ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



455 



Attempts were made to calm her with food, 

 but she was too excited to eat. In about fifteen 

 minutes she became dissatisfied with the com- 

 pany of the giant tortoises, and squeezed out 

 into the open air. Strong efforts were made 

 to lead or drive her southward toward her 

 home in the Antelope House, and in due process 

 she was started on three different walks leading 

 in that direction. Each time after a hundred 

 feet had been covered her hysteria returned, and 

 she resolutely wheeled from the course. Twice 

 she attempted to re-enter the Reptile House and 

 was prevented, but the third time she made good 

 her second entrance, dragging her keepers with 

 her. 



Once more she was halted in the main hall, 

 turned and led out. During the next half hour 

 Keepers Thuman and Bayreuther sought to coax 

 or compel her to go southward to the Antelope 

 House; and first and last, she was tried on five 

 different walks and roads. Finally she made a 

 determined break for the Reptile House, and in 

 spite of all opposition, went in a third time. 



By that time Keeper Thuman was well nigh 

 exhausted, and it was plain that an end of some 

 kind must be reached immediately. The Di- 

 rector at once ordered that "Luna" be chained 

 for the night in the main hall of the Reptile 

 House, fronting the doorway ; and in quick time 

 this was accomplished. From her shackled 

 front feet two long chains were run out right 

 and left, and firmly secured to the bases of two 

 guard-rail posts. In that position she was held 

 all night, and remained quiet and well-behaved 

 until morning. 



It was hoped that the quiet hours spent in 

 the Reptile House would calm "Luna's" nerves, 

 and that in the early morning she would consent 

 to return to her stall. But the workings of her 

 mind were past finding out, and it was decided 

 to keep her front feet well shackled together. 

 No sooner was one of her anchor chains loosened 

 than the most exciting incident of this episode 

 occurred. 



"Luna" swung over to the limit of her re- 

 maining chain, within reach of the small table 

 cases of lizards ranged along the south side of 

 the main hall, and deliberately began to wreck 

 them. She pushed off three of the cases, then 

 overturned the table and wrecked four more. 

 While Keeper Thuman was frantically endeavor- 

 ing to control her, she deliberately set both 

 front feet upon the guard-rail, and broke down 

 a section of it. 



By a great effort, "Luna" was then driven out 

 of the building, and in less than fifteen minutes 

 thereafter her front feet were anchored to a 

 tree, her hind legs were closely tied together, 



she was thrown, "hog-tied" and securely an- 

 chored, fore and aft. She struggled long and 

 valiantly, but after a time gave up. Straw was 

 brought and put under her head, and she was 

 left to think matters over. During the day, the 

 Saturday crowds of visitors inspected her briefly 

 and with mild interest, then went their way to 

 see other animals. 



At three o'clock "Luna's" favorite keeper. 

 Richard Richards, arrived from Luna Park, and 

 the elephant immediately recognized him. At 

 the Park's closing hour, one of the young Afri- 

 can elephants was brought from the Antelope 

 House, to be used as a guide for "Luna" on the 

 journey back to her quarters in the Antelope 

 House. Her leg bonds were transformed into 

 ordinary hobbles, and she was permitted to rise. 

 With her own keeper at her head, she quietly 

 followed "Kartoom" to the Antelope House, en- 

 tered her stall, and the incident was closed. 



In a very few hours, "Luna" again settled 

 down into a quiet, well-behaved beast. On the fol- 

 lowing day Keeper Thuman made her lie down, 

 rise, and place him upon her back. 



Keeper Thuman displa3'ed great courage and 

 persistence in his long struggle with "Luna," 

 and once he narrowly escaped being injured, by 

 accident. It is a satisfaction to be able to re- 

 port that from first to last the elephant mani- 

 fested no ill-temper toward anyone; and but 

 for her spiteful breakages in the Reptile House, 

 all of which were quite unnecessary, we could 

 easily forgive both her panic and her stubborn- 

 ness." W. T. H. 



A LARGE SEA TURTLE. 



ON September 7th, the Aquarium received 

 another specimen of the great harp turtle 

 or leather-back, (Dermochelys coriacea), 

 weighing 8-10 pounds, nearly 100 pounds more 

 than the one received in June. 



This we believe to be the largest specimen of 

 a sea turtle on exhibition anywhere, at least we 

 do not know of an example in any American 

 or European Museum which exceeds it in size. 

 It is not likely that any species of sea turtle 

 exceeds 1 ,000 pounds in weight. The Aquarium 

 gets one or more harp turtles every summer. 

 They generally die during shipment, or within 

 a few days after arrival, and are turned over to 

 the Museum. When captured along the coast, 

 fishermen report them as weighing from 1,000 

 to 1,500 pounds, but on the scales they shrink 

 to 700 or 800. Although the harp turtle does 

 not feed in captivity, the present specimen has 

 broken the Aquarium record by living two weeks. 

 But its keeper is not hopeful. C. H. T. 



