and stupid animal. The
Beaver Pond at the Garden affords, perhaps, as good an
opportunity as is possible, in confinement, of watching the
habits of these animals,—the rough dome-shaped structure of
mud and sticks on the island being the far-famed beaver hut,
built by the animals themselves out of the natural materials.
In a state of nature these huts are generally built on a small
stream where t' 2 beavers have constructed a dam, deepening
the pond sufficiently to keep the water from freezing to the
bottom, so that they can get out under the ice during the win¬
ter. Most of their work is done during the night, but towards
i6
the hour in the afternoon when they are accustomed to be fed
they may often be seen swimming about the pond and disap¬
pearing with a flap of the tail as they get within diving dis¬
tance of the entrance to the hut.
Their food is purely vegetable, consisting mostly of the
bark of trees and the roots of aquatic plants. They formerly
ranged over the whole of North America, but have long since
been almost exterminated in the Southern, Middle, and
Eastern States, and are rapidly approaching this condition
even in the far west.
Our beaver is so nearly identical with that of Europe, that
it is questionable if there is even a varietal distinction.
No. 5.—THE BEAR PITS.
There is much divergence of opinion among zoologists as
to a proper classification of North American bears. The
Polar Bear (see page 59) is admitted by all; the other
species recognized by the author in a recent paper were the
Grizzly Bear (Ursus arctos horribilis) ; the Black Bear
(U. arctos americanus); and the Cinnamon Bear (U. arctos
cinnamomeus). Since the publication of this paper Dr. C.
Hart Merriam has added a number of other more or less
well-defined species, chiefly from Alaska, where the bears of
the grizzly group seem to reach an enormous size. The
grizzly ranges through the whole Rocky Mountain chain and
in the mountains of the Pacific coast,—those from the west¬
ern slope of the Rocky Mountains being somewhat darker in
color and reaching a larger size than those to the eastward.
The bears known to hunters by the various names of " range
bear," "bald face," "silver tip," and "cinnamon" are
probably all of this species.
The black bear is found almost all over the country, to¬
gether with what is called the brown bear, which is merely a
color variety of the former species, cubs of both colors being
sometimes found in the same litter. The true brown bear is
the Ursus arctos of northern Europe and Asia—an animal
which presents many points of likeness, and is probably
identical with our grizzly. The cinnamon bear is confined
to the western parts of the United States.
The Ursidtz, or bears, all walk on the sole of the foot, or
are what is termed plantigrade, and with the exception of the
THE BEAR PITS.
i8
grizzly and polar bear, climb trees with great facility. The
diet is much mixed, being indiscriminately animal or vege¬
table.
They are distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere
—but one true bear having yet been found south of the
equator.
In the large cage just behind the bear pits will be seen the
Himalayan Bear (Ursns tibetanus). The male of the pair
now in the collection is an albino.
The Common Opossum (.Didelphys virginiana) ranges east
of the Missouri river, from about the latitude of lower Mas¬
sachusetts to the Gulf of Mexico, and with its congener (Z>.
californica), which replaces it west of those limits, represents
in North America the order of marsupials. (See page 43.)
The opossums belong to the carnivorous branch of the order,
although their diet is very varied, consisting of small birds,
mammals, reptiles, and eggs, as well as of fruits, buds, and grain.
They live generally in the hollow of a tree, where the
female produces as many as fifteen young at a time, breeding
several times in the course of a year. The characteristic
pouch of the order is well developed in these animals.
They have a very prehensile tail, and are also distinguished
by the peculiarity of their dentition, which consists of ten
incisors, two canines, and fourteen molars in the upper, and
the same, with two incisors less, in the lower jaw, or fifty
teeth in all.
A number of opossums are found in South America, more
or less resembling this species, though most of them are of
smaller size. The collection has at times contained specimens
of Derby's Opossum (D. derbiana), the Quica Opossum (Z>.
quica), and the Ashy Opossum (D. cinerea).
The Common Raccoon (Procyon lotor). A number of
these amusing little animals are in a cage close by the opos¬
sums. They resemble in diet, and in many points of struc¬
ture, the bears, and have been placed by some systematists as
a sub-family of the group. They are generally classed, how¬
ever, as a separate family, Procyonidcz, of carnivores. Their
range is almost universal through the United States, from the
latitude of Massachusetts southward. They are subject to
considerable variation in color—albinos being not uncom¬
mon. A specimen formerly in the collection, from Alabama,
*9
was of an orange-yellow, shading into a deeper hue on those
parts where the animal is normally black. They are easily
tamed, and make playful pets. One which became very tame
in the Garden was noticeable for the dexterity with which it
made use of its paws—its first act on mounting into any per¬
son's lap being to explore all his pockets, bringing to light
and carefully examining everything which they contained.
Another species is the Crab-Eating Raccoon (F. can-
crivorus) of South America.
The American Otter (Lutra canadensis) has a general
range throughout North America, though to a less extent
and in fewer numbers than formerly, owing to the great de¬
mand for the beautiful fur obtained from them. Like their
relative, the Brown Mink (.Putorius vison), they are largely
aquatic in habit and live chiefly upon fish, which they catch
with ease and devour in incalculable numbers. They are
lively, sportive animals, and the visitor will find much amuse¬
ment in watching their gambols in the tank set apart for. them.
In a wild state they have a curious means of diversion,
which is thus described by Godman:—
" Their favorite sport is sliding, and for this purpose in winter the high¬
est ridge of snow is selected, to the top of which the Otters scramble,
where, lying on the belly with the fore-feet bent backwards, they give
themselves an impulse with the hind legs and swiftly glide headforemost
down the declivity, sometimes for the distance of twenty yards. This
sport they continue apparently with the keenest enjoyment, until fatigue
or hunger induces them to desist."
A pair of otter brought to the Garden from Newfoundland,
were quite tame and were allowed the run of the hold of the
schooner. During the trip, a quantity of snow which fell
on the decks was shoveled through the hatchway, when, much
to the amusement of the crew, the animals began piling it
up and packing it until they had built a slide on which they
disported themselves in the manner described.
The Muskrat {Fiber zibethicus) of North America, which by
its subterranean galleries causes so much damage to the banks
of canals and other artificial bodies of water, will be found
here. Its habits are somewhat similar to those of the beaver.
The Common Crow (Corvus americanus) and the Raven
(C. carnivorus) are the leading American members of the
family Corvidce. The latter is now rarely found east of the
Mississippi river, but is common in great numbers through¬
out the West.
20
No. 3.—THE MONKEY HOUSE.
The building formerly occupied by the monkeys being
contracted in size and ill-ventilated, was for many years the
cause of complaint from visitors and of annoyance to the
management of the Garden. The result was the planning and
erection of the present house, which was opened in the sum¬
mer of 1896. Its inside measurements are one hundred and
eleven by fifty-six feet; it contains nine large cages, with cor¬
responding ones on the outside for summer use. A feature
of the building is a conservatory, nearly the full length of the
structure, on the side opposite to the cages.
The monkeys of the Old World, or of Africa, Asia, and the
Malayan Islands, have been arranged by naturalists in one
great group called Catarrhini, while those of the New World
constitute another group known as Platyrrhini. Two hun¬
dred and fourteen distinct species of monkeys and apes are
recognized by the latest authorities; of these one hundred
and twenty-eight belong to Africa and Asia and eighty-six
to America. The two groups are very well marked in
zoological characters, the most constant of which is that
from which they derive their name. In the Catarrhini the
septum, or cartilage dividing the nose, is narrower at the
bottom than at the top, so that the nostrils converge towards
the bottom, while in the Platyrrhini the cartilage is of the
same breadth throughout and the nostrils are therefore par¬
allel. The dentition of the first group is the same as that
of man, being eight incisors, four canines, eight pre-molars,
and twelve molars.
Monkeys are omnivorous in their food habits. For the
most part they live on fruits, buds, tender leaves, and roots,
though most of them eat also insects, small birds, and rep¬
tiles.
Apes and monkeys are classed in the same order—Pri¬
mates—as man, the correspondence in structure being very
close, amounting, in some of the higher groups, to modifica¬
tions only of form. All the man-like or Anthropoid Apes—
the Gorilla and Chimpanzee of Africa, and the Orang and
Gibbon of India—belong to the first division. These apes can
be captured only when young, and as they are difficult to ac¬
climate, they are by no means common in menageries.
The Chimpanzee (Anthropopithecus troglodytes) is most
commonly found, in company with its larger relative, the
21
gorilla, on the west coast of Africa about the region of the
equator, but is known to range far eastward to the sources of
the Nile, in Uganda, and about Lake Tanganyika, while the
home of the gorilla appears to be much more restricted.
Divesting the chimpanzee of the many doubtful, if not
fabulous qualities with which it has been endowed by imagi¬
native travelers, it remains a huge ape, attaining in the adult
male a height of nearly five feet, devoid of a tail, possessed of
a very considerable degree of intelligence, and having" the
ability to walk nearly erect, supporting itself by occasionally
touching its knuckles to the ground or some upright means of
support.
They live together in small bands of half a dozen and are
said to build platforms among the branches, out of boughs
and leaves, on which they sleep; their diet is chiefly frugiv-
orous, and they are exceedingly mild in disposition, readily
becoming friendly and seeking the society of man when
placed in confinement.
These apes are looked on by the natives of their country
as being degenerate members of their own tribe. A native
name, " Engeco," means " hold your tongue," and evidently
had its origin in the common belief that they refuse to speak
purely from laziness, and in the fear that if their possession of
the faculty should be discovered, they would be set to
work with the strictly bipedal inhabitants of the same region.
The Orang-utan (Simia satyrus) is indigenous only to
Borneo and Sumatra. They never attain the height of the
chimpanzee, but are of heavier build and greater in extent of
arm. Mr. Wallace gives as the maximum height of seven¬
teen specimens, four feet and two inches from crown to heel,
with a distance across the outstretched arms of seven feet
eight inches.
They are of a sluggish and cautious disposition, and rarely
come down from the trees. The mental characteristics of
these apes have been stated elsewhere, by the author, as fol¬
lows :—
''Between the orang and chimpanzee there is a marked difference in moral
qualities. The latter is full of life, vigor, vivacity; lively and child-like in
disposition, enjoying life to the full, and taking interest in all that goes on
about it. Quite the reverse with the orang: it is slow, sluggish, and calcu¬
lating; philosophically indifferent to everything but its immediate wants,—
voluptuary and stoic in one; life is only for the means of living, and life
itself is hardly worth the pain of an exertion. For hours it will lie wrapped
22
in a blanket, close to the front of the cage, lazily following with its eyes
the movements of any person who comes within its range of vision, or
slowly blinking at a straggling fly upon the glass. "—American
Naturalist, Vol. XVII.
Several travelers have stated that when the weather becomes
cold or rainy, the orang wraps itself in large leaves, by way
of protection. It is curious to observe that this habit is
carried into captivity, for if a blanket is left in the cage, the
GROUP OF MONKEYS.
animal will at once envelop itself so completely that nothing
can be seen of it but its bright eyes peering out from under
the folds.
The Dyaks of Borneo call the orang by several names, the
most common being "Mias." The old males, to whom a
huge callosity which grows out on each cheek, together with
a long red beard which covers the chin and throat, gives a
most hideous appearance, are known as "Mias-papan."
23
The specimens of these apes, which are usually exhibited
in zoological collections, are young, ranging from three to
six or eight years old. Their development is slow, as it is
not supposed that they reach maturity until about fifteen
years of age. When old they generally become morose and
vicious in disposition.
Among the monkeys of the Old World which are commonly
to be found in the collection, is the Entellus or Sacred
Monkey (Semnopithecus entellus) of India. This monkey is
held in high respect by the human natives of its country, who
call it "Hanuman," after one of their deities, and allow it
the privilege of stealing, unmolested, pretty much anything
to which it takes a fancy—a privilege which it soon learns to
avail itself of on every occasion. Its life is held sacred, and
under the native rule in India, capital punishment was inflicted
for its destruction.
Other rare species are the Mitred Monkey (S. mitratus)
and the Moor Monkey (S. maurus). . , „
The Vervet Monkey (Cercopithecus lalandi ), the Green
Monkey (C. callitrichus), the Patas or Red Monkey (C.
ruber), the Lesser White-nosed Monkey (C. petauristd), the
Mozambique Monkey (C. rufo-viridis), the beautiful Diana
Monkey (C. diana), Campbell's Monkey (C. campbelli), the
Mona Monkey (C. mono), the Malbrouck Monkey (C. cy-
nosums), the Sooty Mangabey ( Cercocebus fuliginosus), the
White-collared Mangabey (C. collaris), and the; White-
crowned Mangabey (C. cethiops) are all natives of Africa.
The macaques form a large genus of monkeys, some of
them of large and powerful build, and, for the most part, of
savage and treacherous disposition. They are natives of
Asia and the adjacent islands. Among them are the Common
Macaque (.Macacus cynomolgus), the Pig-tailed Macaque
(M. nemestrinus), the Rhesus Monkey (M. erythrczus), the
Toque (M,pileatus), the Bonnet Macaque (M. radiatus~),
the Moor Macaque (M. maurus), the Ashy-black Macaque
(M. ocreatus), and the Brown Macaque (J/*, arctoides).
The Barbary Ape (M. inuus) is the only member of the
genus found outside of Asia, its home being north Africa. A
few individuals are also found about Gibraltar, in Spain, but
it is probable that they were introduced there originally
through the agency of man.
The Black Ape (Cynopithecus nigef), from the Philippine
Islands, is related to the last genus.
24
The genus Cynocephalus, or dog-headed monkeys, form the
group known as baboons, among which are some of the largest
and most fierce of the order. The Hamadryas ( Cynocephalus
hamadryas) comes from Arabia and north Africa, while the
Chacma (C. porcarius), the Guinea Baboon (C. sphinx), the
Mandrill (C. mormon), the Drill (C. leucophceus), and the
Anubis Baboon (C. anubis) are natives of Africa. They
can all be recognized by their long, dog-like noses, in some
cases projecting beyond the lips.
Although these monkeys are coarse and brutal in their be¬
havior towards man, they are capable of a high degree of
attachment among themselves.
A remarkable instance of this is given by Brehm, who once
saw a troop of baboons crossing a valley; while so doing they
were attacked by his dogs, and fled up the hills, leaving be¬
hind one young one, which, unable to run away, had climbed
a rock in the middle of the valley. Those on the hillside
deliberated for a time, and finally a large male returned to
the spot, drove off the dogs, picked up the young one, and
retreated with it in safety.
The American monkeys differ in many respects from the
preceding group; in dentition, which in the Cebidce, includ¬
ing all but the marmosets, has one pre-molar tooth added on
each side of the jaw; in the absence of a thumb in almost all
the members of one large genus (Ateles) ; in the entire ab¬
sence of the cheek-pouches and the callosities on the haunches,
which are so conspicuous in most of the Catarrhini and in
the presence of a highly prehensile tail in several genera.
None of them attain the size of the largest of the first group,
and they are generally more tractable in disposition.
The howlers form a remarkable group in which the vocal
apparatus is modified in a manner such as to pour forth a
volume of sound so great as to suggest their distinctive name.
The Mantled Howler (Mycetes palliatus), Brown Howler
(.Mfuscus), and Black Howler (M. niger) belong to this
group.
The Grey Lagothrix (Lagothrix humboldti) and the
Black Saki (.Pithecia satanas) are natives of Brazil. The
males of the latter species have a thick beard covering the
lower part of the face and the throat.
25
The Ateles or Spider Monkeys are characterized by the
absence of a thumb, although in several species it is present
in a rudimentary condition ; they have a prehensile tail,
lined on the tip with a very sensitive skin, which answers the
purpose of a hand in suspending themselves from the branches
of the trees among which they altogether live. They are
very delicate, and do not long withstand the severities of our
climate.
The Black Spider Monkey (.Ateles ater), the Brown
Spider Monkey {A. hybridus), the Chuva (A. marginatus),
the Marimonda (.A. behebuth), and the Black-handed
Spider Monkey (A. geoffroyi) are usually to be seen here.
The Brown Capucin (Cebus fatuellus), the Weeper Ca-
pucin (C. capucinus), and the White-throated Capucin (C.
hypoleucus) are all small monkeys of the kind usually trained
for circus performances and organ-grinders. These, with
the Squirrel Monkey (Saimaris sciurea), all belong to the
family Cebidce.
A rare and little-known member of the Cebidce, a specimen
of which has been exhibited by the Society, is the Red
Ouakari (Brachyurus rubicundus), from Brazil.
The Common Marmoset (.Hapale jacchus), the Black-
eared Marmoset (H. pencillata), the Pinche {Midas cedipus),
and Geoffroy's Marmoset (M. geoffroyi) are small and
beautiful monkeys from the hottest parts of tropical America.
They are frequently kept as pets, but being of frail constitu¬
tion, they suffer from the slightest approach to cold, and it
is hardly possible to keep them for exhibition.
A curious genus of small monkeys of nocturnal habits is
found in the interior of South America. They are very gen¬
tle and timid in disposition, and pass most of the day in sleep.
The Three-banded Douroucouli (.Nyctipithecus trivirgatus),
is the most common of these monkeys.
The monkeys of the New World range from about twenty
degrees north to forty degrees south latitude; the extreme
northern point which they reach in the eastern hemisphere
being in Japan, about forty-one degrees north latitude.
