form, and their complete envelopment in the fur, and especially from the readiness with which they are detached, that they can fill no very important design.” My own opinion is that this claw is no more than a bit of the ordinary scarf skin of the tail, which, being confined to its place by the dense hairs which form the tuft at the end of the tail, is prevented from falling out of its place, and in time it becomes hard and horn-like. Any information on this subject I shall thankfully

receive.* I have more to say of the anatomy of the Lion, but would rather turn attention to lions of another kind. Englishmen have for ages past, even before the days of the lions at the Tower of London, j* been fond of the beast they have chosen as their emblem. They are, moreover, plentiful enough—if not alive, yet in pictorial representations, all over England; for there is hardly an English town or village that has not a lion—black, white, red, or blue (any colour, of course, but the right

it. In fact there is —tawny)—hotel or public-house in

The author of an admirable paper about lions, thus writes with respect to the claw at the tip of the lion-tail:

“I have examined many, and have found in some a small horny tip, though I cannot imagine to what purpose it is applied.” f I cannot help thinking that the expression we so commonly use now, “ Going to see the lions,” began when peoplo used to visit these animals at the Tower,

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a story told of a lawyer who told his clerk to take an unwelcome visitor out round the town to see the lions and after their journey they both returned in a state of intoxication, the clerk having taken the visitor literally to see “ the Lions,” and, of course, when they arrived there, they were obliged to try the taps under their jurisdiction. There were so many lions to be visited that the interviews they had had with them had disturbed their equanimity.

There is a famous Lion on the top of Northumberland beast that wags hisHouse at Charing Cross—the same tail across the full moon on the first day of April in each year—and I understand that large sums of money have been lost and won on the wager as to which way this Lion’s head was turned; x.e., whether the Lion looked towards the City or the West End. A party of officers were assembled in a regimental mess-room in Dublin, when the subject was started, and many bets were made both ways as to the position of the Lion, A certain officer had betted heavily that he looked towards the City, and when he went to bed he sent for his black valet. “ Which way,” said he, “does the Lion on ”Northumberland House look?

The nigger scratched his head. “ Ah! massa,” said he, “he look straight direct towards de Bank of England; ’cos why, his money all dere. When 1 was wid you at de Morley’s Hotel, de first ting I see

in de morning was de great big Lion; he stare right into my face.’’ “ Enough!” thought the gentleman. He immediately went down stairs again, and doubled his bets that the Lion looked towards the City.

The next morning, when Sambo came in with the hot water, he said, u Gorra, massa. me tink me made mistake last night; me tink de Lion hab turned himself and look de oder way.” “ You scoundrel!” said the master; “ be off to London instantly by the express, and telegraph to me the moment you arrive which way the Lion really does

look.”

Report tells us that no telegraph message ever arrived, and that the nigger has never been heard of

since. Which way then is this Northumberland House Lion placed—does he look towards the City or towards the West End? Reader, solve the question for yourself, recollecting always that there is an excellent reason for his position, for no British Lion—be he biped or quadruped—ever turns his back on her Most Gracious Majesty the Queen.*

There is, however, one exception to the rule: when engaged in his duties of driving, Her Majesty’s Coachman turns his back upon the Sovereign.

214

WILD BEAST SHOWS.

LIONS.

The grand but startling roar of a Lion thundering down the avenues of the Long Walk at Windsor, one dark November evening,* gave notice to the staid citizens that the African Lion had come to pay a visit to the stronghold of his British relative. The next day’s sun dawned upon an eruption of yellow vans, which had sprung up amidst the nettles, weeds, and brickbats (the crop of that industrious farmer “ Chancery ”). I lost no time in paying a visit to the Lion which I had heard roar the night before, and which I found in the erratic zoological gardens, under the management of Edmonds, late Wombwell. Nearly half a century ago, Mr. Wombwell started the idea of travelling menageries, and ever since, like the Wandering Jew, his caravans have been on the march from town to town, from fair

to fair.

I was at this time, November 1858, quartered at Windsor with my regiment, the 2nd Life-Gfuards, of which I was at that time Assistant-Surgeon.

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vvombwell's menagerie. 215

The establishment, then at Windsor, consisted of fifteen vans, in which the dens are built. When they arrive on the exhibiting ground they are formed into two lines, with the long elephant van at one end and the “ pay here ” van at the other, the whole being roofed over with canvass. Between thirty and forty men are employed as keepers, &c., and forty-five horses are attached to the establishment to drag the vans many of the keepers have 61 apartments ” in the vans, for his next plankbehind the animals—one man having neighbour the hyaena; another the bear, who “ rattles his chain all night another the lioness and her cubs, which latter cry as loud and as continuously as biped babies, &c. The expenses, as may be imagined, for food for the animals, &c., are heavy, and amount, as I was assured, to nearly thirty pounds a day: and yet the

exhibition pays a fair profit.

