The Old Showmen and the Old London FairsFrost, Thomas
History
The Old Showmen and the Old London Fairs
Frost, Thomas
Fairs -- England -- London; London (England) -- Social life and customs
"Wonderful Phenomenon in Nature! The singular and hitherto deemed
impossible occurrence of a LION and TIGRESS cohabiting and producing
young, has actually taken place in this menagerie, at Windsor. The
tigress, on Wednesday, the 27th of October last, produced _three fine
cubs_; one of them strongly resembles the tigress; the other two are of a
lighter colour, but striped. Mr. Atkins had the honour (through the kind
intervention of the Marquis of Conyngham) of exhibiting the _lion-tigers_
to His Majesty, on the first of November, 1824, at the Royal Lodge,
Windsor Great Park; when His Majesty was pleased to observe, they were the
greatest curiosity of the beast creation he had ever witnessed.
"The royal striped _Bengal Tigress_ has again whelped three fine cubs,
(April 22,) two males and one female; the males are white, but striped;
the female resembles the tigress, and, singular to observe, she fondles
them with all the care of an attentive mother. The sire of the young cubs
is the noble male lion. This remarkable instance of subdued temper and
association of animals to permit the keeper to enter their den, and
introduce their young to the spectators, is the greatest phenomenon in
natural philosophy.
"That truly singular and wonderful animal, the AUROCHOS. Words can only
convey but a very confused idea of this animal's shape, for there are few
so remarkably formed. Its head is furnished with two large horns, growing
from the forehead, in a form peculiar to no other animal; from the
nostrils to the forehead is a stiff tuft of hair, and underneath the jaw
to the neck is a similar brush of hair, and between the forelegs is hair
growing about a foot and a half long. The mane is like that of a horse,
white, tinged with black, with a beautiful long flowing white tail; the
eye remarkably keen, and as large as the eye of the elephant: colour of
the animal, dark chesnut; the appearance of the head, in some degree
similar to the buffalo, and in some part formed like the goat, the hoof
being divided; such is the general outline of this quadruped, which seems
to partake of several species. This beautiful animal was brought over by
Captain White, from the south of Africa, and landed in England, September
20th, 1823; and is the same animal so frequently mistaken by travellers
for the unicorn: further to describe its peculiarities would occupy too
much space in a handbill. The only one in England.
"That colossal animal, the wonderful performing
ELEPHANT,
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