A very considerable group of animals of curious organiza¬
tion, many of whose forms are closely allied to the monkey,
2 6
while others reach off towards the lower types of animals, is
known as the Lemurida—Lemurs or Half-apes. They are all
nocturnal, live in trees, and feed on fruits, insects, and small
birds and quadrupeds. They number some fifty species, and
are native to south-eastern Asia, the southern part of Africa,
and the island of Madagascar, which contains a large pro¬
portion of the whole number of species. Of those sometimes
seen in the collection—the Grand Galago (Galago crassi-
caudata) is from Mozambique, and the Mongoose Lemur
(.Lemur mongoz), the Ring-tailed Lemur (Z. catta), the
Black Lemur (Z. macaco), the Ruffed Lemur (Z. varius),
and the White-fronted Lemur (Z. albifrons) are all natives
of Madagascar. The Black Lemur is remarkable for the
great difference which marks the sexes, the male being gen¬
erally coal black, sometimes with a brownish tinge, while
the female is of a light reddish or gray brown on the body,
with a white ruff around the face. The Javan Loris (Nydi¬
ce bus javanicus) and the Slow Loris (N. tardigradus) belong
to the tailless section of the group.
No. 6.—THE EAGLE AVIARY.
This building contains a varied assortment of owls, eagles,
hawks, and vultures,—a number of these being also scattered
around the neighborhood in small cages, and in the southern
hawk and owl cages (page 59). Among them are generally
to be found the following :—
The Great Eagle Owl (Bubo ignavus) of Europe.
The Great Horned Owl (Bubo virginianus), North
America.
The Screech Owl (Scops asio), North America.
The Barred Owl (Syrnium nebulosum), North America.
The Short-eared Owl (.Brachyotus palustris), North
America, Europe, and Asia.
The Snowy Owl (.Nyctea nived), Arctic regions.
The Barn Owl (Strix flammea americana), United States.
The Acadian Owl (Nyctale acadica), British America.
Whitney's Owl (Micrathene whitneyi), Arizona.
The Javan Fish Owl (.Ketupa javanensis), Java.
The Turkey Vulture (Cathartes aura), America.
The Black Vulture (C. atratus), Southern United States.
The King Vulture (Gypaguspapa), South America.
27
The Cinereous Vulture (Vultur cinereus), Southern Eu¬
rope and Africa.
The Pondichery Vulture ( Vcalvus), India.
The Griffon Vulture {Gyps fulvus), Southern Europe
and Africa.
The Caracara Buzzard (Polyborus tharus auduboni),
Southern United States.
The Red-tailed Buzzard {Buteo borealis), North America.
The Red shouldered Buzzard (B. lineatus), North
America.
Swainson's Buzzard (.B. swainsoni), Western United
States.
The Rough-legged Buzzard (Archibuteo lagopus sancti-
johannis), North America.
The Osprey or Fish Hawk (.Pandion haliaetus), Whole
world.
The Sparrow Hawk (Falco sparverius), North America.
Lanier's Falcon (F. lanarius polyagrus), Western United
States.
The Kestrel (Tinnunculus alaudarius), Europe.
The Merlin (.Hypotriorckis cesalori), Europe.
The Pigeon Hawk (Accipiterfuscus), North America.
The Tiny Hawk (A. tinus), West Indies.
Cooper's Hawk (A. cooperi), North America.
The Brahminy Kite (Haliastur intermedins), India.
The White Goshawk (Astur novce-hollandici), Australia.
The Spotted Eagle (Aquila ncevia), Europe and Asia.
Golden Eagle (A. chryscetos), North America.
The Wedge tailed Eagle (.A. audax), Australia.
The Bald Eagle (.Haliaetus leucocephalus), North America.
The Cinereus Sea Eagle (H. albicilla), Northern Europe
and Asia.
All the above belong to the order Raptores, or birds of
prey, consisting of the owls or nocturnal birds of prey
(Strigidce) ; the eagles, hawks, &c., or diurnal birds of prey
(Falconidce) ; and the vultures ( Vulturidtz).
The owls are a large family, mainly of nocturnal habits,
their eyes being adapted in structure to see in the dark, and
the soft, downy plumage with which they are generally
clothed, enabling them to steal with noiseless flight upon the
small birds, mammals, and reptiles which form their food.
They range generally throughout the world, differing some¬
what in habit, but mostly in size.
28
The American barn owl, in rural districts commonly known
as " Monkey-faced Owl," is one of the most curious of the
group. It abounds in the Southern States, and is frequently
found as far north as New Jersey, but its habit is so strictly
nocturnal that it is little known to the world at large, even
where the bird is common. Owls closely similar are found
in almost all parts of the earth.
The large white or snowy owl is common to the more north¬
ern parts of both hemispheres. It moves somewhat south in
winter, rarely getting below the latitude of New York.
The coloration of the owls is generally indistinct, owing to
the downy nature of their plumage, and is subject to an infi¬
nite amount of variation.
A large number of American species belong to the family
Falconidce.
The buzzards proper are a group of hawks, generally of
large size and rather heavy flight. The eagles are closely
associated with this division. The golden eagle and the bald
eagle are occasionally seen in all parts of the country,
though they are now somewhat rare along the Atlantic coast,
and for a long distance into the interior. .They are the only
eagles properly belonging to the North American fauna,
although as the bald eagle does not receive its white head and
tail until its third year, its different stages of plumage have
given rise to several vernacular names by which it is known.
Dr. Elliott Coues sums up the distribution and character of
this species in his "Key to North American Birds " after the
following descriptive manner :—
"North America, common; piscivorous: a piratical parasite of the
Osprey; otherwise notorious as the Emblem of the Republic."
Certainly, on watching its filthy habits, its sneaking ways,
and its thievish expression, one is not disposed to be proud
of his "Bird of Freedom."
The falcons, harriers, kites, and goshawks are small hawks
of rapid and vigorous flight and daring disposition. They
are found all over the world. The falcons are readily distin¬
guished by the presence of a notch—called the tooth—in the
upper mandible.
The vultures are represented in North America by a curi¬
ous family known as Cathartidce, of which the best known
species are the turkey vulture, being common to all North
America, and the black vulture, which is mainly confined to
29
the south Atlantic and Gulf States, where they perform the
duties of useful scavengers in the streets of even the large
cities.
It may be mentioned here that the term "buzzard" is
commonly, though improperly, applied to these birds; the
true relation of the word has been given above.
The caracara belongs to a small group of hawks approach¬
ing somewhat in habit to the vultures. They range from
South and Central America into the southern parts of the
United States.
A strange bird, strictly belonging to the Raptores, though
bearing a resemblance in length of leg to the cranes and
storks, is the Secretary Vulture (Gypogeranus serpen-
tarius) of South Africa. Its name is derived from a tuft of
feathers projecting backwards from each side of the head,
and resembling the quill pen which clerks or secretaries fre¬
quently carry behind their ears. It is also known as "ser¬
pent-eater," from its habit of waging destructive war on the
serpents which abound in its native country. It is a difficult
bird to keep in captivity, its bones seeming to be very brittle
—a slight blow or even a misstep being sometimes sufficient
to break a leg.
The Condor (Sarcorhamphus gryphus) is the largest of the
vultures, rivaling and even exceeding in size the bearded
vulture or Lammergeyer of the Alps.
They do not build nests, but commonly live in pairs on the
bare rock, high up among the lofty peaks of the Andes, from
which they soar to a height almost beyond the range of
human vision, plunging down only when their keen sight
discovers the carcass of some dead animal on the plajns be¬
low. They live mostly on carrion, but when pressed by
hunger, it is said that several of them will sometimes band
together, to attack a young calf or a disabled animal out of
the herd, and with blows of their powerful beaks and claws
destroy it. The sexes may be distinguished by a short rufif
of soft feathers, which invests the neck of the adult male.
The California Vulture (Pseudogryphus californianus)
reaches almost the size of the condor. This species was for¬
merly somewhat abundant on the western slope of the Sierra
Nevada, in southern California, but has become almost ex¬
tinct within a few years. They may be regarded as a great
rarity in living collections. The pair in the Garden came
from Monterey County, California.
3°
No. 12.—THE RESTAURANT.
The Restaurant is on the right of the prescribed route,
after leaving the Eagle Aviary, and offers to the hungry visitor
ample facilities for supplying his necessities.
Close by will also be found the stand for donkeys.
No. 7.—THE ELEPHANT HOUSE.
This building was completed in 1875, and cost about
$38,000. It is one hundred and ninety-five feet long, and
affords ample accommodations for many of the larger animals.
Immediately adjoining it is a large pond in which the
elephants are bathed every afternoon during hot weather.
Besides being a very popular means of diversion to visitors,
the use of water is a necessity to these animals; their
skins being exceedingly porous, become readily clogged up if
they are not kept clean, with the result of lessening the
amount of perspiration, which is one of the chief means of
removing waste matter from the system, and is absolutely
necessary to a pure state of the blood.
A large proportion of the animals in this building belong to
the order Ungulata, or hoofed animals, comprising those in
which the nail grows around the ends of the extremities and
envelops them in a horny sheath known as the hoof. Some
of these have one or three toes developed, while another
group has two or four toes equally complete, the others being,
rudimentary. For purposes of convenience, therefore, the
existing ungulates have been classed into two sub-orders, the
Perissodactyla, or odd-toed, as the horse, rhinoceros, and
tapir, and the Artiodactyla, or even-toed, comprising all the
remaining hoofed animals, as deer, oxen, swine, &c. They
are all vegetable eaters, and are found in all but the Austra¬
lian region.
The Wild Boar (Sus scrofa) of Europe, Asia, and Africa,
the Javan Swine (Sus vittatus), and the ^Ethiopian Wart
Hog (.Phacochoerus cethiopicus) belong to the family SuidcB, or
Swine. The latter remarkable-looking animal has several
tleshy protuberances on the face, looking almost like horns.
It is believed that these warts have been developed by reason
of their serving to protect the eyes from the upward strokes
32
of the tusks in the desperate battles which the males wage
against each other.
The peccaries are not true swine, but they do not depart
widely enough to be entirely separated from the group. The
the indian elephant.
Collared Peccary (Dicotyles torquatus) ranges from the
south-western United States into South America, and the
White-lipped Peccary (D. labiatus) somewhat more southern
in distribution, and confined to South America. They are
savage little animals, and, as they herd together in consid-
33
erable numbers, they are regarded as dangerous enemies by
both man and beast. They are not difficult to domesticate
when taken young, but the presence of a pair of dorsal glands,
secreting an unpleasant fluid, which is apt to taint the meat
after death, greatly lessens their value to man. The flesh in
any case, however, is tasteless and dry.
The enormous animals which form the order called Pro-
boscidea, from the peculiar elongation of their nose into a
proboscis or trunk, are found at the present time in the
warmer parts of Asia, in the islands of Borneo, Sumatra, and
Ceylon, and also in central and southern Africa.
There are two species, differing very appreciably,—the
Indian Elephant {Elefihas indicus) has a concave forehead,
comparatively small ears, and has four nails developed on the
hind feet, while the African Elephant (.Elephas africanus)
has a rounder forehead, much larger ears, and has three nails
the african elephant.
34
on the hind foot instead of four. The incisor teeth, or tusks,
as they are called, grow to an enormous size, but are rarely-
possessed by the female Indian elephant.
" Bolivar," the large male in the collection, was presented
to the Society by Mr. Adam Forepaugh on the twenty-fifth
of December, 1888, and is probably the largest elephant in
captivity, measuring ten feet in height at the shoulder and
weighing about ten thousand pounds. The other two speci¬
mens are females, named respectively "Empress" and
" Jennie." All these are of the Indian species.
The elephant is in reality a much smaller animal than is
commonly supposed, careful measurements of large numbers
in India showing that they average less than nine feet in
height, and rarely exceed ten. They are believed to be fully
grown at from twenty-five to thirty years of age. The ordi¬
nary life of the elephant is supposed to be about a hundred
years, although in special cases they undoubtedly live much
longer. * »
The fact is given, on the authority of Sir Emerson Ten-
nent, that the British, after their capture of the Island of
Ceylon, in 1799, had in their service an elephant which was
proved by the records to have served the Dutch during the
whole term of their occupancy,—something like a hundred
and forty years.
The elephant lives wholly on vegetable diet.
The Indian Rhinoceros (Rhinoceros unicornis). There
are several species of rhinoceros found in Africa and Asia,
the distribution of the animal being almost identical with
that of the elephant. Almost all the species, with the excep¬
tion of this and the Javan rhinoceros, have two horns, one
immediately behind the other. In the specimen in the Gar¬
den, only the stump of the horn is visible, as "Pete," be¬
ing of a restless disposition, is inclined to rub his head against
the wall of his cage, and so wears off his horn as fast as it
grows out.
The thick hide of the rhinoceros renders him almost invul¬
nerable to the attack of other animals, and his great strength,
which gives him an activity not at all in keeping with his
appearance, coupled with the possession of a sharp, strong
horn on the bridge of his nose, causes him to be much
respected by the inhabitants of the region in which he
lives.
35
"[Pete" is usually very quiet, but is subject to attacks of
rage, during which he will turn violently on his keepers. On
such occasions he is suffered to remain by himself.
The native country of the Giraffe ( Camelopardalisgiraffa)
is the central and eastern part of Africa, from about the tenth
or fifteenth degree of north latitude almost to the Cape; here
they are found in small herds, browsing on the branches of
the indian rhinoceros.
such trees as may be within their reach. Their long legs
unfit them for feeding on the ground, as it is a work of much
difficulty for the giraffe, by straddling its fore legs widely
apart, to get its nose down to the level on which it stands.
Their gait is very rapid for a short distance, but their powers
of endurance, or "bottom," as horsemen term it, not being
proportionate, they soon settle down to a lesser rate of speed.
The weapons of the giraffe are its hoofs, with which it kicks
36
and strikes in every direction, dealing powerful and dangerous
blows. It is a very timid animal, however, keeping a careful
lookout from its tall head, erected like a watch-tower, high
in the air, and when startled by the approach of an enemy at
once seeks safety in flight.
It is a ruminant, closely related to the antelopes. The
horns, or protuberances on the head, are not shed, as is
common with many of the order to which it belongs, but
are composed of solid bone, covered with skin like the re¬
mainder of the skull.
As with the elephant, the height of the giraffe is enormously
over-estimated in popular opinion ; the distance from the
head, when fully erect, to the ground, probably not aver¬
aging over sixteen feet. They are very delicate in constitu¬
tion, and in our climate require the most careful attention.
Of late years, for various reasons few giraffes have been
shipped from Africa and at the present time they are exceed¬
ingly rare in collections both in this country and in Europe.
The Hippopotamus is kept at present in this building, but
it is hoped that some day the Society may be able to erect
a building with a suitably large pond for its sole occupancy.
There are two species of the animal, one of small size,
found on the west coast of Africa, and the present one (.Hip¬
popotamus amphibius)—the River-horse of the ancients—found
in many of the African rivers. Being of great bulk, with
disproportionately short legs, they are clumsy out of water,
although they forage freely at night among the grain fields,
where cultivation is carried on along the river banks, doing
much damage, not only by the amount carried off in their
capacious stomachs, but by the broad trail of crushed and
broken herbage they leave behind them. They feed also on
river grasses which grow along the water's edge, as well as on
the bottom, on which their weight enables them to walk.
The name of " river-horse " was suggested by a somewhat
fanciful resemblance between the profile of the face and that
of the horse—this is sometimes apparent when the animal is
lying submerged in the water with no part visible but the
frontal outline.
The South American Tapir (Tapirus terrcstris), as before
stated, belongs to the same division of ungulates as the horse
and rhinoceros, though in appearance it somewhat resembles
37
the swine. The natives of the regions which it inhabits con¬
sider it to be very good eating. It is fond of the water, div¬
ing and swimming with great ease, and is rarely found far
from the banks of some lake or stream. Their common re¬
sort is the dense thickets of undergrowth, where they lie con¬
cealed from danger. D'Azara says of them :—
" It is also remarked that when the jaguar pounces upon them, they
rush headlong through the thickest parts of the woods, until they force
him to quit his hold, passing through narrow and intricate places. The
Mborebi, indeed, never frequents a beaten road or pathway, but breaks
and pushes through whatever it encounters with its head, which it always
carries very low. It flies all danger, and anticipates it by means of its
strong nocturnal vision and its acute sense of hearing."
There are several not very well defined species in South
and Central America and one in south-eastern Asia. Of this
species (Tapirus malayanus) the Society exhibited a speci¬
men some years ago. It is much larger than the South
American form, and has a grayish-white patch marked out
like a saddle-cloth over the back and sides from the shoulders
to the rump—from this it derives its popular name of Sad¬
dle-backed Tapir.
No. 8.—THE SEAL PONDS.
The seals are a large family of carnivorous mammals, living
mainly in the water, but at stated periods during the year
leaving their natural element and remaining for several
months above the water line. The Society has exhibited
several species of these interesting animals.
The Common Seal (.Phoca vitulina) is found in all the seas
encircling northern Europe, Asia, and America, rarely being
found on our coast below Maine, except in winter, when it
sometimes finds its way as far south as Chesapeake Bay. It
may be taken as a fair type of the Phocidce, or Earless Seals,
of which it is about the smallest. Like all the seals, they
live on fish, which in a state of nature they catch with great
address. Quite a number of seals of this group have been
shown in the Garden, one of which, a specimen of the
Hooded Seal ( Cystophora cristata), was captured on the New
Jersey coast near Long Branch.
The upper pond is tenanted by a number of Gillespie's
Hair Seals (Zalophus calif or nianus). This species is found
38
in large numbers in the lower part of the northern Pacific
Ocean ; those in the Garden having been captured at the San
Miguel Islands, off the coast of California, not far from Santa
Barbara ; they are common at Seal Rock,Just outside of the
entrance to the bay of San Francisco, and a closely allied
species is found in the waters of the same latitude on the
Asiatic side of the Pacific.
The differences between this species and the Northern Sea
Lion (.Eumetopias stelleri) are mainly in size, the latter grow¬
ing much larger, and also in some details of the skull and
teeth. The male hair seal, when adult, weighs three or four
times as much as the female, and is provided with enormous
canine teeth, with which they fight terrible battles at the
season of rutting, often injuring each other severely; they
are of a savage and dangerous disposition, and are ugly an¬
tagonists even to man.
