St Johns College - Yearbook (Annapolis, MD)

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ie if . 5 .6 I T he ay Bird we have so named from his resemblance to our American birds which are called by that title? This bird was discovered in the wilds of a very remote and uncivilized part of American territory Anne Arundel Countv. A party from St. john s camped in that section last year. In the course of one of our hunts we by misfortune came to know the only inhabitant of that land whom we named Wfhiskers from his shaggy beard. The old hunter had the bird as 1 The next bird of importance is the Woodcoclz. You mayi say you consider the VVoodcock as a very ordinary bird but the one we have is far superior in quality to any vet known to mankind. It may be owing to his qualities that we prize him most yet with every look at the bird my mind reverts to thrilling times not all pleasant, that I spent with the party who secured the fowl. It was in the year 1900 that a party, under the direction of several brave guides, among whom we are proud to include the wild man, VVhiskers, from Anne Arundel regions, set out to make some settlements, and, if possible colonize the land and subdue the barbarous and uncivilized race in a territory known as the Wicoinico wilds. WI h1le there we came upon a camp of natives, who called the place Salisbury, an Indian name for nowhere. These people showed a friendly spirit and we were soon attending one of their war dances, of the most weird and fantastic nature. After the dance the chief took me to his wigwam and showed me his pet bird, which as a friendly token he gave me. We were safely escorted from camp next day, and soon after succeeded in subduinff the people, and, after placing a colony, xx e left for Annapolis. This istthe history of our Wooclcock. ' The Crane is the last and oldest fowl we have. VV hen I say oldest, I mean not as to life, but old in our service. This bird we prize for its dramatic perform- ances and also for its beautiful plumage. 'Wl1611 we called it a Crane, we did not do so from the fact that it resembles that species of birds in the least, for, on the contrary, it possesses not a characteristic .of the Crane, its neck being very ll l I 2 C J ffl I 7 ' i A I ' C ,3 pet, but we induced him to sell it to us, which he very reluctantl f consented to do .Q 7 ' ri ' rf ' I 7 J 1 1 I J 0 f b 7 1 I I T I l 1 . lr gl JL short and legs not at all out of proportion with the rest of its body. But we called the bird a Crane because of the tradition which is told of his past-that he was taken under the wing of a Crane when young, and, like Romulus and Remus, was nursed until he was able to take care of himself-at least, he thought so. But, alas! sad fact, he was one day caught in the meshes of a net set by Director Fell, of the zoo, in the regions of St. lVIary's County. In addition to our collection of animals and birds, we have started to collect rare plants. At present we have only one-the Wliite Lily. T99

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The St. Iohn's Zoo J' NE of the ideal features of our College life is the enjoyment we derive from our excellent collection of fowls and animals. A For some years we have been carefully collecting from the most remote regions these specimens, and we at present have such a collection as would make the dullest zoologist open his eyes in wonder and envy. Owing to some negligence on the part of Sub-Director Soho, one of our most prized animals, the monkey Cfiontainej, escaped last year, but we have as a partial compensation a kind of baboon, which, in honor of our beloved escaped monkey, we call Monkey Facev Qfieysj. In the year ?96, while fishing on the Chester river, our efficient Director Fell caught an excellent specimen of Ranae. He brought the frog QTarbuttonj here, and we are now greatly indebted to the Director for this animal, which has grown to be quite a large specimen. VV e keep the frog on the third floor of Pinkney Hall, where his croaking is a great amusement to the boys. The Major often takes him to the armory for the pleasure of Company A. The rarest specimen we have is, perhaps, the dwarf Reed, discovered in South Africa by Stanley. This cute fellow is of a race known as Pigmies. The little fellow, we fear, is not satisfied in this distant clime. When persons are near he is very quiet, but when left to himself he participates in all manner of yelling and hideous noises, which causes the monkey-face baboon, whose cage is 'next to the dwarfis, to become very melancholy. We have had several local zoologists CPokey Daniels and Bob Wliitej to' examine these characteristics, and the opinion seems to be that the restless disposition of the fellow is due to the fact of his separation from his natives. . Three years ago the animals received another very precious addition to their ranks. This specimen was brought from Calvert County by Sub-Collector Hutch- ins, who says the natives of that barbarous county called the thing a ffwhife rat Uonesj. Sly Reynard always slips in where there are fowls to eat, and so we have had our zoo much enhanced by the appearance of a. fine specimen of fox. He is a full-grown red animal of a very sly nature, and is noted for beino' . H H g very quick to catch on. He was brought from Baltimore County last year. What has attracted the Fox to our clime seems to be the large variety of birds we have. I shall give a brief description of the most prized ones in the following paragraphs, which shall include the Jay Bird, Woodcoclc and the Crane: I 198 f 4 3 A. 4 i a l I l 1 l l . l 1 1 l l k

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September October . By the Month x A l 2 1 ...-i-- l fl I ! 1 l i 9 i J fi A CALENDAR OF IMPORTANT EVENTS. - Wl1at kinder time d'ye have ? 20-Confusion. -Frofusion Qof F reshiesj. 22-Intrusion Qof Sophsj 23--Fl'CSl1lCS made to sing, root pennies and whistle. -'4There will be no baseball game today. -Tony Powell. 2--HTl'lCI'.C will be no baseball game today. -jim Rohrer. 3-C111 Chapel.j Gwing to unforeseen difficulties, there will be no baseball game todayf,-Dr. Fell. ' A 4-Lord Riggin mistaken for VValter Camp. 5-All went to the circus. Carroll County Club was auspiciously inaugurated. ' 6-Professors Daniel and Soho study Croquet rules. I2-Football. St. Iohnis-all over Georgetown. I3-Petherbridge made his debut as officer of the day. Can't fool Petherbridgef, I4-Diphtheria boog-a-boo. Quarantined., V I5-Same as any other day. Sun rose and sat as usual. IQ-PLISS Wiliner organized the f'D00dled'm11, O1'chest1'a. Awful! on the 'fcream pot. 2O-iiTl1G black cat fell Q ?j in the creamwpotf' ' 23-Tommy,fPokey and Sohawk cut the electric wires and got drowned. 24-GTCHSY-F3C6d Fritz buttered Wliislcers. 25--A11Cl Wliislcers ,buttered Fritz. 4' ' A 26-Football. Swarthmore enjoyed our fumbles. Informal hop in gym. Boys rude enough to yell at the dancing fellows, Cholly, Cholly oh, my golly, look at Cholly, - Hollings- worth. f'Wilson, Wilson, bow-legged Wilson, 1 Gal- breath, f'Tom, Tom, brass-button Tom, 1 Hall, etc. 31-Hallowe'en. Major T. serenaded. 32-Don't count. 2OO A i, K ,I L .4 W, ,Eff fl 1 'E i 4 1 1 i l i ' l 1 K As W. 'r K