NATURAL HISTORY. 



219 



flight of the female birds, which only left 

 the nests after the male birds returned to 

 take their places. During the nesting I 

 never saw either males or females feed on 

 nuts or grain. They sought the low, clamp 

 nuadows and pastures, and fed on worms, 

 white grubs and snails. They alighted on 

 the edge of a field and seemed to clean it 

 of food as they moved along. Those in 

 the rear, when they had exhausted the food, 

 flew over the rank in front, and they in 

 turn repeated this operation during each 

 feeding, never feeding on the ground others 

 had fed on. One could always tell when 

 the young were fledged, for males and fe- 

 males would then come together to feed, 

 and in about a week the young would ac- 

 company them. 



The food on which the young are fed 

 while in the nest is a curd formed in the 

 crops of the old birds and delivered to 

 the young in the same manner observed by 

 our domestic pigeons in feeding their 

 young. 



On 2 occasions I saw the attempt made 

 to breed the wild pigeon in confinement, 

 but without success, although the birds 

 when taken from the nests would readily 

 become perfectly tame. 



W. J. W., Willsville, N. Y. 



I have read your notes on the wild 

 pigeon with deep interest. I am aware that 

 there are a few small bunches of wild 

 pigeons remaining in different parts of the 

 country, but Mr. Lacey was practically cor- 

 rect in saying they have been exterminated. 

 I have printed several reports in Recrea- 

 tion during the past few years of the ap- 

 pearance of small flocks of pigeons in va- 

 rious States, but as far as I can ascertain 

 they are still decreasing instead of increas- 

 ing, as we had hoped they might. — Editor. 



A TRAGEDY IN THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 



Those who are responsible for the care 

 and management of wild animals in captiv- 

 ity are constantly reminded that it is im- 

 possible to know what deed of violence an 

 animal may perform, until it is act- 

 ually done. Often the cunning of a caged 

 animal is past finding out, until the event 

 occurs. Then we are all post-mortem phil- 

 osophers. As a striking and painful in- 

 stance, take the case of Lopez, the jaguar. 



From the day of his arrival at the park 

 last May, Lopez has never been one of the 

 snarling kind. On the contrary, he con- 

 stantly manifested what was considered a 

 playful disposition. Most large felines of 

 savage disposition show it by snarling, and 

 charging against their bars. Lopez, on the 

 contrary, seemed anxious to play with any- 

 one who came near his cage, and had a 

 trjck of rolling on his back, with his paws 



in the air, after the manner of a good 

 natured house cat. 



iln Hamburg, a female jaguar, near- 

 ly full grown, was bought as a cage- 

 mate for him. Lopez was the first animal 

 placed in the first finished cage of the new 

 lion house, weeks before the workmen had 

 completed the other cages. Inasmuch as 

 the female had been 6 weeks in her travel- 

 ing cage, and sadly cramped for room, it 

 was decided to place her in the lion house 

 without delay. In order to ascertain the 

 temper of Lopez toward her, her cage was 

 raised to the level of his, and the 2 were 

 placed with their bars in close proximity. 

 Lopez was greatly interested by the stran- 

 ger, and attempted to play with her through 

 the bars. She observed him without any 

 manifestation of fear, and seemed to be 

 interested by the prospect of a larger cage, 

 and a companion in captivity. 



For 2 days the female's cage stood in 

 the position described, and during all that 

 period Lopez manifested not the slightest 

 ill temper or displeasure toward the new 

 arrival. At the end of that time the direc- 

 tor held a consultation with the keepers, 

 and it was agreed that it would be safe 

 to admit the female to the cage of Lopez. 

 The doors were opened, and without the 

 slightest fear or hesitation the female 

 jaguar walked into her new home. In- 

 stantly the whole nature of Lopez changed, 

 or rather, his real nature came to the 

 surface. His scheming for an advantage 

 had been successfully carried out. With a 

 savage growl, he rushed upon the unsus- 

 pecting female, seized her by the right side 

 of the neck, and held on, biting savagely. 

 From the first instant the female seemed 

 utterly powerless. With an iron scraper 

 and a hardwood pole 10 feet long Lopez 

 was beaten over the head and prodded in 

 the face ; but he only shut his eyes and 

 tightened his grip on the neck of his vic- 

 tim. In the midst of his punishment, he rose 

 from the floor, carrying the female in his 

 jaws as a cat carries her kitten, and walked 

 to the opposite side of his cage. It was 

 nearly a minute before the savage creature 

 was forced to quit his hold, and resist the 

 attacks made on him by the keepers. 

 When he released the female, she lay on 

 the floor, motionless, and in 2 minutes more 

 was dead. 



At first it was supposed that one of Lo- 

 pez's canine teeth Had penetrated the jugu- 

 lar vein of his victim; but the autopsy 

 made by Dr. Blair revealed the astonishing 

 fact that 2 of the neck vertebrae had been 

 completely crushed, and the spinal cord 

 penetrated by fragments of bone. The in- 

 jury was inflicted by a square bite, with no 

 wrenching. As an exhibition of the strength 

 of the jaguar's jaws, it was quite as as- 

 tonishing as it was unexpected and shock- 