They swim and float with great address, sleeping on the
surface of the water; they remain at sea during eight or nine
months of the year, coming out on shore in vast numbers at
the season of breeding, where they remain in some cases as
much as three months without food or water. On land they
progress with more ease than is common with other seals, by
a gait somewhat like the canter of a horse; they climb rocks
easily, and throw themselves from a height of ten or fifteen
feet into the water or on the rocks without damage—their
tough skins and a layer of fat several inches thick, which lies
immediately beneath, protecting them from injury. They
are representatives of the family of eared seals (Otaridcz), all
of which are of large size, and are readily distinguished by
the possession of an external ear, which is never more than
an inch and a half long and is rolled tightly in the shape of
a cone. There are seven or eight species of these seals, all
being confined to the Pacific Ocean, where they range from
the Arctic to the Antarctic region, one species only being
sometimes found up the Atlantic coast of South America as
far as Brazil. The fur seals belong to this group ; the under¬
coat of fur being very soft and thick in them, and supplying
the seal-skin of commerce.
When fully adult the males are seven or eight feet long,
and weigh from five to six hundred pounds ; the females
weighing not over a fourth as much.
Some years since the Society procured a number of the
northern Elephant Seal or Sea-Elephant (.Macrorhinus
39
angustirostris). These animals received much attention on
account of their extreme rarity; the ones formerly in the
possession of the Society being the only ones which have
ever been captured alive for purposes of exhibition.
For many years the elephant seal was known to exist in
the antarctic region of the Pacific, and about 1850, they
were observed in small numbers on some of the uninhabited
islands off the coast of lower California. These were subse¬
quently found to be quite distinct from the southern form.
When adult, the males are usually from sixteen to eighteen
feet long, although some have been seen nearly thirty feet in
length and weighing probably seven or eight tons. The fe¬
males are much smaller.
The peculiarity from which they derive their name is a
curiously elongated snout, which in the adult male reaches a
length of eighteen inches, and somewhat resembles the trunk
of an elephant.
They belong to the group of earless seals, and are the
largest of marine mammals excepting the whale, although from
the little that is known of their habits, they appear to be of a
quiet and inoffensive disposition. The California species is
nearly extinct, having been slaughtered for the oil and blub¬
ber which they yield in large quantities.
No. 10.—THE DEER HOUSE.
This building was completed in the spring of 1877, and
affords accommodation at present for a somewhat varied
assortment of herbivorous animals.
For the present, one of the pens has been enclosed and is
used for the accommodation of an orang. (See page 21.)
Severdl species of zebra and quagga are found in Africa,
and also of wild asses in south-western Asia. The most
beautiful of all these, in pattern and shade of coloring, is
Burchell's Zebra (Equus burchelli), which ranges in large
herds over the plains north of the Orange river, in Africa.
The so-called Chapman's zebra comes from north-eastern
Africa, and is probably of the same species. It is a curious
fact that some horses, especially those of a dun color, have
indications of the spinal stripe and those on the inside of the
legs, which are common among the zebras, which resemblance
is held to indicate the relationship of the horse of the present
4°
epoch to some such antecedent form. A mouse-dun colored
work-horse recently belonging to the Society had these stripes
plainly marked.
Another zebra, formerly well known in menageries, is the
Common Zebra (Equus zebra), in which the cream body
color of the former species is replaced by white. This
species inhabited the extreme south of Africa, in which pop¬
ulation has increased to such an extent that the animal is now
nearly extinct.
The Cape Buffalo (.Bubelus caffer), found over a large
portion of Africa, is kept in this building. The old males
are marked by an extraordinary growth of the horns, which
extend completely over the forehead, almost meeting in the
middle line. They grow to a large size, and are so savage and
vindictive in disposition that many experienced hunters re¬
gard them as the most dangerous game animals inhabiting
Africa.
The one at present in the collection is of a variety found
in north-eastern Africa (3. caffer cequinoctialis).
The Eland (Oreas canna). This truly magnificent animal
is the largest of the antelopes, the great home of which is in
Africa; this species being from the southern part. The ante¬
lopes are generally of small or medium size ; the eland, how¬
ever, is frequently of the size and weight of a large horse.
The venison is said to be of a delicious flavor and texture, and
it is somewhat remarkable, considering the facility with which
the animal breeds under domestication, that they have not
been naturalized to a greater extent in Europe. It has been
found that they readily withstand the winters of France and
England, though the greater extreme of cold in our own
climate is more than they can bear without shelter. *
The Oryx (Oryx leucoryx) is one of the innumerable tribe
of antelopes inhabiting Africa. It is conspicuous for its long,
slightly curved, and tapering horns, which, as it is exceed¬
ingly quick in its motions, it uses with much effect upon an
enemy. The lion has more than once been met and pierced
to the heart by these terrible horns when he thought to se¬
cure, without danger, an unresisting prey. The species is
from the north of Africa.
Other members of the antelope family are the Nylghaie
(.Boselaphuspictus), often called in India the Blue Bull, the
4i
Brindled Gnu (Catoblepas gorgon), the White-tailed Gnu
(C. gnu), the Beisa Antelope (Oryx beisa), the Bubaline
Antelope (.Alcelaphus bubalis), the Sing-sing (Cobus sing-
sing), the Sable Antelope (Hippotragus niger), the Dorcas
Gazelle (Gazella dorcas), Persian Gazelle (G. subguttu-
rosa), and the Indian Antelope (.Antilope cervicapra). The
gnus are found in large herds about the Orange river, in south
Africa. The gazelles inhabit south-western Asia and north-
the aoudad.
ern Africa, and, being docile and of exquisite grace in propor¬
tions and movement, are much sought by the Arabs as pets.
The Harnessed Antelope (Tragelaphus scriptus) is
marked on the body with white stripes looking much like a
harness.
The Crowned Bush Buck (Cephalophus coronatus) is one
of a group of small antelopes found in eastern and southern
Africa, where they are known as Duikers. They are of shy
42
and retiring habits, and rarely come out of the thick bush in
which they live.
The Aoudad (Ovis tragelaphus), though classed among
the sheep, differs considerably from the typical form of the
family, and is often placed in a sub-group. It belongs in the
north of Africa, where it ranges high up among the Atlas
mountains. The aoudad is noticeable for its curving, power¬
ful horns and for the thick beard which hangs from its neck
to below the knee—almost to the ground.
The Sambur Deer (Cervus aristotelis), of continental
India, the Rusa Deer (Cervus hippelaphus), from Java,—
types of the group of rusine deer, of which there are several
species, confined to Asia. The Axis Deer (Cervus axis),
also from India, the Naked-eared Deer (Cariacus gymnotis),
the Red Brocket (C. rufus), from South America, the
Yucatan Deer (C. toltecus), and the Muntjac or Barking
Deer (Cervulus muntjac) of India are also in this building
during the winter.
kangaroos.
43
The Great Kangaroo [Macrofius giganteus).
The Red Kangaroo (M. rufus).
The Derbian Wallaby (.Halmaturus derbianus).
Bennett's Wallaby (H. bennetti).
The Black Wallaby (H. ualabatus).
The Rufous-necked Wallaby (H. ruficollis).
The Short-tailed Wallaby (H. brachyurus).
The Black-striped Wallaby (ff. dorsalis).
The Brush-tailed Kangaroo (Petrogale pencillata).
The kangaroos inhabit the continent of Australia, as well
as Tasmania and other of the adjacent islands ; they, in com¬
mon with nearly the whole fauna of the Australian region,
belong to the order of Marsupialia.
These animals derive their name (Greek, marsupion—a
purse) from a pouch or bag situated on the lower part of the
abdomen in the female, and containing the teats. The
young animal being born-—so to speak—prematurely, is in an
undeveloped condition, and is at once placed by the mother
in this pouch, where it attaches itself to a nipple and remains
for some weeks until it has attained a weight of several
pounds, when it gradually begins to come forth. It does not
permanently leave the bag until it has grown so large as to
be of an inconvenient size for the mother to carry about.
The order is a large one, containing nine-tenths of the fauna
of the Australian region, and including the opossums of
America. It presents a striking variety of habits and adapta¬
tions of form among its members; many of the other mam¬
malian orders being represented by marsupial forms, which
agree, more or less perfectly, with them in habits.
The kangaroos fill a number of places in the economy of
their native regions—there being brush kangaroos, rock kan¬
garoos, and tree kangaroos, all of which are equally at home
in the surroundings indicated by their respective names.
The wallabys are a sub-group of kangaroos, differing slightly
in structure.
The Rufous Rat Kangaroo (.ALprymnus rufescens) and
Gaimard's Rat Kangaroo (Bettongia gaimardi) are small
species from New South Wales.
All of the kangaroos are strictly herbivorous in diet; they
are hardy, breed readily, and might be acclimated in parks in
the warmer temperate parts of the United States, with little
difficulty.
44
In modern systems of classification, the marsupials stand
next to the lowest mammals; the Monotremata, consisting of
two forms peculiar to Australia, being at the bottom. These
strange animals, while undoubtedly of the mammalian class,
possess certain structures of both bird-like and reptilian type,
which affinity is even more strangely shown by the now
established fact that one species at least of the order, the
Ornilliorhynchus, alone among mammals, lays eggs which
are hatched outside of the body of the parent, as in the
lower classes of vertebrates.
The society was fortunate enough in 1887 to secure a
specimen of the Echidna, sometimes called the Spiny Ant-
eater (.Echidna hystrix), which lived for some months, an
object of great interest to all classes of visitors.
The Capybara (Hydrochcerus capybara) and Coypus (Myop-
tamus coypus) are temporarily kept in this building. They
are natives of South America, and are of similar habits to the
beaver and muskrat,—like them belonging to the order of
rodents. The capybara is much prized by the natives for its
white, delicate flesh, while from the coypu is obtained the fur
known as "nutria," formerly much used in the manufacture
of beaver hats.
The Ostrich (Struthio camelus) will be found occupying
a large pen on the west side of this building. There are prob¬
ably several distinct forms of this widely ranging bird found
in Africa. The one above mentioned has the naked skin of
the legs and neck of a bright pink flesh color. Another form
from Somaliland (Struthio molybdophanes) has the same parts
of a dull lead color, while the plates on the front of the
lower leg and the gape of the bill are red.
They are natives of the hot, dry plains in the interior of
Africa, over which they range in small flocks of rarely more
than half a dozen, subsisting mainly on a species of melon
which grows wild in those parts. The sexes are readily dis¬
tinguished, the males having a mixture of black in their
plumage, the females being of a grayish color. The ostrich is
the largest known bird now existing, its head sometimes reach¬
ing to a height of eight feet above the ground. Its long legs
give it great speed—some writers having estimated its pace,
when first startled, at fifty miles an hour. Its feet, padded
45
beneath like those of the camel, adapt it to coursing over
the shifting, movable sands of its native regions without
sinking.
The wings are reduced to mere rudiments, as in all the
struthious birds, and, are utterly useless for purposes of flight.
It is said, however, that the ostrich raises them above the
sides and uses them as sails when—to use a nautical term—
running before the wind. The ostrich is much prized by the
Bushmen, both for its eggs and feathers.
A large industry has been developed at the Cape of Good
Hope in farming and breeding ostriches for the feathers,
which now make a considerable article of export. The de¬
mand for the birds has become so great, at that point, that
they are becoming rare outside of Africa. Within a few
years, ostrich farming has been introduced with some success
in southern California.
The cassowary is also kept in this building. There are
some half dozen species of the genus Casuarius, mainly dif¬
fering in the shape of the helmet on the head and the
number and arrangement of the wattles hanging from the
neck; all are natives of the islands of the Malayan Archi¬
pelago. They belong to the order of struthious birds, with
the ostrich, rhea, emu, and apteryx, all of which are char¬
acterized by great development of the lower limbs at the
expense of their powers of flight.
The Common Cassowary (Casuarius galeatus) is from the
island of Ceram, in thelndian Ocean. The feathers of this
bird are of a peculiarly filamentous or hair-like character, en¬
tirely wanting in the webs which spring from the sides of the
shaft in ordinary feathers. It is a bird of great power and
endurance, rivaling even the ostrich in those qualities as well
as in the famous powers of digestion which are so notorious
in the latter bird.
Other members of the same family are the Rhea (Rhea
americana) from the plains of South- America, and the Emu
(.Bromceus novce-h&llandice) of Australia, the latter bird reach¬
ing nearly the proportions of the ostrich.
Among all the Gallince.—in fact among all birds—there is
nothing analogous to the incubating methods of the mound-
builders, or Megapodidtz, of which the Brush Turkey of
Australia (Tallegalla lathami) is the best known.
46
At the commencement of the nesting season these birds
scratch together a huge pile of stalks, leaves, and earth from
twenty to twenty-five feet in diameter, and often as much as
five in height. In the centre of this they excavate a deep
hole, in which the eggs are placed in layers, each layer being
carefully packed in leaves and grass. This mass of vegeta-
THE COMMON CASSOWARY.
ble substance, wet by rain, and heated by the sun, decom¬
poses and generates heat enough to hatch the young birds,
which shortly after leaving the egg scratch their way to the
surface. Sometimes, as if fearing that the eggs were not re¬
ceiving sufficient heat, the old birds scrape away the covering
and expose them for a time to the direct heat of the sun.
For many years this remarkable habit has been displayed in
the London Zoological Garden.-
47
No. 24.—THE AVIARY.
This building was constructed during the summer and fall
of 1881, and was opened to the public in March of the follow¬
ing year.
The order Passeres, or perching birds, is the largest and
most comprehensive of all the higher groups, and includes
almost all our songsters. In fact, a very large proportion of
the smaller birds, which are familiar in our midst, will be
found classed within its limits.
The thrushes are represented here by the Wood Thrush
( Turdus mustelinus) of America, the Robin ( T. migratorius),
the English Blackbird (T. merula), the Mocking Bird ( T.
polyglottus), the Cat Bird (G. carolinensis), the Mocking
Bird Thrush (Mimocichla rufipes), from Cuba, and a number
of other species.
The Long-tailed Weaver Bird {Chera progne). This
species may be known by the great elongation of the central
tail-feathers of the male. These reach so great a length that
a celebrated African traveler says of them :—
" I am informed that in the breeding season, when the male has as¬
sumed his nuptial livery and long tail-feathers, his flight is so labored
that the children constantly run them down. They are quite unable to
fly against the wind, and in rainy weather can hardly be got to move out
of the thick bushes in which, knowing their helplessness, they conceal
themselves.
" The Kaffir children stretch bird-limed lines across the fields of millet
and Kaffir corn, and snare great numbers of the males by their tails be¬
coming entangled in the lines."—Layard, " Birds of South Africa
The weaver or whidah birds are noted for the peculiar nests
which they weave from grass; these are mostly built on the
community system, hundreds of the birds constructing together
a sort of roof under which they separately build their nests.
These nests are of different shapes, some of them much re¬
sembling a chemist's retort, with the neck down, the orifice
serving as entrance for all the birds whose dwellings are
within. They are all natives of Africa.
The birds of the genus Euplectes are conspicuous by the
livery of black and brilliant yellow or orange worn by the
males during part of the year ; the Bishop Weaver (E. fran-
ciscanus), and the Black-Bellied Weaver (E. afer), being
among them.
48
The Larger Hill Mynah ( Gracula intermedia), the Com¬
mon Mynah (Acridotheres tristis), and the Brown Mynah (A.
fuscus) belong to an East Indian group, many of which
learn to talk with much readiness.
More or less allied to these are the starlings of the old
world and the blackbirds and troupials of the new. Con¬
spicuous examples of these are the Purple Grackle or Black¬
bird (Quiscalus versicolor), the Red-winged Blackbird
(Agekens phceniceus), and the Cowbird (Molothrus pecoris)
of North America, the Baltimore Oriole (Icterus Baltimore),
the Yellow Troupial (Xanthosomus flavus), and others of
the group from Central and South America, and the Common
European Starling (Sturnus vulgaris).
The Reed Bird, Rice Bird, or Bobolink (Dolichonyx
oryzivorus), is well known to epicures. They migrate in vast
numbers from south to north at the approach of summer and
back again towards autumn, at which time they become very
fat on the ripened seed of the reeds which grow on marsh
lands along the rivers near the coast, and are shot in great
numbers as a table delicacy.
The Magpie (Pica caudata), Jackdaw (Corvus monedula),
and Nutcracker (Nucifraga caryocatactes) are found in
Europe; they Delong to the Corvidce or crows, as do the
White-backed Piping Crow (Gymnorhina leuconota) and the
Butcher Crow (Barita destructor), both of Australia, the
Blue Jay (Cyanurus cristatus), of North America, the Ameri¬
can Magpie (Pica caudata hudsonica), closely resembling his
European brother, the Pileated Jay (Cyanocoraxpileata), a
the laughing jackass.
49
strikingly beautiful bird from southern Brazil, the Peruvian
Jay {Xanthoura ynca), the Yucatan Jay {X. yucatanica) of
Central America, the Blue-bearded Jay (C. cyanopogori), and
other species, commonly found in the collection.
The order Picaritz is represented by the woodpeckers, king¬
fishers, cuckoos, toucans, and trogons.
The Giant Kingfisher or Laughing Jackass (Dacelo gi-
gantea) is the largest of the kingfishers, and inhabits Australia.
It differs somewhat in habits from most of the immediate
group to which it belongs, living in the woods, frequently far
from water; its diet is also more mixed than is customary
with its kind, as it eats not only fish, but small quadrupeds,
birds, and reptiles.
Its common name is derived from its cry, which has a
striking resemblance to a hoarse laugh.
