Evening Republican, Volume 23, Number 70, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 20 March 1920 — BEAR CUBS PROBABLY UNIQUE [ARTICLE]

BEAR CUBS PROBABLY UNIQUE

New Species the Result of Mating Canadian Black and Russian Brown, in London Zoo. A “marriage was arranged” in London some time ago between Teddy, the black bear from Canada, and Daisy, the brown bear from Russia. The result is the first hybrid blackbrown bear cubs ever bora in. the zoo —they may even be unique, for nature let alone produces no hybrids. They are a rich mahogany compromise between their parents’ colorings, and are doing splendidly. Along with the news comes word that the ugliest beast in the world, the Matamata turtle, another emigrant from the new world, has been on a hunger strike ever since his arrival in London. At home he gets his food in a nasty, treacherous way. He has a shell which looks like a lump of rock on which weed grows ffeely. He keeps quiet and looks like a pleasant stone for fish to rest under. Round his jaws are a number of long lumps which look like desirable worms. These are his ground bait, and even if the Matamata be asleep a nibble rouses him to snap up a meal.