All the animals are carried in the vans, except the two elephants, Akbar Khan (the male), aged six, and Abdalla (the female), aged ten; these intelligent beasts walk, but yet in such a manner that they shall not exhibit their huge carcases for nothing. Accordingly a van twenty-seven feet long is provided, the bottom of which comes out, and the elephants march away famously, their huge feet only being exposed to the public; this acts as an advertisement, and makes the folks anxious to see the rest of their bodies. They

can march twenty miles a day, but ten miles is about their usual day’s journey. These elephants are wonderful performers, and after much time, trouble (and, I am glad to say, kindness), Abdalla has been made to learn to stand on her head—positively on her head—the point "where she touches the ground being the spot just where the trunk is attached to the skull, her hind feet being raised about three or four feet from the ground. She will also rear upright on her hind legs, and place her fore feet on her trainer’s shoulders; but she remains in this position only for an instant, her weight being so great. The two elephants also stand upon tubs a little larger than buckets, balancing themselves on two feet, and it is quite wonderful to see how neatly and carefully these great brutes dispose of their cumbrous feet, so as to poise their unwieldy bodies.

I was informed that in order to teach these elephants

their performances, “it is only necessary to give them the idea of what they want them to do, and that they will practise what is taught them when alone.” When not performing they stand importunate beggars, thrust-ting their long trunks among the spectators for halfpence, which they immediately spend at a cake and nut stall within reach; they place their money on the stall, and receive the eatables in return. I doubt much whether they can distinguish between a halfpenny or a penny, for in most instances they made

\Tery bad bargains with their coppers, getting small halfpenny or penny worths either. When not served immediately, they ring a bell to call the attention of the black man who keeps the stall, and let him know they wish to make a purchase.

These elephants are worth from 600Z. to 800Z. each, according to the market, whether u there were many elephants in the country or not.” I saw a small elephant the other day at Mr. Jamrach’s, in Ratcliff Highway, about as big as an Alderney cow, the price of which was 500/. It is now sold to the Zoological Gardens at Turin.* Mr. Edmonds had a very fine one-horned rhinoceros.

My friend H. P. Le Mesurier, Esq., of Mahabad, lately received the following: “ Some time since yon wrote me about elephants. If you are still in want of some I can procure them for you on very reasonable terms. I think the prices of newly-caught elephants run from 600rs. to 2,000rs., according to their size and sex. Males are dearest. There is also a young rhinoceros for sale here at 350rs., if you should want it.—W. Mtllett (Tetellee Gooree, Dibroo Ghur, Upper Assam, April 25th, 1866).”

In January 1867, when paying a visit to Jamrach, I saw two skulls of Indian rhinoceros in his shop. These two skulls were the only result of a speculation on the part of my poor friend. He sent his son to India on purpose to get them. Having purchased them up the country, Jamrach Junior drove them some 200 miles down to the seaport—I believe Calcutta. He managed this task by tying ropes on to the animals, and with the aid of some forty coolies, literally “ conducted” them to their destination. Rood for 120 days was shipped for the poor

which has been in the show twenty-one years, and which cost 1400?. at the sale of the animals at the Manchester Zoological Gardens: he always rides in his van, being a valuable animal and worth his carriage. Formerly they had a giraffe, but it died; and in its place they have four “ war camels from the Crimea.” These form part of the triumphal procession when it enters a town. Two of these camels are walked round and round inside the show, and people allowed to ride, three or four at a time. I had a ride too myself, but found it most difficult to keep my seat: I can compare the motion, especially when trotting, to nothing except what I imagine would be the sensation of riding on the end of a long scaffold pole, projecting from the tail of a cart.

I have since heard of a gentleman who was thrown off a camel in Egypt, and so seriously injured that he died of the accident. The Bedouins never make the camel kneel in order to mount, but either cause the animal to drop his neck in order to receive their foot, and thus get hoisted up, or else they climb up from

behind.

animals on board the “Persian Empire,” but the voyage being protracted to an nnnsnal length, both the specimens of rhinoceros, which Jamrach valued at 1,600?., died of starvation. The poor things were reduced to such extremities that they ate sawdust and gnawed great holes in a spare mast. They died between St. Helena and England, and the doctor of the ship and young Jamrach preserved their skulls and hides.

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Mr. Edmonds has a very fine collection of lions, both Asiatic and African, most of them young. He has also a magnificent lion and lioness with cubs, which were born at Southampton. Outside the show is a very excellent portrait of the big lion, painted on a panel. With this not even Mr. Euskin, I think, could find a fault-that is, if the perfection of painting is the faithful representation of nature. Inside the caravan one sees the u Lion-slayer,” who goes into the den with seven or eight of the young lions, and makes them jump oyer sticks, through hoops, and perform other feats of activity. I was informed that it is 1 much easier to train a ‘ forest-caught lion ’ than an 1 exhibition lion 9 ”— fact which is very curious, and much surprised me, but a practically-ascertained fact for all that. The “ Lion-slayer” uses a mixture of kindness with severity (the former predominating) in training his animals—handling and the voice doing much; the animals did not show in their countenances the least fear of their tamer, which they would have done if unkindly used.

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