The common kingfisher of our country, which is often
seen sitting motionless on a branch over the water, watching
intently for a small fish to pass within its reach, is the Belted
Kingfisher (Ceryle alcyon).
Quite a number of cuckoos are in existence throughout the
world, very few being natives of America. The Chaparral
Cock ( Geococcyx californianus), also known as Road Runner,
from the extraordinary speed with which it runs, and the
Yellow-billed Cuckoo ( Coccyzus americanus), belong to this
family.
The cuckoos are well known by the strange habit of laying
their eggs in the nests of other birds, a parasitical mode of
providing for the young which is shared by a few other species,
as the American Cowbird, but which is more fully developed
in the birds of this family, and notably in the Common
Cuckoo ( Cuculus canorum) of Europe.
The Toco Toucan (Rhamfihastos toco).
Cuvier's Toucan (R. cuvieri).
Ariel Toucan (R. arte/).
The Sulphur-breasted Toucan (.R. carinatus).
The Green-billed Toucan (R. dicolorus).
Maximilian's Aracari (.Pteroglossus wiedi).
The toucans are found only in tropical America, and will
be readily recognized by the size and brilliant coloring of
their bills,—large and unwieldy as these seem to be, they are
5°
in reality very light, being entirely filled with a honey-comb
of air-cells. The plumage is richly colored, and has a pe¬
culiar satin-like softness of texture. The toucans are in a
measure carnivorous, and often prey upon smaller birds.
" Common as these birds are in their native wilds, it is exceedingly dif¬
ficult to detect their breeding-places; it is certain that they deposit their
eggs in the hollow limbs and holes of the colossal trees so abundant in
the tropical forests, but I was never so fortunate as to discover them.
* * * In their manners, the Rhamphastidtz offer some resemblance to
the Corvidce and especially to the magpies; like them they are very trou¬
blesome to the birds of prey, particularly to the owls, which they surround
and annoy by making a great noise, all the while jerking their tails up¬
wards and downwards. The flight of these birds is easy and graceful,
and they sweep with ease over the loftiest trees of their native forest."
(Prince Maximilian of Wied.)
There are a number of species, beautifully illustrated by
Mr. Gould, in a "Monograph of the Rhamphastidse."
The Psittaci, comprising the macaws, parrots, parrakeets,
and cockatoos, is a large and varied order of birds, number¬
ing, as far as is now known, some five hundred species, which
are found throughout tropical America, Asia, Africa, and
Australia. Among them are some of the most splendid
specimens of their class; many of them learn to talk and
imitate various sounds with great facility, and they are much
kept as pets.
Among the largest and most gorgeously colored of the
group are the macaws. These superb birds live in large
flocks in the forests of Central and South America, where
their brilliant colors vie in intensity with the tropical veg¬
etation which surrounds them.
There are a number of species, of which the best known are
the Red and Blue Macaw (.Ara macao), the Red and Green
Macaw (A. chloroptera), the Blue and Yellow Macaw (a.
ararauna), Illiger's Macaw (A. maracana), the Brown-
fronted Macaw (A. severa), the Military Macaw (a.
militaris), and the Glaucous Macaw {A. glauca).
A bird of rather strange appearance is the Greater Vasa
Parrot (Coracopsis vasa) of Madagascar.
The Gray Parrot (Psittacus erythacus) and the Timneh
Parrot (P. timneh), from West Africa, furnish many of the
best talkers of the family.
The most beautiful, perhaps, of all these birds come from
the Australian region, where are found a great number of spe-
5i
cies. Among them are Pennant's Parrakeet (Platycercus
pennanti), the Rosehill Parrakeet (P. eximius), the Pale-
headed Parrakeet (P. pallidiceps), Bauer's Parrakeet
(P. zonarius), Barnard's Parrakeet (P. barnardi), Swain-
son's Lorikeet (Tricoglossus novce-hollandicz), the Scaly-
breasted Lorikeet (P. chlorolepidotus), the Black-tailed
Parrakeet (Polytelis melanurus), and the Blood-rumped
Parrakeet (Psephotus hcematonotus). The Zebra or Grass
Parrakeet (.Melopsittacus undulatus), also from Australia, is
one of the most beautiful of these birds,—it is very small,
and being of a green color, marked with undulating yellowish
white lines, bordered with black, it is almost impossible to
distinguish it from the grass in which it is generally to be
found. These little birds differ from all the other parrots, in
the faculty which they alone possess, of uttering a repetition
of several notes which might almost be termed a song.
The Ring-necked Parrakeet (.Palaornis torquatus), the
Blossom-headed Parrakeet (P. cyanocephala), the Blue-
streaked Lory (Eos reticulata), the Violet-necked Lory
(Eos riciniata), and the Alexandrine Parrakeet (P. alex-
andri) are very handsome and graceful birds from India and
the Asiatic Islands.
The parrots of the New World, as a rule, are not so bril¬
liantly colored as those species from the other hemisphere,
being generally green, with various markings of red, yellow,
and white.
Those which are usually in the collection are the Yellow -
fronted Amazon (Chrysotis ochrocephala), the Yellow-
cheeked Amazon (C. autumnalis), the Golden-naped
Amazon (C. auripalliata), the Blue-fronted Amazon (C.
cyanorhynca), the White-fronted Amazon (C. albifrons), the
Yellow Parrot (Conurus solstitialis), the Brown-throated
Parrot ( C. ceruginosus), the White-eared Parrot (C. leu-
cotis), the Yellow-headed Parrot (C. jendaya), the Cac¬
tus Parrot (C. cactorum), and Petz's Parrot (C. petzi).
North America possesses one species, the Carolina Parrot
(C. carolinensis), which formerly ranged up to North Carolina
and Kentucky, but which is now rarely found, even in the
Gulf States.
Two rare specimens, at present to be seen in the collection,
are the Short-tailed Parrot (Pionusbrachyurus),from Brazil,
and the Venezuela Parrakeet (Bolborhynchus lineolatus).
52
A number of small parrakeets are also common in South
America, as the Cayenne Parrakeet (.Brotogerys tuipara),
the Yellow-throated Parrakeet (B. tovi), the Orange-
winged Parrakeet (B. xanthopterus), the Yellow-headed
Parrakeet (B. tut), and the Passerine Parrakeet (Psitta-
cula passerina), the latter much resembling the love birds of
Africa.
The cockatoos are confined to the Australian region. Being
for the most part large birds of graceful flight, their appear¬
ance in large flocks is described as being singularly beautiful.
The following will be found in this building:—The Slender-
billed Cockatoo (Licmetis tenuirostris), Ducorps' Cocka¬
too ( Cacatua ducorpsi), the Lesser Sulphur-crested Cocka¬
too (C. sulphured), the Sulphur-crested Cockatoo (C.
galerita), the Roseate Cockatoo (C. roseicapilla), Lead-
beater's Cockatoo (C. leadbeateri), the Red-vented Cocka¬
too (C. phillipinarum), the Great White crested Cockatoo
(C. cristata), and the Rose-crested Cockatoo (C. moluccen-
sis). These birds are said to live to a great age,—a specimen
which recently died in the garden was known to be nearly
ninety years old.
The Crested Grass Parrakeet (Calopsitta novce-hollandice)
is a very beautiful bird from Australia, living in hollow trees.
Unlike most of its order, it breeds with some facility in con¬
finement, when afforded proper accommodations.
The order Columba, comprising the pigeons and doves,
is a very extensive group, containing over four hundred spe¬
cies, more than one-third of which are natives of the Malayan
Archipelago, the remainder being distributed over the world.
A number of species are indigenous to North America, many
of which have been exhibited at the Garden; of these, the
following are usually on hand :—
The White-crowned Pigeon (Colwnba leucocephald),
Southern United States and West Indies.
The Cuban Pigeon (C. inornatd), West Indies.
The Common Wild Pigeon (.Ectopistes migraiorius), North
America.
The Blue-headed Pigeon (Starncenas cyanocephala),
Southern United States and West Indies.
The Carolina Dove (Zencedura carolinensis), North Amer¬
ica.
The Zenaida Dove (Zenaida amabilis), West Indies.
53
The Key West Dove (Geotrygon martinica), Southern
United States and West Indies.
The White-winged Dove (.Melopeleia leucoptera), South¬
western United States.
These birds are all more or less common in the regions where
they are found. The common wild pigeon is migratory in its
habit, and travels in enormous flocks of many millions. They
may be seen in some parts of the West, during their annual
migration, covering acres of trees at night, when roosting,
although there has been a very great diminution in their
numbers of late years.
Many of the pigeons from the Malayan Islands, where
is the great home of the order, are of striking beauty. Among
them are the Blood-breasted Pigeon (Phlogcenas cruentata)
of the Philippine Islands, the Bronze-winged Pigeon (Phaps
chalcopterci) of Australia, the Green-winged Pigeon (Chal-
cophaps indicd), the Australian Pigeon (Ocyphaps lo-
photes), the Red naped Fruit Pigeon (Carpophaga paulina)
of Celebes, the Speckled Dove ( Turtur tigrina) of Burmah,
the Eastern Turtle Dove (T. orientalis) from eastern
Asia, and the Goura or Crowned Pigeon (Goura coronata)
of New Guinea.
The crowned pigeon is as large as a guinea-fowl, and has
the top of its head surmounted by a beautiful crest of radi¬
ating feathers. It readily bears the winters of France and
the crowned pigeon.
54
England, and has frequently laid eggs, which in many cases
have been hatched, in both of those countries.
The Barbary Turtle Dove (Turtur risorius), the Half-
collared Dove (T. semi-torquatus) of Africa, the Barred
Dove ( Geopelia striata), and the Ground Dove (Chamcepe-
leiapasserina) of the southern United States and the West
Indies belong also to this group.
The .most aberrant member of the group is the Tooth-
billed Pigeon (.Didunculus strigirostris), which derives its
name from a number of serrations, like teeth, at the tip of
the mandible, or lower bill.
Aside from its curious appearance and habits, a special in¬
terest is attached to the species from the relationship which it
alone, of existing birds, bears to the strange and almost anom¬
alous, pigeon-like Dodo, which formerly inhabited the islands
of Mauritius and Bourbon, but which is believed to have
become extinct during the last two hundred years, and of
which no remains now exist except a few bones and a few
feathers in museum collections, and a few badly executed
drawings in the works of early explorers. The present species
is of great rarity and comes from the Samoan Islands, in the
South Pacific. A specimen formerly in the Garden was pre¬
sented by the Smithsonian Institution.
A small group of birds known as Pterocletes is interme¬
diate between the pigeons and the fowls, or gallinaceous
birds. They are commonly called "sand-grouse" or
"pigeon grouse." These birds are found only in south¬
ern Europe and the warmer portions of Africa and Asia.
Their habits are in general similar to those of grouse and
pheasants, and in India they are much sought by sports¬
men.
The Black-bellied Sand Grouse (.Pterocles arenarius),
ranging from Spain to India, is typical of the group.
The order of Gallince includes the guinea, turkey, curassow,
guan, pheasant, and partridge, and contains a large propor¬
tion of those birds which are known as " game birds," alike
esteemed by the sportsman and the gourmand. They are
mainly terrestrial birds. Some of them roost in trees, but
during the day time live on the ground.
The curassows and guans belong exclusively to America,
ranging from Mexico across the Isthmus of Panama down to
the southern part of Brazil. They are large birds, living on
fruits and seeds, and are said to be very well adapted for the
55
table. They do not, however, breed with any facility in this
latitude. Among them are—
The Crested Curassow (Crax alec tor), Guiana.
Daubenton's Curassow (C. daubentoni), Central America.
The Globose Curassow (C. globicera), Central America.
Yarrell's Curassow (C. carunculata), Brazil.
Sclater's Curassow (C. sclateri), South America.
The Razor-billed Curassow (.Mitua tuberosa), Brazil.
The Galeated Curassow (Pauxi galeata), South America.
Greey's Guan (Penelope greeyi), New Granada.
The White-fronted Guan (P. jac-ucaca), Brazil.
The Red-breasted Guan (P. pileata), Brazil.
The Red-vented Guan (P. cristata), Central America.
•White-eyebrowed Guan (P. superciliaris).
The Motmot Guan ( Ortalida motmot), Guiana.
The Mexican Guan ((9. vetula), Central America.
The Wild Turkey (Meleagris gallopavo) of North Amer¬
ica ; the Guinea-fowl (Numida meleagris), originally from
Africa, but now domesticated all over the world ; the Vul-
turine GuinEa-fowl (JV. vulturina), an exceedingly rare
and beautiful species from eastern Africa; the Common Pea
Fowl (Pavo cristata), native to India, but, like the guinea,
naturalized everywhere; and the Javan Pea Fowl (P. mu-
ticus), from Java and the Malay Peninsula, distinguished from
the foregoing by the peculiar shape of the plumes on the head,
and by the rich green color on the breast—all belong to the
group of Pheasants (Phasianidce).
Sir Emerson Tennent states that the common pea fowl
abounds to such an extent in the Island of Ceylon that its
harsh cries at early morning are a great source of annoyance
to the inhabitants. He also adds that the bird, as known in
its domesticated state in other countries, gives but a very in¬
adequate idea of its size and magnificence when seen in its
native forests.
The Grouse are an allied group, generally distributed
throughout the northern hemisphere. A number of them are
natives of America, where they are commonly, though erro¬
neously, called Pheasant. They may always be distinguished
from pheasants, a number of which have within a few years
been domesticated in the United States, by the head, which
56
in the grouse is always densely feathered, while in the
pheasants there is usually more or less bare skin, often of a
bright color. The tarsus, or lower leg, in the grouse is
feathered down to the toes, this part in pheasants and quail
being always more or less naked.
The Ruffed Grouse (Bonasa umbellus) and the Pinnated
Grouse or Prairie Chicken (Cupidonia cupido) are two of
the best known species.
There is much confusion still existing among naturalists as
to the relationships which should properly be recognized be¬
tween the partridges found on the opposite sides of the At¬
lantic,—some holding them to be distinct sub-groups, while
others claim that the differences are not susceptible of defi¬
nition to the extent of warranting a separation.
Our well-known Common Partridge, Quail, or "Bob-
white," as it is frequently called (Ortyx virginianus), is the
most widely distributed species in North America, and has
several marked varieties in the south-west and in Cuba. The
female is lighter in color than the male, and has the buff of
the neck replaced by white.
On the Pacific coast several genera have the head beauti¬
fully ornamented with plumes of feathers rising in various
shapes. Examples of this form are the Plumed or Mount¬
ain Partridge (Oreoriyx pictus), the Valley Quail
(Lophortyx californicus), and Gambel's Quail (Z. gambelt),
from Arizona and New Mexico.
Others are found in South America, as the White-eared
Quail (Eupsychortyx leucotis).
The domestic fowl is the most widely distributed member
of the Gallincz, being spread in various breeds over the whole
world. The progenitor of this invaluable bird is supposed to
be the wild Bankiva Cock ( Gallus bankiva), which is a native
of India.
There are several species of tinamous in South America,
some of which, the Cinereous Tinamou (.Tinamus cinereus),
the Least Tinamou (Crypturuspileatus), which emits a pecu¬
liarly shrill and deafening cry, quite out of proportion to its
size, and the Variegated Tinamou (C. variegatus), are some¬
times in the collection. These birds present some peculi¬
arities of structure so strongly marked that they have been
placed in an order, Crypturi, by themselves. Mr. Darwin,
speaking of the tinamou in "The Zoology of the Voyage of
57
the Beagle," states that it approximates somewhat to the
habits of the grouse, but that it rarely rises from the ground,
and may be readily caught with a stick having a noose at the
end.
The order Steganopodes is composed of birds having all four
toes fully connected by webs. They all have a more or less
developed throat pouch; live upon fish, which they follow
and catch in its native element, and are rarely found far from
the sea-coast. Among the American representatives of the
group which are usually to be found here, are the Common
Gannet (Su la bass ana) and the Booby Gannet (S. fiber),
found along the Atlantic coast, the latter rarely ranging as
high as the Middle States, and the Common Cormorant
( Graculus carbo), which ranges along the Atlantic coast from
Labrador southward.
The strange-looking bird of this order, which is kept in
the fountain basin in the Aviary, is the Darter or Water
Turkey (Plotus anhinga). They are natives of the most im¬
penetrable swamps of the Gulf States, and are so difficult of
approach that their capture alive is an event of some rarity.
They commonly perch on a branch closely overhanging the
surface, and on the least alarm drop noiselessly into the
water, and swim away unnoticed. Nuttall says of this bird :—
" Its long and dark serpentine neck and small head, vibrating back¬
ward and forward, present entirely the appearance of a snake, whether
seen through the foliage of a tree, or emerging from the still and sluggish
stream in which it often swims, with the body wholly immersed to the
neck, and on being approached or startled, even that is instantly with¬
drawn, and sweeping beneath the flood in perfect silence, we at length
see it again rise at a distance which defies approach."
There are three or four allied species in Asia, Africa, and
Australia.
The Pelicans are well-known representatives of this group
of birds ; of them, the Garden has the following:—
Brown Pelican (Pelecanus fuscus), North America.
White Pelican {P. trachyrhynchus), North America.
Crested Pelican (P. crispus), Mediterranean Sea.
White Pelican (P. onocrotalus), Mediterranean Sea.
The last is a bird of remarkable beauty, the males being
tinted with an exquisite rosy shade over the body when fully
mature.
53
The American white pelican is peculiar in bearing near
the middle of the upper side of the bill, an excrescence, which
is shed at the close of the breeding season, about August, and
grows out again in the following spring. The crested peli¬
can, when adult, is the largest of these birds.
The Impennes, or wingless birds, are represented by the
penguins, which inhabit -the antarctic seas. In these birds
the wings are so small as to be useless for flight, and serve the
same purpose in swimming as the forelimbs of the seal.
