Popular Official Guide to the New York Zoological Park 15

Popular Official Guide to the New York Zoological Park 15

The Black Spider Monkey and the Gray Spider Monkey represent a genus of

animals quite as attenuated in form as the gibbons. Their slender

bodies, exceedingly long and slender legs and tail,—the latter strongly

prehensile, and better than a fifth arm and hand,—give them when in the

tree-tops an appearance truly spider-like. They are agile climbers, but

not rapid runners, and having no means of defense are very timid. Their

stomachs are so simple they seem to lack some element or function that

is necessary to the life of the animal in captivity. Notwithstanding the

fact that “Jess,” of Bath, New York, in defiance of all laws and

precedents, _lived thirteen years in a cold climate_, the great majority

of spider monkeys die before they reach full maturity, and nearly always

of stomach troubles. Fortunately, however, there are exceptions to this

rule.

 

[Illustration: JAPANESE RED-FACED MONKEY.]

 

[Illustration: PIG-TAILED MACAQUE.]

 

The Squirrel Monkey, often called a “Marmoset,” is a pretty little

olive-yellow monkey, almost as delicate as the true Marmoset, and the

Pinche. These diminutive creatures are so delicate they require the

greatest care and tenderness, and thrive better in moderately small

cages than in large ones. True marmosets are the smallest of American

primates, being next in size to the Tarsier, of Borneo, smallest of all

quadrumanes.

 

The Lemurs and Lemuroids.—A lemur is a monkey-like animal belonging to

the lowest group of primates, but in some respects is so little like a

typical monkey that the relationship is not always apparent. There are

about thirty species, and all save a very few are found on the Island of

Madagascar. They are gentle-spirited, harmless and inoffensive animals,

and not being persecuted by their human neighbors, as all American wild

animals are, they are quite numerous.

 

Nearly all the Lemurs have long tails, long and fine hair, large eyes

and pointed muzzles. Many of them are strikingly colored in various

shades of black, white and gray. All Lemurs are supposed to be of

nocturnal habit, and in fact they really are; but the specimens in the

large jungle cage of the Primate House are quite as lively and

interesting in the daytime as most of the monkeys. So far from

manifesting a disposition to retire to dark corners, they love to lie in

the sunshine.

 

[Illustration: SLOW LEMUR.]

 

[Illustration: SIAMANG.]

 

The Ruffed Lemur, or Black-and-White Lemur, (_Lemur varia_), is the

handsomest member of this entire group. Its fur is very long, silky, and

alternately pure white and jet black. The Ring-Tailed Lemur has a very

long, pointed tail, ornamented with about 25 alternating rings of brown

and gray, which it carries very gracefully. This species is of a more

lively disposition than most others. The curious Indri has not up to

this time come into the collection, but it is expected in the near

future. When it arrives it can at once be recognized by the entire

absence of a tail, except a mere stump, and by its large hands and feet.

 

 

ELEPHANT HOUSE, No. 20.

 

Of its buildings for animals, the Elephant House is the culminating

feature of the Zoological Park, and it comes quite near to being the

last of the series. In token of these facts, it is fittingly crowned

with a dome. Through its position in the general plan it closes a wide

gap, and effectively links together the northern and southern halves of

the establishment.

 

The erection of this great structure began in 1907, and the building was

completed and its inmates housed in the fall of 1908. The yards

surrounding the structure were finished in 1909.

 

[Illustration: ELEPHANT HOUSE.]

 

Any building which can comfortably accommodate a representative

collection of the largest of all living land animals, must

unquestionably be large and substantial. There is no pleasure in seeing

a ponderous elephant chained to the floor of a small room, unable even

to walk to and fro, and never permitted to roam at will in the open air

and sunlight. It is no wonder that dungeon-kept elephants go mad, and do

mischief. If an elephant—or for that matter any animal—cannot be kept in

_comfortable_ captivity, then let it not be kept at all.

 

The Elephant House of the City of New York is a large and roomy

structure, built to render good service for two centuries. Its extreme

length over all is 170 feet, and its width is 84 feet. Its two sides are

divided into 8 huge compartments, of which 4 are for elephants, 2 for

rhinoceroses, and 2 for hippopotami. Each of these is 24×21½ feet.

 

The Hippopotami have within the building a tank 24×21 feet, and 8 feet

in total depth; and another will be constructed in their corral.

 

Each end of the building furnishes two cages of smaller dimensions, for

tapirs, and young elephants. The whole area surrounding the building,

excepting the axial walk, is devoted to open-air yards, so arranged that

each cage in the interior connects directly with a corral which affords

both sunshine and shade. Nature seems to have made this beautiful open

grove—strangely free from trees in its center—especially for the

purposes to which it now is devoted.

