The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-05-30 00:00:00

THE PRINCE OF WALES MENAGERIE.

Mr. Frank Rockland writes in Land and Water:- "In
the annals of the ruenagerie of the tower of London °nine
Zoological Society, no pester event has ever occurred
than the accession of the collection just made by his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales. Coming from India, we
dudld, of course, anticipate that the principal objects of
interest would be specimens of the typical animal of that
country—nun*, elephant.. There are among elephants,
as among hones, good, hiid, and indifferent; but we are
sulte.certain that the Indian rajahs would not allow his
=lHighness to boring hack anything but first-class
LL vphers are, accordingly, four elephants Two of
them are about I ft. Bin, high, and the others are consid-
erably larger. The two smaller elephants have their
present lodginvi in the tent with the tigers, bean,
o.triebee, The two larger elephants have very con-
fortable sleeping places, and a good promenade in the
gallery at the back of the dens in a new lion-house. The
two little elephants have been evidently very much
petted by the sailors of the Serapis. They are continually
lifting up a foot to shake hands with the visitors, while
their long, flexible, and sensitive trunks are perpetually
searching about for what they can find, especially if it be
anything to eat. The names of these two elephants are
Rortam and Omar. There are three native atiendente to
act as grooms to the two larger ele_phanta, two little wiry
man and a boy, with &thoroughly Eastern cart of (amend
a look of command about his eyes. Mr. Bartlett informed
me that it had been ascertained that the height of an
elephant was twice round the foot. We therein
immediately tested this theory, and found that • piece of
pope fitting round the foot of the largest measured Mt.
lUin., giving a total height of the animal as Mt, bin., which
was as nearly as possible correct. The height of an
adult male Indian elephant is from Bft. to 10ft. ; an
adult female about 7ft. to Sit. The following is I
believe, a reliable account of the growth of the
elephant :—'The young mime' grows very rapidly at Brit;
by the second year it has reached the height of 4ft. ,• after
this period it inereade more slowly till it has reached 90
or 21 years. They are suckled for two years and in a
wild state the young run for suck indiscriminately to any
female, without regard to the mother, and thus the cry of
distress fromany of the young generally arouses the herd.
The cheek-teeth appear about six or seven weeks after
birth.' Aesociated with India are of course the tiger and
leopard—animals almost tc of that part of the earth's
surface, The two largest in the Prince's collection
still occupy the dens in which they came over. These are
very maims strong boxes with iron bars on each side and
rings at the corners, so that they can be slung or carried
about There are in the collection four partly.grosns
tigers and a cub, the mother of which the Prince liaeß
shot The animals next most worthy of note in the
Prince'. collection are the leopards ; there are four kittens,
named respectively Emma. Jenny, Elizabeth, and Seiler,
and another one about, say, one-fourth grown ; these are
very playful little animals, and seem very heathy. Mr.
aanasos Bartleti„ soa of our good friend, Mr. A. D.
, Bartlett, tuperintandent of the Zoological Gardena
' London, has aecapipanied his Royal Highness the Prince
I of Wales throughout the whole of his journey, and has
I supervised and carried out most suocesefolly the difficult
task of ragtag and trensporting the creatures many of
them powerful, savage brutes, intruded to his charge.
Mr. Clarence Bartlett had not only charge of the live
stock, but he also had intrusted to him the preparation s&
taxidermist of the aIIECOITOIII and valuable natural history
specicahot by the Prince. Mr. Bartlett, sem. assisted
g. hie superintended the unshi and transport of
on from Portsmouth to and be has
arranged the dens and ewes in the tent where they are
now exhibited, Those who visit the collection will, I ion
convinced, be highly
ingenious
at, and be grateful for, the
admirable and oua arrangements be ham made for
the well-being of animals, and the comfort of those
who come In .ere them. The latest news is that the
gnat a rare end valuable animal. on Saturday morning I
produced fine heathy kid."
WArgiue Qttwz Win for Sixteen Years has.
beim univexaslya4mitt.d to be the best Tonic known,
and a armful and agreeable aocompeniment to Cod
Liver Oil. "We can bear personal testimony to its
value as a tonic."—Bienalard. —Agents for Weymouth,'
D. Prooson and Sow, Orocen ; Shaftesbury, G.
ICCRBLICT, Wine and Spirit lderchant. Wholesale.
WATERS and Sos, 34, Emicheap, London; and
I Lime and Co., Worcester.
FlTl.—grticrrtc Fro at PALLINQ SICILSISa.—A certain
i method of cure has bees glimmered tor this distressing
, . yby.n.p, who is desirous that all sufferers
may fro. piovidential discovery ; it is Bever
in feu. sod care the meet hopeless case after
2°:Zer mane here been Pied. Padl par will be
emit lri Fog tnorinrann ft" d
madman. Tweet, Hyde London.

EMORIAL CARDS.-
1.71 The friends of deceased persons are invited to
Import a variety of MEMORIAL CARIJS, embossed,
cameo, or plain, at ths office of tine paper, 8, High
West-street, Dorchester ; or at 7, Bond-street, We,-
mouth. Or specimens will be sent by post for selection.
26 Embossed Cattle, with name, &tes, ages, and
verse of poetry, or text of Scripture, supplied for .is.

TO CORRESPONDENTS.
"A. Turns" (Blandford). You probnbly intended to
itruilr7elf Aihnot clt' Such
741in'llocuutic"ceutionu indUst
columns but, let us advise you to go to some good man
--and there are plenty in your district, and then
probably_ you will be convinced of your misguided

reasoning:
"Snan•rnocit" (Dorchester). Your letter does not appear,
because. you have not complied with our rules and sent
your address for private information; at the same tuna
we may say we yuite agree with you. Ora space
together with the time of all the writers may be more
Profitably employed, and your suggestion 'WI be acted

- - -
"C.&" (Poole). Unless we had before us the cleared
evidence of what you allege, it would be unwire to
insert your communication, although you have had the
courage to append your name in full. If the pence you
. , . . . . . .

----- r;res7"---is going • ion victim rig innkeepers you
should inform the police, who could doubtlessly soma
put • stop to his little game. The law of libel is too
ticklish for us to risk it.
131.0(101.1.-KNAP" (Dorchester). We are 101 Tr, but WS
cannot give your letter. The reason you know as well
as ourselves. Why not hays sent your address Surely
you need not be ashamed of expressing an honest
opinion. We fancy, however, you have not seen tbs
row of trees in irestion lately, or you would not call
them "scrubby. To our thinking as they are now
" with verdure clad" they are more beautiful thsn—
What shall we say 1 Why, than even an Alderman Mall
his glory,—of official robes.

NOTICES.

AU communications should be addips,ed to the Editor
En're" .ad Te49,o*, tX6ce+, Dorchester. and Peet-ollee
orders may be made payable to the publisher. , Mr. Gee.
FRANKLIN. .

_
When sums are sent in stamps it is requested that
they may he in halfpenny stem..