They dive and swim under water with marvelous rapidity in
pursuit of the fish which is their chief food. But one speci¬
men of these interesting birds—the Black-footed Penguin
(Spheniscus demersus)—has as yet been obtained by the Society.
The Common Trumpeter (Psophia crepitans), Guiana.
The Green-winged Trumpeter (P. viridis), Brazil.
The Cayenne Rail (Aramides cayennensis), South America
and West Indies.
The Courlan (Aramusgiganteus), Florida and West Indies.
The Carolina Rail (Porzana Carolina), North America.
The Sickle-billed Curlew (.Numenius longirostris), North
America.
The Clapper Rail (Rallus longirostris), Eastern United
States.
The King Rail (R. elegans~), Eastern United States.
The Florida Gallinule ( Gallinula gale at a), Gulf States.
The Martinique Water Hen (.Porphyrio martinica),
Southern United States and West Indies.
The Black-backed Porphyrio (P. melanotus), Australia.
The Hyacinthine Porphyrio (i3. hyacinthinus), Europe
and Asia.
The Common Coot (.Fulica americana), North America,
and the American Woodcock (Philokela minor), Eastern
United States, all belong to the order Alectorides, including
also the cranes. They live along the borders of water¬
courses and streams or on the sea-shore, from which they
pick out the small fishes, insects, worms, and crustaceans,
which serve them as food.
59
No. 23.—THE SOUTHERN HAWK
AND OWL CAGES.
It is the intention of the Society to erect a series of
cages along the main walk below the Aviary for the collec¬
tion of the smaller birds of prey. At present only two
pairs of these enclosures have been completed, and the oc¬
cupants of these are treated of under the head of Eagle
Aviary. (See page 26.)
No. 27.—THE POLAR BEAR PEN.
This species (Ursus maritimus), is found throughout the arc¬
tic regions of Europe, Asia, and America, rarely ranging
below the fifty-fifth degree of latitude; how far to the north
they find their way is unknown. Sir Edward Parry saw them
at latitude eighty-two.
They measure sometimes nine feet in length, and are dan¬
gerous visitors when pressed, as they often are, by hunger, to
invade the camps of sailors, ice bound in the northern seas.
They live on fish, seals, and blubber, and being perfectly at
home in the water, pursue their prey and capture it in its
native element. The following account is given by an arctic
explorer of the cunning displayed by this animal in procur¬
ing food:—
" The Bear, on seeing his intended prey, gets quietly into the water and
swims until to leeward of him, whence by short dives he silently makes
his approach, and so arranges his distance that at the last dive he comes
to the spot where the seal is lying. If the poor animal attempts to escape
by rolling into the water, he falls into the bear's clutches; if, on the con¬
trary, he lies still, his destroyer makes a powerful spring, kills him on the
ice, and devours him at leisure."
In captivity these animals live mostly on bread, with an
occasional meal of fish.
No. 11.—THE LAKE.
The Lake is occupied by a number of aquatic birds,
mostly belonging to the order Anseres. The following are
usually to be seen :—
The Mute Swan {Cygnus olor), Europe.
The Black Swan (C. atratus), Australia.
6o
The Whistling Swan (C. americanus), North America.
The Trumpeter Swan (C. buccinator), Western North
America.
The Black-Necked Swan (C. nigricollis), South America.
The Magpie Goose (Anseranas melanoleucus), Australia.
The Egyptian Goose (Chenalopex cegyptiaca), Africa.
The Blue Goose (Anser cczrulescens), North America.
The Snow Goose (A. hyperboreus), North America.
The White-Fronted Goose (A. albifrons gambeli), North
America.
The Chinese Goose {A. cygnoides), China.
The Bar-headed Goose (A. indicus), India.
The Brant Goose (.Bernicla brenta), Europe and North
America.
The Canada Goose (B. canadensis), North America.
The Bernicle Goose (B. leucopsis), Europe.
The Maned Goose (B. jubatd), Australia.
The Common Sheldrake (Tadorna tadornd), Europe and
Asia.
The Ruddy Sheldrake {T. casarca), Southern Europe,
Asia, and Africa.
The Mallard (Anas boschas), North America, Europe, and
Asia.
The Dusky or Black Duck (A. obscura), North America.
The Pintail Duck (.Dafila acuta), Europe and North
America.
The American Widgeon (Mareca americana), North
America.
The European Widgeon (M. penelope), Europe.
The Canvas-backed Duck (Fuligula vallisneria), North
America.
The Red-headed Duck (F. ferina atnericana), North
America.
The Little Black-headed Duck (F. affinis), North
America.
The Tufted Duck (F. cristata), Europe.
The Eider Duck (,Somateria mollissima), North Atlantic.
61
The last species, which yields much of the famous eider
down, is found along the arctic coast of Europe and America.
On the North Atlantic coast of this continent it sometimes
winters as far south as New England. The down is plucked
from the breast of the living bird and is very valuable. It is
obtained, also, by robbing the nests, which the female parent
lines with down, which, with her bill, she pulls from her own
breast to make a soft resting-place for her offspring.
Adjoining the Lake, on the western side, is—
No. 28.—THE STREAM FOR WATER
FOWL,
in which some of the ducks and geese enumerated above,
which require special care and seclusion for their welfare, are
kept.
No. 9.—THE PHEASANT ENCLOSURE.
The true pheasants are indigenous to Asia and its islands ;
but the matchless beauty of their plumage, and the delicate
quality of their flesh, have caused some of them to be largely
introduced into Europe. The bird now known as the En¬
glish Pheasant (.Phasianus colchicus) originally came from
western Asia, and is believed to have been introduced into
England about the close of the tenth century. It has long
been perfectly naturalized, and is one of the most beautiful of
the family. The Ring-necked Pheasant (.Phasianus torqua-
tus) has also long been domesticated in England, and bred
largely with the common pheasant; most of the birds known
as ring-necked pheasants are the result of such a cross, in
which the first-named bird seems to preponderate, the hybrids
differing little in appearance from the original stock. Many
of the pheasants have those feathers which lie immediately
around the base of the tail—known as the upper tail coverts—
immensely elongated, forming a large fan, like the train of the
peacock, which they have the power to erect at will, thus ex¬
posing a surface of brilliant and beautiful coloring, which in
many species is without parallel in the animal kingdom.
These plumes are developed to this extent only in the males,
and from the fact of their being displayed frequently in the
62
presence of the female during the breeding season, it is
supposed that they play an important part in attracting her
at this period.
One of the most beautiful of these birds is Reeves' Pheas¬
ant {P. reevesi), in the male of which the tail sometimes
reaches a length of six feet, of which, as well as the Japanese
Pheasant (P. versicolor), the collection contains specimens.
The Silver Pheasant (.Euplocamus nycthemerus), the
Golden Pheasant (Thaumaleapicta), and Amherst's Pheas¬
ant (T7. antherstice) are natives of China, but have largely
been acclimated elsewhere.
The magnificent Argus Pheasant (Argusianus argus) rivals
the pea fowl in the display of feathers made by the male
during the breeding season, and although the colors of the
elongated feathers of the tail and wings are not brilliant as
in the peacock, the quiet elegance of the pattern and shades
borne by them constitute them an object of rare beauty.
This species is found in Siam, Sumatra, and other parts of
the Malayan region, but they are extremely delicate, rarely
live long in captivity, and are not often seen in collections.
No. 29.—THE LYNX CAGE.
The Common American Lynx or Wild Cat {Lynx rufus)
is distributed generally over the United States, and varies in
color to so great an extent that different naturalists have in¬
sisted upon three or four not very well-defined species within
the range of its distribution. Though in appearance it is
ferocious to the last degree, it is in reality a cowardly beast,
and subsists altogether upon small animals and birds.
In most localities it is known as the Catamount.
In the north it is replaced by the Canada Lynx (Z. cana¬
densis), of somewhat larger size and grayer color. This
species may also be known by the long tufts or pencils of hair
which stand erect from the tip of the ear, and by its larger
feet. As this lynx is found far to the north among the snows
of British America, it is undoubtedly true that nature—fitting
all things for their necessities—has developed the enormous
paw which is characteristic of the species, to answer the part
of a snow-shoe in enabling the animal to range at will and
capture its prey on the surface of the snow, without sinking
enough to be impeded in its progress.
^3
Like all the animals inhabiting the extreme north, which
depend on an external covering for warmth, the fur of the
Canada lynx is exceedingly long and thick.
These cats are among the most wild and shy of animals,
and the publicity to which they are exposed in collections is
probably the main reason why it seems impossible to keep
them with success.
No. 14.—THE DEER PARK.
The Moose (A/ces machlis), called "elk" in northern
Europe, is the largest of the deer family, often exceeding in
height the largest horse. A specimen recently mounted for
the Museum of the Academy of Natural Sciences, in this
city, measured six feet ten and one-half inches in height
at the shoulder. This magnificent animal formerly ranged
into the upper parts of the Eastern and Middle States,
but its numbers have lessened rapidly, and at present it is
rarely found below the northern part of Maine, from whence
they range into all parts of British America.
The antlers of the moose, at their fullest development, are
very widely palmated or flattened, and spread as much as five
feet from tip to tip. As with all of the deer family, these
enormous horns are shed every year, early in the spring, and
are very shortly reproduced by deposit from the blood. It
is almost beyond belief that so great a mass, weighing from
forty to sixty pounds, can be produced by such a process
within the short space of from ten to twelve weeks. During
the season of rutting the bull moose is a savage and danger¬
ous animal, and it is well to keep beyond the reach of the ter¬
rible blows which he deals with his sharp forehoofs. The
animal is, however, susceptible of a considerable degree of
domestication, the writer having recently seen one which
had been broken to harness and trotted on the track. The
gait of the animal is a long, swinging trot, and is very rapid.
Numerous attempts have been made in the Garden to keep
specimens of the Woodland Caribou (Rangifer tarandus),
but in all cases the unsuitable climate and the impossibility of
providing the proper food have proved speedily fatal. The
animal has an extremely northern range. There are two
species, the one referred to reaching from Maine and New
Brunswick westward to Lake Superior, and the Barren Land
Caribou (R. grcenlandicus), far to the north in Greenland
64
the woodland caribou.
and Arctic America. They subsist for the most part on
lichens, mosses, and small shoots and twigs of trees.
This is the only member of the deer family in which the
female as well as the male has antlers. These are very irreg¬
ular in development, and differ much in shape; the tip and
also the brow antler are generally palmated to some extent.
The caribou is probably identical with the reindeer of
Europe, and by training might be made useful to the Esqui¬
maux as the latter is among the Lapps.
The Virginia Deer (Cariacus virginianus) is the common
deer of the United States, and is found throughout North
America; the so-called "white-tailed" deer of the west
being indistinguishable from eastern specimens. They are
easily tamed, and breed with tolerable readiness.
In Mexico they become much smaller in accordance with
a law general among North American herbivora, that the av-
65
erage size of a species becomes lessened towards the south.
Several specimens of these small deer are in the collection.
The Mule Deer (C*. macrolis) is found west of the Mis¬
souri river, where it is almost universally known as the
"black tail," though wrongly so, as the true Black-tailed
Deer (C. columbianus) is known only through a limited
region to the north-west of the main mountain ranges. The
former, intermediate in size between the common deer and
the elk, but differing from both in form of antlers, is com¬
monly found at present high up in the mountains, while the
common species seem rather to affect lower pastures and
heavily-timbered river bottoms. The range of either, however,
depends much upon the available food supply and the season
of the year.
The mule deer, like most herbivora from the far west, does
not thrive when brought to this region, and much care is re¬
quired to successfully raise the young.
The Hog Deer (Cervus porcinus) of India, derives its
name from a somewhat porcine expression of countenance
which is at once recognized. Close by, in an adjoining en¬
closure, is the Japanese Deer (C. sika), a small and hardy
species, which has but recently been introduced into the
Garden.
The Fallow Deer (C.. dama) is the common deer of
Europe. Its color is usually reddish-brown, spotted, like the
axis, with white. It is liable to variation, however, some of
those in the Garden being pure white.
The Roe (C. capreolus) is also found throughout Europe,
and though of small size, is one of the most graceful and
beautiful of its kind.
The llamas, which are kept in this park, belong to the
Camelidce, and to a certain extent fill in South America the
place which is held by the camels in Asia and Africa. They
have long been domesticated, as Pizarro, on his conquest of
Peru, found them in as general use as they are at the present
time.
There are several wild species—the others, so far as is
known, being descendants of the wild stock.
66
The Llama {Lama peruana) is much used by the natives of
Peru to transport burdens up the steep passes of the Andes,
and is one of the domestic races.
Among the wild ones are the Huanaco (Z. huanacos),
about the size of the llama, but of a reddish-brown color,
and the Vicuna (Z. vicugna), a smaller variety, covered with
reddish-brown wool. These, like the Alpaca (Z. pacos), are
much hunted for the valuable wool which they yield. They
are domesticated with ease, and the llama has bred several
times in the Garden.
In the creek back of the Deer Park are usually a number of
birds, some of which are placed in different buildings during
the winter.
The Summer or Wood DxiC¥L(Aix sponsa) of North Amer¬
ica, the beautiful Mandarin DucK(y/. galericulata) of China,
the Common Teal (Querquedula crecca), and the Garganey
67
Teal (Q. circia), both of Europe, the Green-winged Teal
(Q. carolinensis) and Blue winged Teal (Q. discors) of
our own country will be seen occupying one of the small
enclosures.
The summer duck differs from all the other true ducks of
this country in its habit of living in trees,—its nest being
commonly made in a hollow limb at a considerable distance
from the ground. A group known as Tree Ducks, approach¬
ing somewhat to the geese, are found through the warmer parts
of the earth. The White-faced Tree Duck (Dendrocygna
viduata), the Red-billed Tree Duck (D. autumnalis), the
Black-billed Tree Duck (D. arborea), and the Indian Tree
Duck (D. arcuata) are members of this group.
The Cariama Crane (Cariama cristata), South America.
The Australian Crane, or Native Companion (Grus aus-
tralasiana), Australia.
The Whooping Crane ( G. americana), North America.
The Sandhill Crane ( G. canadensis), North America.
The Sarus Crane (G. antigone), India.
The Cape Crowned Crane (Balaerica reguloruni), South
Africa.
The Crowned Crane (B. pavonina), West Africa.
The Demoiselle Crane (Anthropoides virgo), North Africa.
The Wood Ibis (Tantalus loculator), Southern United
States.
The White Ibis (Ibis alba), Gulf States.
The Scarlet Ibis (/. rubra), South America.
The Common Bittern (Botaurus minor), North America.
The Tiger Bittern (Tigrosoma brasiliense), Brazil.
The Boat-Billed Heron (Cancroma cochlearia), South
America.
The Night Heron (Nycticorax griseus ncevius), United
States.
The Great White Egret (Ardea egretta), Southern
United States.
The Great Blue Heron (A. herodias), North America.
The Little Blue Heron (.A. carulea), Southern United
States.
The Least Bittern (A. exilis), United States.
68
The Australian Sacred Ibis (Ibis strictipennis), which is
closely similar to the African bird formerly venerated by the
Egyptians.
These all belong to two somewhat closely related orders,.
Alectorides and Herodiones. In them the legs are usually of
great length, and are commonly bare of feathers for some
distance above the tarsal joint; the neck is, in most species,
of length proportioned to the legs. There are numerous
forms distributed all over the world.
The Adjutant (.Leptoptilus argala) of India is one of the
extensive family of storks, which are found throughout the
world, with the exception of North America ; it will be easily
recognized by its long, thick bill. In its native country it
wages successful war upon the many venomous reptiles which
there find a home, and also performs a part similar to that
which is effectively taken in our Southern States by the black
vulture. This is well stated in Jerdon's " Birds of India " :—
" In Calcutta and some other large towns, the Adjutant is a familiar
bird, unscared by the near approach of man or dog, and protected, in some
cases, by law. It is an efficient scavenger, attending the neighborhood
of slaughter-houses, and especially the burning-grounds of the Hindoos,
when the often half-burnt carcasses are thrown into the river. It also dili¬
gently looks over the heaps of refuse and offal thrown out into the streets
to await the arrival of the scavenger's cart, where it may be seen in com-
the australian crane.
6g
pany with dogs, kites, and crows. It likes to vary its food, however, and
may often be seen searching ditches, pools of water, and tanks for frogs
and fish. In the Deccan it soars to an immense height in the air along
with vultures, ready to descend on any carcass that may be discovered. "
A smaller species, otherwise much like the preceding, is the
Javan Adjutant (L. javaniens).
The White Stork (Ciconia alba) is also a well-known
species, being a common summer resident in the central parts
of Europe, particularly in Holland and Germany, retiring
into Asia and Africa at the approach of winter. It is almost
a household bird, living even in the midst of large cities, and
in parts of Germany is regarded with superstitious reverence.
With it, in the Garden, is associated the Black Stork (C.
nigra), from the same localities.
A rare species from west Africa, the Saddle-billed Stork
(Xenorhynchus senegalensis), is also to be seen in the collection.
The Fulmar Petrel (Fulmaris glacialis), the Parasitic
Jaeger Gull (Stercorariusparasiticus), the Laughing Gull
(Larus atricilia), and the Great Black-backed Gull (Z.
marinus) are members of the order Gavice, and are found
along the coast of the Atlantic States ; the first two have a
very extensive range to the north.
the alligator.
The large Alligator {Alligator mississippiensis) is generally
to be seen during warm weather in one of the compartments
of this creek, either sunning himself on the bank or sub¬
merged in the water, nothing being visible but the tips of the
ridges over the eye and the protuberance around the nostrils
7°
on the extreme end of the snout. This species is found in the
rivers and bayous of the Gulf States, and is allied to the cro¬
codile and gavial of Egypt and southern Asia, and the cai¬
man and jacare of South America. One species of Croco¬
dile ( Crocodilus americanus) is also found in South America
and Cuba, and quite rarely among the Keys which border the
southern coast of Florida.