 

It is by no means the intention of the Zoological Society, that, because

an axial walk leads through the Elephant House, the building shall be

used _as a thoroughfare_ for foot traffic between the northern and

southern portions of the Park. Such use would surely defeat the main

purpose of the structure. It is intended to be entered _only by persons

who desire to see the animals, and all others must pass around it_, by

one or the other of the two very direct promenades which will be

provided. The employees of the Park are strictly forbidden to consider

the walk through the building as a convenient highway, and visitors are

requested to observe the obvious necessities of this case.

 

The Indian Elephant, (_Elephas indicus_), is the universal elephant of

captivity, the African species being shown only as a great rarity. For

every elephant that comes from Africa, about thirty come from India, and

of those about twenty-nine are prosy and unromantic females. In order to

secure a male Indian Elephant, it must be specially ordered.

 

[Illustration: INDIAN ELEPHANT.]

 

Our first Indian Elephant, a fine male named “Gunda,” was caught wild in

the interior of Assam, northeastern India, and he arrived at the

Zoological Park in May, 1904, as the gift of Col. Oliver H. Payne. He

was then about seven years old. He stood 6 feet 7 inches in shoulder

height, weighed 3,740 pounds, and had all the points of a “high-caste”

elephant. His tusks were then 16 inches long. He is very mischievous

about breaking anything in his quarters that is breakable, and he

manifests special dislike toward certain individuals who come near him.

Like most Indian elephants, “Gunda” is very intelligent. In two days he

was taught to receive pennies, lift the lid of his “bank,” drop the coin

within, and ring his bell.

 

Since his arrival here, in May, 1904, he has grown in height at the rate

of about 5 inches each year. On November 1, 1910, he stood 8 feet 9

inches in shoulder height, his weight was 8100 pounds, and his tusks

were 36 inches long.

 

The Sudan African Elephant, (_Elephas oxyotis_, Matschie), is the

largest of the four species of African elephants now recognized. The

other species are the South African Elephant, (_E. capensis_), the

German-East-African Elephant, (_E. knochenhaueri_), and the West African

Elephant, (_E. cyclotis_).

 

After some years of waiting, and many futile efforts, we have at last

come into possession of a pair of young Sudan Elephants, representing,

so we believe, the great species to which belonged Jumbo, and also the

bearer of the enormous tusks presented to the Zoological Society by Mr.

Charles T. Barney. Like all elephants newly arrived from Africa, they

are young, and small; but if they have good health they will grow very

rapidly, and about A. D. 1927 they should attain full stature,—11 feet

at the shoulders for the male, or thereabouts.

 

[Illustration: AFRICAN ELEPHANTS.]

 

The different species of elephants are most easily recognized by their

ears. Compare the enormous “sail-area” of the ears of this species with

the small, triangular ear of the Indian elephant, and the small, round

ear of the next species.

 

The West African Elephant, (_Elephas cyclotis_), of equatorial West

Africa, especially the Congo country, is apparently a small species, not

exceeding seven feet in height, even if that height is ever attained.

Mr. Carl Hagenbeck reports that out of nearly 300 pairs of tusks of this

species examined by him in the German ivory market, not one pair

exceeded two feet in length, and many measured only 10 inches.

 

On July 25, 1905, we received a male specimen representing this species,

as a gift from Mr. Barney. It is strikingly marked by its small round

ears, and the presence of 5 toes on each fore-foot and 4 on the hind

foot, the number in the East African species being 4 and 3,

respectively. At the time of its arrival, little “Congo” stood 43 inches

in shoulder height, his weight was precisely 600 pounds, and his tusks

were 4 inches long. On June 1, 1911, his shoulder height was 60 inches,

and his weight was 1650 pounds, and his tusks were 23 inches long.

 

[Illustration: AFRICAN TWO-HORNED RHINOCEROS.]

 

Regarding the life history and distribution of this odd species, much

remains to be ascertained; and precise information is greatly desired.

 

The African Two-Horned Rhinoceros, (_Rhinoceros bicornis_), is already

represented by a female specimen which was acquired in 1906. “Victoria”

was captured in July, 1905, in the northern point of German East Africa,

within about sixty miles of the head of Speke Gulf, which is the

southeastern arm of Lake Victoria Nyanza. The elevation is between 4,000

and 5,000 feet. She was slung under a pole, and carried, six days’

journey on men’s shoulders, to the shore of the lake.

 

From thence she was transported by steamer to Port Florence, at the head

of the Uganda Railway, thence by rail 500 miles to Mombasa. Ever since

her arrival in New York, “Victoria” has developed rapidly. Captivity

does not seem to fret her in the least. She is very docile, is very

friendly toward her keeper, and it is quite apparent that she enjoys herself.