NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK—BAKER. 461 
waschbiar, or washing bear, from its habit of paddling in the water 
and wetting its food before eating it. These creatures inhabited this 
region before the park was established, and their tracks are even now 
occasionally seen along the creek at the water’s edge. A whole tree 
is devoted to them, where they may be seen hanging upon the limbs 
in various positions. 
THE MONKEYS. THE SLOTH. 
An entire house at the park is devoted to the monkey tribe, or 
primates. Nor is this any too large, for if the principal species 
only were exhibited, twice or three times the area would be required. 
The great manlike apes are at present lacking, though there was 
once a very interesting female orang on exhibition. Both Old World 
and New World monkeys are here—baboons from Africa and Arabia, 
the graceful Diana monkey from the western coast of Africa, macaques 
of various kinds, the thumbless spider monkeys, the capuchins and 
the ‘‘weepers” of South and Central America, besides lemurs 
from Madagascar. One of the most mischievous of this tribe is a 
young mandrill, whom the keepers have christened ‘‘Napper.” 
He stations himself at the front of his cage, apparently quiet and 
listless, and if an unwary visitor attempts to rouse him by thrusting 
out an umbrella or a hat, he instantly seizes the object with his 
powerful hands and tears it to pieces. Notwithstanding the utmost 
watchfulness on the part of the keepers, he has at present to his 
discredit 59 umbrellas and over 60 hats, among which is a police- 
man’s helmet. He could not get this stiff object between the bars 
of his cage, but he managed to destroy it before it could be rescued. 
South America is the home of the sloth, a creature with long, 
irregular limbs, that lives in the trees of tropical forests. It is of a 
very low order of development, seems to have little intelligence, 
moves slowly about on the trees, hanging head downward, the claws 
of its long arms clasping the branch above. Its body and limbs are 
covered with coarse, brittle hair on which, in the damp, hot air of the 
South American forest, a vegetable growth attaches, making the 
creature seem a part of the tree itself, thus successfully hiding it from 
view. When it is removed from its native forest into a drier atmos- 
phere the green alga on its hair dries up and falls off, leaving the ani- 
mal a dull gray, with or without stripes or other marks, according to 
the species to which it belongs. It is not at home on the ground, its 
legs not being adapted to walking. Its food is the young leaves and 
tender fruits of the forest trees. As is the case with most creatures 
of a low order, the sloth is a night roamer, taking his sleep curled up 
and looking like a moss-covered bole of a tree during the light of day, 
making his slow journeys and eating his simple food by night, when 
he probably sees better than in the day. 