No. 16.—THE CAMEL, ELK, AND
BUFFALO PENS.
The Bactrian, or Double-humped Camel (Camelus
bactrianus), and the Common Camel or Dromedary (C.
dromedarius) are both originally natives of Asia, where they
now exist only under the subjection of man. The Bactrian
camel comes from the high, cold plains of Tartary, and is a
more compact and powerful beast than the dromedary, which
comes from the warmer climate of Arabia, and is lighter and
more fleet of foot. They are much used in the sandy deserts
of Arabia and northern Africa—nature having specially fitted
their feet, like those of the ostrich, to the loose soil on which
they walk, and also having provided them with a means of trav¬
eling for several days without requiring a fresh supply of water,
part of the walls of the stomach supporting a double tissue,
filled with cells, which absorb from the stomach, after drinking,
a quantity of water sufficient to remain for some days as a reser¬
voir, from which the necessities of the animal may be supplied.
A number of camels were imported by the United States Gov¬
ernment, some years ago, with the idea of making them avail¬
able in military operations in the West; but owing to the stony
nature of much of the soil, for which their feet are not adapt¬
ed, the experiment was not altogether successful. A few
years ago some of their descendants were said to exist in
a wild state on the dry plains of Arizona, south of the Gila
river.
Fossil remains of members of the Camelidce. have been
found in the United States, thus proving that they were once
indigenous to this country.
The American Elk, or Wapiti (Cervus canadensis), is
about the largest of the typical deer, Judge Caton describing
one, which lived for some time in his park in Illinois, that
THE AMERICAN ELK.
stood sixteen hands high at the withers, and was estimated to
weigh nine hundred pounds ; the average weight, however,
of a full-grown bull would probably not be over six hundred.
The wapiti ranged originally all over North America, and a
large part of Canada; forty years ago a few were found in the
mountains of western Virginia and the wildest parts of New
York, but civilization has gradually driven it, like the buffalo
and the Indian, to a few fastnesses in the far west, where
they yet make a stand before the final extermination which
72
seems inevitably to await them. At the present time they
range in small herds from the upper waters of the Missouri
southward through the Rocky mountains. In the Yellow¬
stone National Park, where all animals are protected by
law, they abound. They are readily kept, living on almost
any kind of vegetable food, and are hardy and little liable
to disease. Save in exceptional cases, and during the season
of rutting, they are tractable and easily managed.
It is a significant fact, illustrating the great principle of
inheritance in animals, that the only species of ungulates from
the western part of the American continent which have yet
been successfully domesticated east of the region of the great
plains, are the elk and the buffalo, and in each of these cases
their progenitors, but a few generations back, ranged nearly,
if not quite, to the Atlantic coast.
The American Bison or Buffalo (Bison americanus) may
be observed to very good advantage in the large pen adjoining
the wapiti.
Of the geographical distribution of this species, past and
present, Prof. J. A. Allen treats as follows in a " History of
the bison.
73
the American Bison," published by the Department of the
Interior in 1877 :—
" The habitat of the Bison formerly extended from Great Slave Lake,
on the north, in latitude about 62°, to the north-eastern provinces of
Mexico, as far south as latitude 250. Its range in British North America
extended from the Rocky mountains on the west to the wooded highlands
about six hundred miles west of Hudson's Bay, or about to a line running
south-eastward from the Great Slave Lake to the Lake of the Woods. Its
range in the United States formerly embraced a considerable area west of
the Rocky mountains—its recent remains having been found in Oregon as
far west as the Blue mountains, and further south it occupied the Great
Slave Lake basin, extending westward even to the Sierra Nevada mount¬
ains, while less than fifty years since it existed over the headwaters of the
Green and Grand rivers, and other sources of the Colorado. East of the
Rocky mountains its range extended southward far beyond the Rio Grande,
and eastward through the region drained by the Ohio and its tributaries.
Its northern limit, east of the Mississippi, was the great lakes, along which
it extended to near the eastern end of Lake Erie. It appears not to have
occurred south of the Tennessee river, and only to a limited extent east
of the Alleghenies, chiefly in the upper districts of North and South
Carolina.
" Its present range embraces two distinct and comparatively small areas.
The southern is chiefly limited to western Kansas, a part of the Indian
Territory, and north-western Texas—in all together embracing a region
about equal in size to the present State of Kansas. The northern district
extends from the sources of the principal southern tributaries of the Yel¬
lowstone northward into the British possessions, embracing an area not
much greater than the present territory of Montana. Over these regions,
however, it is rapidly disappearing, and at its present rate of decrease will
certainly become wholly extinct within the next quarter of a century."
Over nearly the whole of this country the bison formerly
ranged in vast herds, and the destructive side of man's nature
cannot be better realized than in contemplating the details
of its destruction. It has been estimated by careful and
competent authorities, that from the year 1870 to 1875
they were killed at the rate of two and one-half millions a
year.
The due result of this prodigious and unchecked slaughter
has already been reached, as it is now almost possible to say
that the bison no longer exists outside of preserves, such
as the Yellowstone National Park and private parks; else¬
where there being but a few scattered individuals, eking
out the remnant of a precarious existence, harassed on
the one side by the cattleman and by the pot-hunter on the
other.
74
No. 17.—THE FOX AND WOLF PENS.
The Red Fox ( Canis vulpes fulvus) ranges in large numbers
from the Carolinas northward into Canada, and from the
Atlantic coast to the Missouri river. It is subject to much
variation—the Cross Fox, a beautiful animal marked with
two black stripes crossing each other on the shoulders, found
from Canada into New York, and occasionally into Pennsyl¬
vania, and the Silver Fox, found sparingly in the north¬
western States—both being well-marked varieties. The latter
is known by the beautiful and expensive furs which it supplies.
The Gray Fox (C. virginianus) has a complete range
throughout the United States, increasing in numbers to¬
wards the south, where it gradually replaces the red fox,
which it much resembles in mode of life. This species alone,
among the dog tribe, has the habit of climbing trees when
closely pursued.
With the single exception of the little Coast Fox (C. vir¬
ginianus littoralis), from lower California and Central Amer¬
ica, the Kit or Swift Fox (C. velox) is the smallest of
American foxes, and is confined to the plains of the west.
The Arctic Fox QC. lagopus) is common to the polar
regions of the north, in both hemispheres. Like many species
which inhabit countries where the ground is covered with snow
for a large part of the year, the fur of the arctic fox changes
from a lead-brown color to white at the approach of winter.
This provision of nature causes it to be less conspicuous
against the snow and ice which surround it, and greatly aids
it in obtaining food, as well as in escaping the necessity of
serving as such to swifter and more powerful animals.
The Great Gray or Timber Wolf, called Lobo by the
Mexicans (Canis lupis occidentalism, is the largest of American
wolves, and formerly ranged over the whole United States
and Canada. The settlement of the country has, however,
driven them, with other noxious beasts, to the more secluded
forests-and plains, where they are beyond the reach of man.
The common color of the species is grayish-white, but it varies
all the way from pure white to deep black.
The Common Wolf (C. lupus) of Europe resembles the
gray wolf,
7 5
The Prairie Wolf or Cayote (C. lafrans) is well known
to all western travelers. Beyond the Missouri river they
range _in packs of from five or six to twenty, from Mexico
well up into British America. They are intermediate in size
between the fox and gray wolf, and live mostly on the carcasses
which are found upon the plains.
Melanistic specimens of this animal, and also of the timber
wolf, several of which are almost entirely black, are in the
collection.
The Jackal plays in Africa the part taken in America by
the cayote. Several species are at present in the collection.
The North African Jackal (Cam's anthus) and the Black-
backed (C. mesomelas.)
South America possesses several species of small wolves, very
fox-like in some of their characters. By some naturalists they
have been constituted a group intermediate between the two.
the prairie wolf,
76
Azara's Fox (C. azarce) and the Crab-eating Fox (C. can--
crivorus) belong to this group.
The Dingo, or Wild Dog (C. dingo), of Australia was for¬
merly supposed to be an aboriginally wild stock, but they are
now taken to be descended from imported progenitors,
which ran wild and have increased with great rapidity. They
are wild, cowardly brutes, susceptible of little domestication,
and cause by their depredations much loss to the sheep-raisers
of Australia.
The dogs, wolves, and foxes, with the jackals, constitute a
family of Carnivora known as the Canidce.
No. 18.—THE WINTER HOUSE,
for tropical plants, is used merely to keep during cold
weather those plants for which our winters are too severe for
outdoor exposure. Being only a sort of storage-house, it is
not open to visitors.
No. 19.—THE CATTLE PENS.
Opposite the wolves is an iron enclosure divided into pens
in which are generally kept various members of the ox and
deer families.
The Red Deer or Stag (Cervus elaphus) of Europe is kept
in one of these enclosures. This animal is closely similar to
the wapiti, but is of smaller size and less imposing aspect.
The Domestic Goat (Capra hircus) is represented by many
different breeds in all parts of the world. The Society has
several times exhibited specimens of the celebrated Cashmere
Goat. These animals are natives of Thibet and the adjacent
countries, and are bred for the long, silky hair which covers
them, and from which the famous Cashmere shawls and scarfs
are made. They have been domesticated with some success
both in Europe and this country.
The Ibex (Capra ibex) of the Swiss Alps is a type of the
wild goats, and is remarkable for its large and powerful horns,
curving backwards fully three feet in some specimens. They
are exceedingly wary animals and live high up among the
77
rugged mountains, which they inhabit in company with another
well-known member of the same tribe, the Chamois (Rupi-
capra tragus), of which the Garden lately contained a speci¬
men.
The qualities of nerve, coolness, and marksmanship neces¬
sary to hunt these animals successfully, formerly rendered
their chase a favorite sport with the hardy Swiss mountaineers,
but they are now completely protected by law, with the ob¬
ject of preserving the few which still exist.
Another species, which was formerly common throughout
the Grecian Archipelago, now seems to be restricted to Crete,
Ioura, and other of the smaller Cyclades. This goat (C.
cegagrus) was frequently referred to by Homer, and is prob¬
ably the ancestor of the domestic animal, and it is by no
means certain that the specimens now found in the islands
referred to are not the progeny of the common form, run
wild.
The Indian Buffalo (Bubelus buffelus) has been domesti¬
cated for ages in its native country, but is also found there
in a wild state. The wild ones, called Arna, are fond of the
impenetrable, swampy jungles, common in southern Asia.
The Bhainsa, or tame race, are largely used as working oxen,
not only in their own country, but in southern Europe—the
buffalo found on the Campagna, near Rome, being of this
breed.
The Zebu (.Bos indicus). A number of breeds of these
cattle exist throughout China, India, and north Africa, vary¬
ing in size from that of a calf to the full adult of our ordinary
domestic cattle. They differ much in appearance, there be¬
ing breeds without horns, and some almost without the char¬
acteristic hump on the shoulders, while in others the horns
are of great size, and some in which the hump weighs from
forty to fifty pounds.
The life of the zebu is held sacred among the Hindoos,
and it is not uncommon for a particularly fine bull to be con¬
secrated to the worship of Siva, and then turned loose to do
as he pleases among the natives, whose gardens he destroys
and whose homes he invades with perfect impunity.
They are much used as beasts of burden, and are also sad¬
dled and ridden. They can be acclimated in this country
78
with a little care and breed readily, but have not been found
to be of much economic value in comparison with the com¬
monly established breeds of our own cattle. The Society
now possesses quite a herd of the ordinary variety, and a
magnificent bull of the large, lop-eared breed, jet black in
color, contrary to the rule of his race, which are generally
of a mouse-gray.
The Yak {Bison grunniens), in a wild state is native to the
high mountain ranges and plateaus of Thibet and Tartary.
There are several domestic breeds used all over central Asia for
purposes of draught and burden. The long hair is much used
in the manufacture of various fabrics, and the tails are much
prized by the Tartars and Chinese, constituting among the
former an insignia of rank when attached to the head of a
the prong-horned antelope.
79
lance ; by the Chinese they are dyed of various colors and
used as fly-flappers.
The wild yak is a somewhat sullen and ill-tempered brute,
and can use its long horns sideways with great effect.
The Prong-horned Antelope (Antilocapra americana) is
remarkable on account of the formation of its horns in a
manner peculiar to itself alone. The horns of this species
resemble in appearance those of the hollow-horned ruminants,
in which the external covering of horny material grows around
a solid, bony core. These horns are never shed, and are not
replaced if lost by accident. In this antelope, however, the
outside horny part is shed and replaced, it is thought by some
naturalists, annually, as in the deer; but with the important
difference, that in the deer the antler is formed directly by a
deposit from the blood, while in the antelope in question it
is produced by growth and hardening of the epidermis or
outer layer of the skin. The species is now confined to the
plains of the temperate regions of the west, where they are
becoming scarce. They are easily tamed, but are very deli¬
cate, and will not live for any length of time under restraint
of any character.
The Domestic Sheep (Ovis aries), like the goat in its
domesticated forms, is an inhabitant of the whole world.
The Rocky Mountain Sheep (Ovis cervina) was a former
frequenter of the whole chain of the Rocky mountain sys¬
tem, and those of the Pacific coast from Alaska to the Penin¬
sula of lower California and western Texas. He was even
found in outlying spurs and ranges in Wyoming and Mon¬
tana, and in the Bad Lands along the Little Missouri river,
in Dakota, but through all this vast region he has become
scarce, except, perhaps, in Alaska. The few survivors have
become wild and shy, ranging high up in rough mountains,
where they are difficult of approach. They have never been
domesticated with success, and few of them have been shown
in captivity.
Another fine species is the Punjab Wild Sheep (Ovis cy-
cloceros), from the Himalayas of India, of which the Garden
contains a specimen.
8o
No. 30.—THE SMALL MAMMAL
HOUSE.
This building was formerly used for general storage, but
the necessities of the collection became so pressing that in
1887 it was altered to its present condition, and although still
too small, contains a number of the smaller mammals which
require shelter and warmth during our winters.
The Viverridce is a large family of carnivorous mammals of
small size, all resembling more or less the civets in appear¬
ance and habits; they are of active and graceful movements,
many of them living much among trees; all feeding upon
smaller quadrupeds, birds, eggs, and reptiles. They chiefly
inhabit Africa and Southern Asia, two species being found
in Europe.
Among them are the African Civet (Viverra civetta),
the Indian Civet (Viverricula indica), the Common Genet
(Genetfa vulgaris) of Southern Europe and Africa, the Palm
Cat (.Paradoxurus musanga), the Common Paradoxure
{P. typus), the Two-spotted Paradoxure ('Nandinia bino-
tafa), the Gray Ichneumon (Herpestes griseus) from India
and the surrounding islands, the Egyptian Ichneumon (h
ichneumon), the Dusty Ichneumon (H. pulverulentus) from
South Africa, the Spanish Ichneumon (ZT. widdringtoni'),
and the beautiful Civet Cat or Ring-tailed Bassaris
{Bassaris astutd) of Texas and Mexico. It is probable that
the latter animal possesses affinities which ally it more
closely with the coatis and raccoons than with the Viver¬
ridce, among which it has heretofore been classed.
The ichneumons are fierce and blood-thirsty little ani¬
mals, and a number of the common Indian species were im¬
ported a few years ago into the island of Jamaica, to rid the
colony of the enormous numbers of rats which infested the
plantations of sugar cane. The experiment seems to have
been successful, as the animals have become fully acclimated.
The coati will be readily recognized by its long, pointed
snout. There are two species, the White-nosed Coati
(.Nastia narica) and the Ring-tailed Coati (A7", rufd),
which range from Mexico through Central into South Amer¬
ica. These animals are allied by many points of structure to
the bears and raccoons, and have been placed in the same
family as the latter.
8i
The Kinkajou (Cercoleptes caudivolvulus), an inhabitant
of sub-tropical America, is a very pretty member of this
group. It is of gentle disposition and makes an interesting
pet.
Another large family of the smaller carnivora is the Mus-
telidcz, which are largely represented in the New World ; most
of the fur-bearing animals, such as the otter, mink, sable,
marten, and skunk being found within its limits. Some of
the South American forms, as the Tayra (Galictis barbara)
and Grison (G. vittatd), which require artificial warmth in
winter, are kept in this building.
A curious member of the dog tribe, from China and North¬
eastern Asia, the Raccoon-like Dog (Cam's procynides), is
also to be seen here.
Among the Insectivora, a rare and curious animal is the
Solenodon (Solenodon cubanus), from Cuba, nearly related
to the shrews. The specimen in one of the back cages has
been in the garden for a number of years and has endured
captivity better than is common with the animals of its kind.
It is fond of rooting in a box of soft vegetable mold with
which its cage is supplied, and feeds greedily on worms, finely-
chopped meat, and bread and milk.
The Rodentia is a very large order, characterized by the
absence of canine teeth and the development of the incisors
to so great a degree that they resemble chisels, and are used
by the animal for the purpose of cutting wood and other hard
substances, from which is derived their name—Rodentia or
gnawers. Representatives of this order are found all over
the world, North America having a large proportion of the
whole number of species. Many of the occupants of this
building belong to this group ; among them are generally
the Punctated Agouti (Dasyprocta punctata) from Central
America, the Golden Agouti (D. aguti), the Mexican
Agouti (Z>. mexicand), the Olive Agouti or Acouchy (D.
acouchy) from South America and the West Indies, the Paca
or Spotted Cavy ( Ctzlogenys paca), and Fournier's Capromys
( Capromys pi lor ides).
