824 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



FEED PAIL STRUCK BY CHARGING DEER. 

 The arrow marks spot penetrated by one tine. 



Savage Deer. — There are few animals that 

 fight with courage and abandon of a deer. And 

 when thoroughly aroused there are no limits to 

 the expression of their rage. These outbursts 

 occur in the most unexpected manner and then 

 even the smallest ones become formidable antag- 

 onists. Sometimes these attacks are made upon the 

 keepers and although long experience has taught 

 them to know the psychological moment to evade 

 a rush, it is not always possible to reach a place 

 of refuge. An experience of Keeper Quinn 

 with a Columbia black-tail buck, illustrates the 

 energy that a small animal can exert to do dam- 

 age. Quinn entered the corral — as he had been 

 doing regularly, carrying a large galvanized 

 iron pail filled with crushed oats. Without the 

 slightest warning the little buck made a furious 

 charge at the keeper. Fortunately the pail was 

 carried in such a position as to act as a shield 

 and received the full thrust of the deer's antlers. 

 One of the brow tines passed entirely through 

 the metal and the impact of the blow completely 

 flattened the side of the pail. These pails are 

 made of heavy sheet iron and are reinforced top 

 and bottom. 



An Elephant's Strength. — The condition of 

 the links of the chain in the accompanying cut 

 would indicate that some great force had been 

 exerted to twist them in this fashion. The chain 

 is made of soft steel, two-inch links, quarter- 

 inch material, and capable of bearing a weight 

 of 3,000 pounds. It is used for shackling the 



young African elephant Kartoum while the 

 keeper is cleaning the stall. The elephants are 

 not usually shackled except under such circum- 

 stances. But it is necessary then, because each 

 elephant feels incumbent to assist, at least to 

 the extent of carrying away shovels, brooms or 

 any other implements lying about. When the 

 chain is placed around his leg — usually one of 

 the rear ones — he swings about and turns con- 

 tinually. When the links of the chain can no 

 longer pass, the entire chain turns. That is ex- 

 actly what Kartoum did, and the photograph 

 shows the links twisted completely around. 



The Spectacled Bear. — Although the spec- 

 tacled bear comes from an elevation of about 

 10,000 feet in the Andes, he has suffered great- 

 ly from the cold. This was a surprise to us, as 

 we imagined he would be very hardy. His 

 sleeping den was filled to the top with bedding 

 and he remained in it the greater part of the 

 time. When he did venture out he shivered so 

 noticeably that we found it necessary to entirely 

 enclose his cage with frames filled with glass. 



South American Bears. — We are now in pos- 

 session, so we are led to believe, of the only liv- 

 ing captive examples of South American bears. 

 One of these, the typical spectacled bear, (Ursus 

 ornatus'), is exhibited at the Bear Dens, and in 

 the Small-Mammal House are two specimens 

 representing the sub-species, majori. One of 

 these possesses a light patch of hair on the fore- 

 head suggesting the spectacles of the typical 

 form. The other is quite black above. 



ELEPHANT SHACKLE CHAIN. 



