40 
all being confined to the Pacific Ocean, where they range 
from the Arctic to the Antarctic region, one species only 
being sometimes found up the Atlantic coast of South America 
as far as Brazil. The Fur Seals belong to this group; the 
undercoat of fur being very soft and thick in them and sup¬ 
plying the seal-skin of commerce. 
The seals now in the Garden were captured when quite 
young, in July, 1877, and were placed in the Garden in the 
following month; they have not yet attained their full size, 
but are growing rapidly, and promise well for future develop¬ 
ment. When fully adult the males are seven or eight feet 
long, and weigh from five to six hundred pounds; the females 
weighing not over a fourth as much. 
No. 10.—THE DEER HOUSE. 
This building was completed in the spring of 1877, from 
the plans of George W. Hewitt, Esq., and affords accommo¬ 
dation at present for a somewhat varied assortment of herb¬ 
ivorous animals. 
For the present, one of the pens in this building has been 
enclosed and is used for the accommodation of the Orangs 
and Chimpanzee. (See page 18.) 
Here will be found the Yak {Bison grunniens ), in a wild 
state native to the high mountain ranges and plateaus of 
Thibet and Tartary. There are several domestic breeds of 
the yak used all over central Asia for purposes of draught and 
burden. The long hair is used in the manufacture of various 
fabrics, and the tails are much prized by the Tartars and Chi¬ 
nese, constituting among the former an insignia of rank when 
attached to the head of a lance; by the Chinese they are 
dyed of various colors and used as fly-flappers. 
The wild yak is a somewhat sullen and ill-tempered brute, 
and can use its long horns sideways with great effect. 
The Eland ( Oreas canna). This truly magnificent animal 
is the largest of the antelopes, the great home of which is in 
Africa; this species being from the southern part. The ante¬ 
lopes are generally of small or medium size ; the Eland, how¬ 
ever, is frequently of the size and weight of a large horse. 
I 