The African Porcupine (.Hystrix cristata), the Javan
Porcupine (ZT. javanica), the White-haired Porcupine
(.Erethizon dorsatus), and the Yellow-haired Porcupine
(_E. dorsatus epixanthus)—the two last from North America
82
—are all quiet, retiring rodents, living on roots and veg¬
etables or the bark of trees. The spines which take, in part,
the place of hair in the porcupine, are loosely rooted in the
skin, and readily come off in the mouths of such animals as
may attack them, thus forming a terrible means of defense to
the animal. The ease with which these spines are detached
has, without doubt, given rise to the fable that the porcupine
was able to shoot forth its quills, like arrows, against its foes.
The African Brush-tailed Porcupine(Atherura africana)
and the Brazilian Tree Porcupine (Syntheres prehensilis)
are also kept here.
The Viscacha (Lagostomus trichodactylus), a burrowing
rodent from La Plata, closely related to the chinchilla, is
stated by Mr. Darwin to have a curious habit of piling up
around the mouth of its burrow all objects of a hard charac¬
ter which may be found in the neighborhood. So marked is
this peculiarity that travelers, losing some small article upon
the road, retrace their steps and examine every viscacha hole
in the vicinity, generally with the result of finding the miss¬
ing object.
The Vulpine Phalanger (Phalangista vulpina) and the
Yellow-bellied Phalanger (Belideus flaviventer) are small
vegetable-eating marsupials (see page 43) from Australia;
they live almost entirely among the trees and are strictly
nocturnal, being found in the daytime with head's bent down
and noses stowed away between their forefeet.
Another interesting marsupial from the same region is the
Hairy-nosed Wombat (Phascolomys latifrons). They are
slow, sluggish animals, somewhat resembling the badger in
appearance. They burrow in the ground and spend the day
in strict retirement, coming out to feed only at night. In
conformity with their natural habit, those in the Garden rarely
awake until late in the afternoon. They feed altogether on
vegetable substances, and delight in picking the tops out of a
bunch of clover hay.
Other species are the Common Womb\t (P. wombaf) and
the Platyrhine Wombat (P. platyrhina), both of which
have been exhibited on previous occasions.
The Indian Fruit Bats {Pteropus medius), known also by
the names of rousette bat and flying fox, belong to the order
Cheiroptera. They exist in large numbers in India and the
83
neighboring islands, where they grow to a very large size, the
expanded wings sometimes measuring four or five feet from tip
to tip. Sir Emerson Tennent gives the following account of
some of their habits:—
" A favorite resort of these bats is to the lofty India-rubber trees, which
on one side overhang the Botanic Garden of Paradenia, in the vicinity of
Kandy. Thither for some years past they have congregated, chiefly in the
autumn, taking their departure when the figs of the Ficus elastica are con¬
sumed. Here they hang in such prodigious numbers that frequently large
branches give way beneath their accumulated weight.
" Every forenoon, generally between the hours of 9 and 11 A. M., they
take to wing, apparently for exercise, and possibly to sun their wings and
fur and dry them after the dews of early morning. On these occasions
their numbers are quite surprising, flying as thick as bees or midges.
" After these recreations they hurry back to their favorite trees, chatter¬
ing and screaming like monkeys, and always wrangling and contending
angrily for the most shady and comfortable places in which to hang for the
rest of the day protected from the sun.
" The branches they resort to soon become almost divested of leaves,
these being stripped off by the action of the bats attaching and detaching
themselves by means of their hooked feet. At sunset they fly off to their
feeding-grounds, probably at a considerable distance, as it requires a large
area to furnish sufficient food for such multitudes."—Natural History of
Ceylon.
When at rest, the fruit bat hangs head downward, by one
foot, wrapping itself tightly in the folds of its wings.
They are also found in Africa and Madagascar.
The Society has exhibited a number of specimens, but they
cannot be seen to advantage in captivity, as during the whole
of the day, they hang, as described above, almost concealed
from view within their wings.
The North American bats belong to the insectivorous
branch of the order. The most common species in the East¬
ern and Middle States are the New York Bat (Atalapha
noveboracensis) and the Little Brown Bat ( Vespertilio sub-
ulatus). In spite of the almost universal disgust with which
they are regarded, they are harmless little beasts, and are of
great service in destroying numbers of noisome insects.
Other mammals kept in this building during cold weather
are the Peba Armadillo (Tatusia fieba), the Hairy Arma¬
dillo (Dasypus villosus), the Six-banded Armadillo (D.
sex-cinctus), and the Nine-banded Armadillo (D. novem-
cinctus). The armadillos belong to the order Edentata—so
called from the imperfections of their supply of teeth. They
live in the warmer portions of the New World, from Texas
84
into South America. They burrow in the ground and live
on worms and insects.
The order includes, among existing animals, the armadillos,
sloths, and ant-eaters of tropical America and Africa. Some
of the largest of extinct mammals, of which remains have
been discovered, as Giyptodon, Mylodon, and Megatherium,
were also edentates—the first having been a sort of gigantic
armadillo ten feet long.
The Giant Ant-eater (Myrmecophaga jubata), the Ta-
mandua Ant-eater (T. tetradactyla), living entirely on ants,
which they procure by means of a mucilaginous saliva cover¬
ing the tongue; Hoffman's Sloth (Cholopus hoffmani), the
Two-toed Sloth (C. didactylus), and the Three-toed Sloth
(.Bradypus tridactylus), strange animals which pass their life
in an inverted position, swinging, back downwards, by their
long claws from the trees from which they devour the leaves
and tender twigs, are among the most remarkable of this
order of beings.
Recent discoveries of fossils at Port Kennedy, on the
Schuylkill river, have shown that in an earlier geological
period (the Pleistocene), when the climate of northern re¬
gions was much warmer than in the present age, sloths be¬
longing to species now extinct were among the commonest
inhabitants of Pennsylvania.
No. 21.—THE REPTILE HOUSE.
This building was occupied by the collection of birds until
the erection of the present Aviary, when the reptiles were
moved into it. It proved, however, altogether inadequate to
that purpose, and for some years the Society was obliged to
neglect this important class of animals. In the summer of
1888 alterations and enlargement of the building were under¬
taken, the result being the present commodious and well-
arranged structure.
The class Reptilia is composed of animals provided with
lungs, a very simple digestive apparatus, and cold blood.
Many of them live in the water, but are compelled to rise to
the surface for the purpose of respiration. With the exception
of a few of the serpents and lizards, they are oviparous, and
deposit their eggs on land. Reptiles proper are turtles, ser¬
pents, lizards, and saurians.
86
The members of the class Batrachia agree in many respects
with the above. Their spawn, or eggs, is, however, generally-
hatched under water, and they are covered with a smooth
skin in place of the scales with which reptiles are provided.
The young live entirely in the water, and breathe with gills.
In some genera, as Siren and Menobranchus, these gills are
retained through life, and project from the sides of the neck,
where they may readily be observed, the blood which fills
them giving them a rich crimson color. In others, as the
frogs, toads, newts, and salamanders, a complete metamor¬
phosis takes place, the gills of the immature animal disappear¬
ing altogether in the adult. In the genus Menopoma the gills
become reduced to a small orifice in the side of the neck, and
the lungs are well developed.
Of the amphibians, the Siren (Siren lacertina), the Am-
phiuma (Amphiuma means), and the Proteus (.Menobranchus
maculatus) are usually in the collection. The two former
are found in the soft mud of streams and ditches from Geor¬
gia southward. The specimens in the Garden rarely come
out of the mud, except to get the worms on which they
principally live. The menobranchus or proteus is from the
fresh-water streams and lakes of the Middle States, and feeds
upon worms, grubs, and larvae.
The Hell Bender or Mud Devil (.Menopoma alleghenien-
sis) is found in the river mud of all tributaries of the Missis¬
sippi, and occasionally in other localities in the Gulf States.
The salamanders and tritons, or newts, are found plenti¬
fully all over the United States. Many of them live entirely
in the water, except at the breeding season. The Red-
backed Salamander (Plethodon cinereus erythronotus), the
Two lined Salamander (Spelerpes bilineatus), the Red
Salamander (S. ruber), the Black Newt (.Desmognaihus
nigra), and the Spotted Newt (.Diemyctylus viridesceus) are
among the most common species.
A very beautiful species, with bright yellow spots, is the
Spotted Salamander of Europe (S. maculosa). There are a
number of other European species belonging to the genus
Molge.
A number of curious amphibians (.Amblystoma mavoriium),
from the elevated plateaus in the western United States, will
be found in the vivarium. Near them are several specimens
of their larval form, with large gill tufts and a crest along
87
the spine and tail. These shrink up and disappear when the
animal becomes mature.
The largest member of this group is the Giant Salamander
(Megalobatrachus maximus) of Japan, which reaches some¬
times a length of four feet. A pair of these animals have lately-
been obtained for the collection, and are shown in one of the
tanks of the west wing. They are sluggish animals, feeding
but seldom in captivity, and appear to be intolerant of light,
becoming uneasy whenever the shade protecting them from
the direct rays of the sun is removed.
The toads and frogs have a range co-extensive with the
salamanders ; the Common Toad (Bufo lentiginosus) being
found all over North America, with a number of well-marked
varieties.
The best known of the frogs are the Bull Frog (Rana
catesbiana), the Swamp Frog (R. palustris), the Brook Frog
(R. clami tans), and the Shad Frog (R. halecina).
The North American fauna possesses a large and varied
number of serpents (Ophidia), of which order over sixteen
hundred species are found throughout the world. The only
venomous snakes belonging to North America are the different
varieties of the rattlesnake, the moccasin, the copperhead,
and the harlequin snake. With the exception of the latter,
these belong to the family Crotalidce, distinguished by the
presence of a deep pit on the side of the muzzle between the
eye and the mouth, and by the possession of a pair of poison
fangs in the upper jaw, which are erectable at will.
The rattlesnake is common to the whole United States,
very rarely reaching into Canada, and becoming more plenti¬
ful towards the south, where they grow to a large size, some¬
times reaching as much as six feet in length. They are
characterized by a horny outgrowth of the epidermis at the
end of the tail, known as the rattle, with which they make a
whirring noise when excited, with the effect, it is presumed,
of giving notice to their enemies that they are not to be
trifled with without danger. The number of buttons, as the
sections into which the rattle is divided are termed, has been
commonly supposed to be a means of determining the age of
the snake, but as they are frequently lost by accident, and are
as frequently produced three or four at a time, it is evident
that this belief, with a number of others of equally loose
foundation which invest the popular mind regarding the ser¬
pent, may as well be abandoned.
88
There are some fifteen species found within the limits of
the United States, eleven of which are known only in the
extreme south-west, the fauna of which is closely related
to that of Mexico and Central America.
The Banded Rattlesnake (Crotalus horridus) and the
Diamond Rattlesnake (C. adamanteus) are the most well-
marked species of this genus ; the former being most com¬
mon in the Eastern and Middle States, while the latter ranges
from North Carolina to Florida.
The Arizona Diamond Rattlesnake (C. adamanteus
atrox) and the Horned Rattlesnake (C. cerastes) come
from Texas, Arizona, and New Mexico.
Say's Rattlesnake (C. confluentus) is one of the well-
known western varieties.
The Ground Rattlesnake (Crotalophorus miliarius) and
the Prairie Rattlesnake (C. tergemimis) are small species
from the south and west.
The Water Moccasin (Ancistrodon piscivorus) is confined
to the wet and swampy lands throughout the south.
The Copperhead (A. contortrix) is found almost all over
the United States east of the Rocky mountains.
Many highly venomous crotaline snakes are found in trop¬
ical America, a number of which belong to the genus Both-
rops. The collection at the present time contains specimens
of the dreaded Fer de Lance (B. lanceolatus) of St. Lucia
and Martinique and (.B. atrox) from South America.
The vipers are mostly native to Africa; they much re¬
semble the crotaline snakes, but externally lack the pit on
the side of the muzzle, referred to above. A typical member
of this group is the Puff Adder ( Vipera arietans) of South
Africa. The Common Viper (P". bents) and the Long-
nosed Viper ( V. ammodytes) are natives of Europe.
The Harlequin Snake (.Elaps fulvius) of the Southern
States is of a very mild disposition, and has hardly ever
been known to bite, although in proportion to its size it is
probably very highly venemous. It is one of the most
beautiful of the order, being ringed with red, black, and
yellow. The family Elapidce., to which it belongs, has the
89
centre of its distribution in the tropical zone, throughout the
whole circle of the earth, and includes some of the most
deadly forms known ; among others the cobras of Egypt and
India.
Some much-dreaded snakes are found in Australia, as the
Purplish Death Adder (Pseudechis porphyriacus).
The Rainbow Snake (Abastor erythrogrammus), Southern
States.
The King Snake (Ophibolus getulus), Atlantic coast.
The Chain Snake (£?. doliatus triangulus), Western States.
The Green Snake ( Cyclophis vernalis), Eastern and South¬
ern States.
The Pine Snake (Pity op his melanoleucus), south of New
Jersey and Ohio.
The Bull Snake (P. sayi mexicana), South-western United
States.
The Indigo Snake (Spilotes erebennus), Gulf States.
The Chicken Snake (Coluber quadrivittatus), Southern
States.
The Mountain Black Snake (C. obsoletus), United States.
The Milk Snake (C. obsoletus confinis), Western States.
Fox's Black Snake (C. vulpinus), Western States.
The Corn Snake (C. guttatus), Southern States.
The Black Snake (Bascanium constrictor), United States.
The Whip Snake (B. flagelliforme), Southern States.
The Ribbon Snake (Eutcenia saurita), Eastern and South¬
ern States.
The Garter Snake (E. sirtalis), North America.
Sacken's Garter Snake (E. sackeni'), Florida.
The Cyclops Water Snake (Tropidonotus cyclopium),
Florida.
The Flat-tailed Water Snake (T. compressicaudus),
Florida.
The Banded Water Snake (T. fasciatus), Southern States.
The Common Water Snake (T. sipedon), Eastern and
Southern States.
The Hog-nosed Snake or Spreading Adder (Heterodon
platyrhinos), United States east of Mississippi.
9°
These serpents, with a number of others which are usually
comprised in the collection, belong to what may be termed
the colubrine group. They are non-venomous and perfectly
harmless to man, living on small birds, quadrupeds, worms,
and insects; several genera—Ophibolus and Abastor—eating
small snakes of their own and other species.
The boas are a group of serpents inhabiting the tropical
zone, and attaining the largest size of any known members of
the order, as the anaconda and' boa of South America, and
the python and rock snake of Africa and Asia. They are
possessed of great power and kill their prey by compression ;
they swallow without difficulty animals which appear larger
in circumference than themselves, the articulation of their
jaws and ribs permitting of a great degree of distension.
Dr. Hartwig, in " The Tropical World," treats in a most
entertaining style of these serpents :—
" The kingly Jiboya ( Boa constrictor) inhabits the dry and sandy locali¬
ties in the Brazilian forests, where he generally conceals himself in
crevices and hollows, in parts but little frequented by man, and some¬
times attains a length of thirty feet. To catch his prey, he ascends the
trees and lurks hidden in the foliage for the unfortunate agutis, pacas,
and capybaras whom their unfortunate star may lead within his reach.
When full grown he seizes the passing deer; but in spite of his large size
he is but little feared by the natives, as a single blow of a cudgel suffices
to destroy him. Prince Maximilian of Neu Wied tells us that the experi¬
enced hunter laughs when asked if the Jiboya attacks and devours man.
The Sucuriaba, Anaconda, or Water Boa (Eunectes tnurinus), as it is
variously named, attains still larger dimensions than the constrictor, as
some have been found of a length of forty feet. It inhabits the large
rivers, lakes, and marshy grounds of tropical America, and passes
most of its time in the water, now reposing on a sand-bank with only its
head above the surface of the stream, now rapidly swimming like an eel,
or abandoning itself to the current of the river. Such is its voracity that
Firmin (' Histoire Naturelle de Surinam') found in the stomach of an
Anaconda a large sloth, an iguana nearly four feet long, and a tolerably
sized ant-bear, all three nearly in the same state as when they were first
swallowed—a proof that their capture had taken place within a short
time."
Several specimens will be found in the collection, of the
Common Boa (Boa constrictor) of South America, the Yellow
Boa (yChilobothrus inornatus) of Jamaica, the Tree Boa
(.Epicrates angulifer) of Cuba, the Coppery Boa {E. cupreus)
from Trinidad, and the Anaconda (_Eunectes murinus). The
genus Epicrates belongs to a section of the family which are
distinctively known as tree boas ; they are rarely more than
9i
seven or eight feet long, are arboreal in habit, and are found
in the West Indies and Guiana. Xiphosoma hortulana and
X. ruschenbergtri are also tree boas, the latter species being
very rare.
The pythons represent in the Old World the boas of
America; among them are the Indian Python (.Python
molurus), the Two-lined Python (P. bivittatus), the Royal
Python (P. regius), and the West-African Python (P. sebce).
In spite of the enormous size reached by these serpents, their
destructive powers are largely exaggerated, and it may be
considered doubtful if any of them are dangerous to human
life.
Comparatively small members of this section are the Car¬
pet Snake (Morelia spilotes) of Australia and the Madagas¬
car Boa (.Pelophilus madagascariensis).
A large variety of lizards are distributed throughout the
world, being most common in the warmer parts of the tem¬
perate zone. There are many species, belonging to the order
Lacertilia. Among the most common North American forms
are:—
The Striped Lizard \Eumeces fasciatus), Middle Atlantic
and Southern States.
The Six-lined Lizard ( Cnemidophorus sexlineatus), South¬
ern States.
The Brown Lizard (Sceloporus undulatus), Southern States.
The Horned Lizard (Phrynosoma cornuta), South-western
United States and Mexico.
Douglass' Horned Lizard (P. douglassi), Western States.
Crowned Horned Lizard (P. coronata), Western States.
