ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



good pathologists, who agree that this is the 

 condition.'' 



J umbo's Rival. — The majestic height of the 

 African elephant Kartoum points to the proba- 

 bility of this animal becoming a rival of the 

 once famous Jumbo. Kartoum is already over 

 nine feet in height and is rapidly growing. Jum- 

 bo was between ten and eleven feet high and 

 the largest elephant ever exhibited in the United 

 States. It should be remembered that Kartoum 

 is of the same species and type as Jumbo, and 

 while not many years ago he was so small that 

 a child could climb upon his back, he is already 

 rated as one of the most spectacular elephants 

 in the United States. 



Odd Associations. — In a large collection of 

 animals there are always demonstrations of 

 strange friendships, but occasionally we note 

 most incongruous acquaintances. The writer 

 has seen a peacock vainly strutting and spread- 

 ing its tail among a number of large and much 

 surprised tortoises. He has also observed a 

 large and exceptionally savage baboon tenderly 

 adopt a frightened little monkey which had es- 

 caped from its cage and darted through the bars 

 of the baboon's cage into what we for the mo- 

 ment considered certain destruction. The most 

 remarkable case of animal association we have 

 ever witnessed in the Park was portrayed dur- 

 ing a cold spell the present spring. The writer 

 was passing the installation where the camels, 

 llamas and alpacas arc quartered. The black 

 alpaca was taking a sun bath, close to the barn 

 wall and reclining in the familiar position of 

 these animals, with limbs bent beneath the body, 

 while its luxuriant coat fell like a heavy mat 

 over its back. The writer thought that he de- 

 tected a rat peering from beneath the alpaca's 

 heavy pelage and to make sure as to whether 

 such familiarity were possible, extended his hand 

 to the alpaca as offering some food. The animal 

 arose and a rat was seen to dart from beneath 

 it, scurrrying under the barn, but the most sur- 

 prising thing happened immediately after. The 

 alpaca advanced a few steps, then stopped and 

 deliberately shook its heavy coat like a dog 

 coming out of water. It repeated the process 

 with more vigor and three large rats that had 

 been clinging beneath the heavy pelage, appar- 

 ently on its back, tumbled to the pavement and 

 scurried for cover as they discovered the hu- 

 man intruder. The alpaca then sauntered to 

 the fence. 



Primate Aberration. — There is a puzzling 

 specimen in the Primate House, the mental con- 

 dition of which has been a problem to us for 



several years. This is a fine adult example of 

 the rhesus monkey, from India, that is normal 

 in every way aside from the eccentric antics it 

 performs when the keeper passes its cage. If 

 one of the keepers passes within the railing, 

 this animal gazes intently at some imaginary 

 object within a yard or so of its face, then 

 makes a quick grasp — only to have its hand 

 close upon nothing. The chase immediately be- 

 comes more exciting. Both hands make a grasp 

 for the invisible object and there is a furious 

 chase about the cage. The entire performance 

 reminds one of a pursuit of a will-of-the-wisp 

 and is really uncanny. After the keeper has 

 passed, the animal assumes its former nonchal- 

 ant demeanor. 



"What's in a Name." — Some of our youthful 

 visitors have made the remark that we have 

 inappropriately titled our specimen of spotted 

 hyena, which the label also describes as the 

 laughing hyena. This specimen occupies a com- 

 modious cage in the Lion House and sometimes 

 gives voice to its characteristic call which ter- 

 minates like a diabolical laugh. More frequent- 

 ly, however, the hyena makes faces at visitors, 

 in an effort to be friendlv. Its lips are stretched 

 very wide, disclosing the teeth in a spectacular 

 smile and the children insist that our label 

 should refer to the smiling hyena and .add that 

 they have patiently waited, but have been un- 

 successful in observing a reason for the word- 

 ing of our label. 



Dietetical Elegancies. — A most unhappy fate 

 befell a young llama which came into the port 

 of New York on the U. S. S. Munaires. The 

 animal was won at a ball game in Buenos Ayres 

 by the United States sailors, who brought him 

 north with the intention of presenting the ani- 

 mal to the Park. Not realizing the innate vo- 

 racity of a llama, the men failed to bring enough 

 hay to last the animal throughout the long trip 

 north — particularly when they generously per- 

 mitted the llama to wander into the hay com- 

 partment at will and eat all he wished at each 

 visit. The hay gave out when the ship was 

 crossing the Equator, but the llama solved the 

 difficulty by discovering several brooms and eat- 

 ing the last wisp of straw away from the han- 

 dles. In a desperate spirit the men collected 

 all the brooms on board and fed them to the 

 llama. When the brooms were gone the animal 

 became demonstrative, but refused every substi- 

 tute until dried prunes were offered him. On 

 this diet he arrived in New York in active con- 

 dition, but a sudden cold spell brought him 

 bronchial troubles and the mascot died of pneu- 



