London and Its Environs Described, vol. 6 (of 6): Containing an Account of Whatever is Most Remarkable for Grandeur, Elegance, Curiosity or Use, in the City and in the Country Twenty Miles Round ItAnonymous
History
London and Its Environs Described, vol. 6 (of 6): Containing an Account of Whatever is Most Remarkable for Grandeur, Elegance, Curiosity or Use, in the City and in the Country Twenty Miles Round It
Anonymous
London (England) -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800; London (England) -- Gazetteers -- Early works to 1800
You are next shewn an horned owl, which is a very surprizing bird,
and as there is not perhaps such another in England, we shall give a
particular description of it. Its head seems full as big as that of a
cat, and its eyes, which are large, have circles round them of a bright
shining gold colour. The feathers that compose the horns begin just
above the eyes, and rise intermixed with a little white; but as they
extend beyond the head, become of a red brown clouded with a more dusky
colour, and are tipp’d with black. The spaces round the eyes, which
compose the face, are of a light brown, confusedly mixed with orange
colour, gradually becoming more dusky as it borders on the eyes. The
top of the head, neck, back, wings, and upper side of the tail are of a
dark brown, spotted and intermixed with some confused transverse small
lines of ash colour and reddish. The great wing-feathers, and the tail,
are barred across with dusky bars of half an inch in breadth, more or
less; but between the back and wings the feathers are of an ash colour.
The fore part of the neck and breast are a bright brown, inclining to
orange, which gradually grows fainter on the sides. This brown part
is spotted with pretty large dark spots, and intermixed between them,
with the same dusky colour. The middle of the breast, belly, thighs,
and under side of the tail are a faint ash colour, pretty regularly
barred transversely with dusky lines; and the inside of the wings are
coloured and variegated in the same manner: the legs and toes, almost
to the ends are covered with light ash coloured feathers, and the ends
of the toes and the claws, are of a dark horn colour, and very strong
and sharp.
From these extraordinary birds you are conducted to a den where you
are shewn the Great Pompey, the finest and largest lion ever seen in
England; he is about twelve years of age, and of a noble and majestic
appearance. His head is large, and his neck covered with a long shagged
mane that reaches to his shoulders. He is of a yellowish colour, and
about four feet high; his body is small in proportion to his head; but
his legs have the appearance of amazing strength; his large muscles
being very visible. The bones of his fore-legs seem about the thickness
of a man’s wrist, and his fore-feet are armed with five prodigious
claws, sheathed like those of a cat, with which he seizes his prey like
that animal; but his hinder feet have only four. He seems very gentle
and tractable to his feeder, and will lie down and let him play with
him like a spaniel.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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