Short-nosed Horned Lizard (P. platyrhina), Western
States.
The Chameleon Lizard {A no lis principalis), Southern
States.
These are all small and harmless, many of them living among
trees and feeding upon worms, insects, &c.
The iguanas also belong to this order; in some species
they attain a length of four and five feet; pass most of their
time in trees and live on fruit and birds' eggs. They inhabit
tropical America and the West Indies, where they are con¬
sidered as very good eating by the natives.
92
A number of these have been exhibited in the collection,
among them the Naked-necked Iguana (I. delicatissima),
the Common Iguana (/. tuberculatd), the Black Iguana
(.Metopoceros cornutus), and the rare Clouded Iguana ( Cyclura
nubila).
Among other lizards in the collection are the Bengalese
and Egyptian Monitors (Varanus bengalensis and V. nilot-
icus), the last sometimes reaching a length of seven feet;
Hardwick's Mastigure (Uromastix hardwicki), from India,
the Dragon-like Lizard (Draccena guianensis), from the
forests of the Amazon, and the curious Slow Worm (Anguis
fragilis) of Europe.
A most repulsive animal in appearance is the Gila Monster
(Heloderma suspectum), from Arizona. This lizard is usually
found near streams and water-courses. For a long time its
reputed venomous qualities were in doubt, but recent research
has fully demonstrated their existence, although the animal
seems little inclined to use its power offensively. It is the
only existing lizard known to be poisonous.
The Glass Snake (Ophiosaurus ventralis) of the south¬
ern United States and the Dalmatian Glass Snake (o.
apus) from Europe are lizards resembling snakes in appear¬
ance, being destitute of legs.
According to the latest authorities there are nearly nineteen
hundred known species of lizards throughout the world.
The Society possesses a very good collection of North
American turtles. These consist of the turtles proper,
which are generally of large size and live in the sea; the
terrapins, which live in streams, ponds, and marshes; and
the tortoises or land turtles. There are a number of forms
belonging exclusively to the American fauna, of which the
following are on exhibition :—
The Leatherback Turtle (Thalassochelys caouana), At¬
lantic coast.
The Green Turtle (CheZonia mydas), Atlantic coast.
The Soft-shelled Turtle (.Aspidonectes ferox), Gulf
States.
The Snapper Terrapin (Chelydra serpentina), North and
South America.
93
The Musk Terrapin (Aromochelys odoratus), Eastern and
Southern States.
The Mud Terrapin (Cinosternum pennsylvanicum), East¬
ern and Southern States.
Henry's Mud Terrapin (C. henrici), Arizona and Mexico.
The Red-bellied Terrapin (Pseudemys rugosa), Middle
Atlantic States.
The Florida Terrapin (P. concinna), Southern States.
The Salt Water Terrapin (.Malacoclemmys palustris),
Atlantic and Gulf States.
The Checkered Terrapin ( Chrysemys pi eta), Eastern and
Southern States.
The Chicken Terrapin (C. reticulata), Gulf States.
Muhlenberg's Terrapin (Chelopus muhlenbergi), Penn¬
sylvania and New York.
Blanding's Tortoise (.Emys meleagris), Western United
States.
The Box Tortoise (Cistudo ciausa), Eastern and Southern
States.
The Painted Box Tortoise (C. ornata), Western United
States.
The Western Gopher (Xerobates berlandieri), South¬
western United States.
Agassiz's Gopher (X. agassizi), Arizona and Lower Cali¬
fornia.
The Radiated Tortoise (1 estudo radiata), Madagascar.
The Gopher Tortoise (T. Carolina), Southern States.
The Common Tortoise (T. grceca), Europe.
The Great or Elephant-footed Tortoise (Testudo ele-
phantopus) of the Galapagos Islands and the Brazilian Tor¬
toise ( Testudo tabulata) are both South American forms.
The saurians comprise alligators, crocodiles, and their al¬
lies, and are found in tropical regions of the whole world.
A number of the common alligators are kept here. The
Rough-Eyed Caiman (Caiman sclerops) is from South
America.
94
No. 22.—THE PRAIRIE-DOG VILLAGE.
The Prairie Marmqt {Cynom.es ludovicianus), otherwise
known as " prairie dog," is a small burrowing rodent, much
resembling the spermophiles, which are common throughout
the western part of the United States.
They are found in immense numbers over the expanse of
open country between the Missouri river and the Rocky
mountains and south into Mexico—the villages formed by
them sometimes occupying miles of country, which is com-
the prairie-dog village.
pletely honey-combed with their burrows ; they dig to a con¬
siderable depth, those in the Garden having burrowed under a
wall fourteen feet deep ; they were overcrowded, however, and
in a state of nature, with room to stretch out their villages on
every side, it is not probable that they dig so deeply. The
dogs are found in close association with the burrowing owl
and the rattlesnake, which has given rise to the supposition
that they all live together on terms of intimacy and friend¬
ship. This is far from being the case, however, the evidence
going to prove that the snake invades the home of the dog
for the purpose of feeding upon the young, while the owl—
95
to save itself the trouble of digging its own habitation—takes
possession of the deserted burrows which are left in the
gradual change of location which is continually going on
among the dogs. Strong evidence was given of a natural
enmity existing between the two, by the introduction of a
pair of the owls into the enclosure of the dogs at the Garden,
—they were instantly attacked by the latter, and as their
wings had been clipped, they were unable to get away, and
although they fought desperately were finally killed.
The same enclosure contains a number ot Woodchucks
(Arctomys monax). This rodent, closely allied to the mar¬
mot of Europe, is well known to every farmer's boy from
Canada to South Carolina; it burrows in the ground and
when afforded proper facilities, as in this case, is rarely seen
during the daytime. It is one of the most common of our
wild animals, and may, perhaps, be better known under the
name of ground hog—though why "hog" it is difficult to
say, as it does not resemble that animal in any way whatever.
Near by is a cage containing some Striped Gophers (Sper-
mophilus tridecimlineatus). The spermophiles form a large
sub-group of the squirrel family; they live in burrows in the
ground, but are directly connected with the tree squirrels
by almost insensible gradations of form, one of which is the
Line-tailed or Mexican Rock Squirrel (S. grammurus).
It is difficult to distinguish this species, without close exami¬
nation, from the true squirrels, which live in trees. The
striped gopher is found from Western Michigan to^the Missouri
river and south to Arkansas.
Richardson's Spermophile (S. richardsoni), the Gray
Gopher (S. frank lint), and the Pouched Gopher (Geomys
bursarius) are also North American forms.
The Common Skunk (.Mephitis mephitica) is a small carni¬
vore belonging to the large family Mustelidce, comprising also
the otters, weasels, badgers, &c., all of which are carnivores
of small or medium size, mainly living on land, though
several of them, as the mink and otter, are essentially aquatic
in habit. It inhabits the United States from the Missouri
river eastward,—the western and south-western parts of the
country being infested by several other species, one of which
ranges into South America. The true skunks are confined to
the New World; in them the anal glands characteristic of all
96
the Mustelidtz reach their most complete development, and
secrete a fluid which the animal can eject at will to a distance
of several feet, and which possesses an odor at once the most
powerful and intolerable of any known animal secretion.
The fur of the skunk is very long and fine, and is much worn,
under the euphonious designation of "Alaska Sable."
The American Badger ( Tcxxidea americana) belongs to the
same group as the skunk; it lives in burrows, which it exca¬
vates with its powerful claws, and is found through the western
United States up to about latitude fifty-eight degrees, in Brit¬
ish America, though it is seldom seen east of the Missouri
river; southward it is replaced by a well-marked variety (ber-
landieri). The Badger of Europe (Meles taxus) is a nearly
allied form.
No. 20.—THE SQUIRREL CAGE.
Among the true squirrels (Sciuridce) of North America,
those generally to be found in the collection are the South¬
ern Fox Squirrel (Sciurus niger) of the Gulf States; the
Northern Fox Squirrel (S. niger cinereus), from New Jer¬
sey to Virginia; the Gray Squirrel (S. caro linens is), United
States east of the Missouri river, and the Red Squirrel (S.
hudsonius), which ranges from British America to the Gulf
States.
The gray squirrel is subject to much variation, the black as
well as the white squirrel belonging to this species.
The Flying Squirrel (.Pteromys volucella) is a pretty little
rodent found throughout the United States, east of the Mis¬
souri river. Its aerial progression is merely a leap, prolonged
by means of a fold of skin stretching between the fore and
hind limbs on each side, which expands and bears the animal
up for a short distance, after the manner of a kite.
A large number of squirrels inhabit Central and South
America; they are mostly red and black in color, but vary
so interminably that it is often hard to tell what species a
given specimen belongs to. Some of them are usually kept in
the small Mammal House. Examples of these are the Peru¬
vian Squirrel (S. variabilis), the Red-bellied Squirrel
(S. aureogaster), and the Brazilian Squirrel (S. cestitans).
97
Several specimens of the pretty little European Red Squir¬
rel (S. vulgaris) are also kept here.
A number of the Common European Hedgehog (Erina-
ceus europeus) are at present kept in the squirrel cage. This
curious little insectivore is found in almost all parts of Eu¬
rope, in the colder portions hibernating through the winter
months.
Few articles of food come amiss to the hedgehog, although
its tastes are mainly carnivorous,—worms, insects, moles,
small mammals, birds, and eggs being its chief diet, while in
many parts of Europe the common people have a strange
belief that it sucks the milk of cows when they lie down in
the pasture or the barn-yard, of course, without foundation
in fact.
In the old Photograph Stand, on the main walk, near the
Penn Mansion, are several colonies of the Common Honey
Bee (Apis nullified) in glass hives, through the sides of which
the visitor, who cares to take the time, can observe the
strangely complex social organization of these wonderful little
animals,—an organization which realizes more fully than any¬
thing known elsewhere in the animal kingdom,—except,
perhaps, in another insect group,—the ants,—a pure type
of communism,—a communism in which the labor of each
member is directed only to the general welfare of the whole
society, from which again its efforts react in the shape of full
supply and satisfaction of all its individual wants—an ideal so¬
cialism, of which the human agitator borrows only the name
to cover methods completely antagonistic to a similar result.
INDEX.
Page
ACOUCHY . 81
Adder, 88
Adjutant, 68
Agoutis, 81
Alligator, 69
Alpaca, 66
Amazons, • 51
Amblystoma, 86
Amphiuma, 86
Anaconda, 90
Ant-eater, 84
Antelopes 41, 79
Aoudad, 42
Apes, 20
Armadillos 83
Aviary 47
BABOONS, 24
Badgers 96
Bassaris, Ring-tailed 80
Batrachia, 86
Bats, 82
Bears, 15, 16, 59
Beaver, 15
Bee, Honey, 97
Bison 72
Bitterns, 67
Blackbird, 47
Boa Constrictor, 90
Boar, Wild, 30
Bobolink 48
Brush Turkey, 45
Buffaloes 40, 72, 77
Buzzards 27
CAIMAN, 93
Camels 70
Capromys, 81
Capucins, 25
Capybara, 44
Caribou, 63
Carnivora House, 7
Cassowary, 45
Cats, 9, 62
Cat Bird, 47
Cattle Pens, 76
Cavy, 81
Cayote 75
Chameleon, 91
Chamois, 77
Cheetah, 11
Chimpanzee, 20
Civet, 80
Coati, . . • 80
Cockatoos, 52
Condor, 29
Coot, 58
Cormorant 57
Couguar, 13
Coypu, 44
Cranes, 67
Crocodile, 70
Crows 19, 48
Cuckoo, 49
Curassows, 55
Curlew, 58
Page
DARTER, 57
Deer House, 39
Deer Park, 63
Deer, 42, 63, 70, 76
Dingo, 76
Douroucouli, 25
Doves, 52
Dromedary, 70
Ducks, 60, 66
EAGLES, 26, 28
Eagle Aviary, 26
Echidna, 44
Egret, 67
Eland, 40
Elephants, 33
Elephant House, 30
Elephant Pond, 30
Elk 70
Emu, 45
Evra, 14
FALCONS 27
Ferde Lance, 88
Foxes, 74
Frogs, 87
GALAGO, 26
Gallinule, 58
Gannets, 57
Gazelles, 41
Genet, 80
Gila Monster, 92
Giraffe, 35
Glass Snake, 92
Gnus, 41
Goats, 76
Goose, 60
Gophers, 95
Goshawk, White, 27
Greenhouse, 76
Grison, ... 81
Ground Hog gs
Grouse, 5=;
Guans 55
Guinea Fowl, 55
Gulls 69
HAWKS, 27
Hedgehog 97
Hell Bender, 86
Herons, 67
Hippopotamus, , 36
Huanaco 66
Hyaenas, 14
IBEX 76
Ibises, 67
Ichneumons, 80
Iguanas 92
Insectivores, 81
JACKALS, 75
Jackdaw 48
Jaguar, 11
Jays, 48
KANGAROOS 43
Kestrell, 27
Kingfishers, 49
(98)
99
Page
Kinkajou, 81
Kite 27
LAGOTHRIX, Gray 24
Laughing Jackass 49
Lemur, 26
Leopard 11
Lion 9
Lizards, 91
Llamas, 66
Lorikeets, 51
Loris, 26
Lory 51
Lynxes, 62
MACAQUES, 23
Macaws, 50
Magpie, 48
Mangabey, 23
Marmosets, 25
Marmot, 94
Marsupials, 18, 43, 82
Menobranchus, 86
Merlin, 27
Mink 19
Moccasin, 88
Mocking Bird, 47
Monitor 92
Monkeys, 20
Monkey House, . . 20
Monotremes, 44
Moose, 63
Mountain Sheep, 79
Mud Devil, 86
Muntjac, ,42
Muskrat, 19
Mynahs, 48
NATIVE COMPANION, .... 67
Newt, 86
Nylghaie, 40
OCELOT 14
Opossum 18
Orang-utan, 21
Orioles, 48
Oryx 40
Osprey, 27
Os'rich 44
Otter, 19
Ouakari 25
Owls 26, 28
PACA, 81
Panther, 13
Paradqxures, 80
Parrakeets 51
Parrots, 50
Partridges, 56
Pea Fowl, 55
Peccary 32
Pelicans, 57
Penguin, 58
Petrel, 69
Phalangers 82
Pheasants, 61
Pigeons, 52
Porcupines, 81
Porphyrios 58
Prairie Chicken, 56
Prairie Dog, . 94
Proteus, 86
Puma, 13
Pythons 91
Page
QUAIL, 56
RACCOON, 18
Raccoon-like Dog, 81
Rail 58
Rattlesnakes, 87
Raven, 19
Reed Bird, 48
Reptile House, 84
Restaurant, 30
Rhea, 45
Rhinoceros, 34
Rice Bird 48
Road Runner 49
Robin, 47
Rodents 81
SAND GROUSE, 54
Saki, Black, 24
Salamanders, 86
Seals, 37
Sea Elephant 38
Sea Lion, 38
Secretary Bird, 29
Serval, 14
Sheep, 79
Siren 86
Skunk 95
Sloth, 84
Slow-worm, 92
Small Mammal House, 80
Snakes 87
Solenodon 81
"Solitude," 15
Spermophiles, 95
Squirrels, 96
Starling, 48
Storks, 69
Swans, 59
Swine, 30
TAPIRS, 36
Tayra, .... 81
Terrapin 92
Thrushes, 47
Tiger, 11
Tinamous, 56
Toads, 87
Tortoises, 93
Toucans, 49
Troupials, 48
Trumpeter 58
Turkey, 55
Turtles, 92
VICUNA 66
Viscacha, 82
Vultures, 26, 28
WALLABYS, 43
Wapiti, 70
Wart Hog, 30
Water Hen 58
Water Turkey, 57
Weaver Bird, 47
Wild Cat, 62
Wolves 74
Wombat, 82
Woodchuck, 95
Woodcock, 58
YAGUARUNDI, 14
Yak 78
ZEBRA, 39
Zebu, ". . . 77
MEANS AND WAYS OF CONVEYANCE TO AND FROM
THE GARDEN OR NEAREST POINTS.
CITY PASSENGER RAILWAYS.
11. Girard Avenue, via the Girard Avenue Bridge, leading
Jrect to the northern gate.
2. Arch Street, via Spring Garden Bridge, to Thirty-fourth
Street, thence a short walk direct to the southern gate.
3. Race and Vine Streets, same route.
4. Lombard and South Streets, to the same point.
5. Spruce and Pine Streets, to the Green Street entrance of
he East Park, thence a pleasant walk via River Road and
girard Avenue Bridge. ,
( 6. Union Line, via Brown Street entrance East Park.
7. Green Street and Fairmount Avenue Line, direct to
fairmount Avenue entrance East Park.
i STEAMBOATS.
Pleasant and commodious Steamers ply on the Schuylkill,
eaving Fairmount every thirty minutes, landing and taking
1 passengers at the Garden, within a few yards of the north-
n gate.
PENNSYLVANIA RAILROAD.
Trains from all local points on Pennsylvania Railroad,- also
Dm Broad Street Station and Povvelton Avenue, direct to
.ixard Avenue entrance.
PHILADELPHIA & READING RAILROAD
Has a station at Girard Avenue, within five minutes' reach
f the Garden.
THE GARDEN [
£r-
Is open to visitors every day from 9 A. M. untii half an ho|
before sunse't; those who are in the Garden at that time w£."
be permitted to remain until the bell rings at sunset.
;t\
PRICES OF ADMISSION. f
if
Adults 25 cent*.
Children under 12 years 10 " k
Package of 5 Adult's tickets $1 t
Package of 12 Children's tickets .... 1 i
■ f
On Saturday and all public holidays (except 4th of Jul;
the rate of admission is: Adults, 10 cents; Children, 5 cen*
y
i
t
Special rates to large Excursions on application £
fa-
the Superintendent. I