The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-04-13 00:00:00

SALE OF A MENAGERIE.

It is not often we have to announce the sale of a
large menagerie (remarks theFte/ii). We ale old enough
to remember in the hazy outlines of the past the collec-
tion exhibited on the very spot where the Fetid office
now stands; it was C1068.1i celebrated menagerie at
Exeter Change, where the large elephant, Chuny, wu
executed when he went mad with the toothache. Thia
collection was afterwards exhibited at the Sing's.
mews, Charing-croes, on the site of the National
Gallery, at which time Trafalgar-square had
no lioas, but contained a huge wooden shed
150 ft. long, which enclosed the skeleton of • gigantic
whale. On the building of the National Gallery, Mr.
Cross removed his animsls to the Surrey Zoological
Gardens, and eventually the collectiom was disper.erl
by the hammer of Mr. J. U. Stevens, the welds flown
natural history auctioneer. On Tuesday, Wombwell's
Menagerie, now at Edinburgh, will be sold by auction
by Mr. IL lkuet. As this collection wad an of Ile

best known of the kingdom, a few particulars regarding
it may not be without interest. The staff employed
monhered upwards of forty men, and there was are
equal number of heroes to move the heavy caravans
frotu place to place. The menagerie was always piloted
liy an agent, who went some weeks in advance to make
the necessary arrangements as to stabling. gronnd,
advertising, bill-posting, kc. There were aloe fifteen
harsekeever's, whose duties were to look after the
horses, and to act as drivers, assisted by the "inside
men. The "inside" men were 12 in number. their
duties being to look after the interior of the menagerie
and to attend on the animals. Two head keeoers had
the charge of the animals, feeding them, and seeing
that they were properly attended to. They also des-
cribed the shimals, fuoi made them go through
their performances. An inspector of waggons, a
doorkeeper, and the hand of ten members cempleted
the stsff. The I:Futurity of moveuder necessary for
the animals aml horses daily was very large. The
carnivorous animals required about 4ewt. of meat
daily ; this consisted chiefly of bullocks' shins,
hearts, and heads. A lion required aletut lflb. of aohd
flesh daily; a tiger about the same; a leopard elb.
The bears were fed almost exclusively on breast and
sop; in very cold weather they got a piece of flesh. The
monkeys were fecton rice, bread, sop, and fruits. The
ruminants were fed much the same as the horses, with
the addition of a good deal of bread, the amount of food
given being according to the temperature of the season.
The number of animals to be Bola is considerably over
100. The collection includes the large lion Hannibal,
which is supposed to be the finest in the country. This
lion and the performing elephant, and the camels, and
dromedaries, are the most distinguishing features of
the collection. The male tusked elephant—which is
about 7ft. fin, high, nearly eight years old, and grow-
ing fast—is stated to be the most docile and most
clever performing elephant ever exhibited. He goes
in harness, has been accustomed to draw the band
carriage; he will either draw or push • waggon np
a hill, or will work in traces in front of the horses, and
has placed all the waggons of the menagerie in position
for the peat 18 months, with the agehtfinee of only
two men to guide the wheels. So great has been
the attraction of the menagerie in the remote dl..
tricts of Ss atland that Mr. Fairgrieve, the present pro-
prietor, told no that when he was at Ballater (where
the Royal Family visited the menagerie) the people
walk• d 20 miles to see the beasts; and, with a tittly
justifiable vanity, he states that he considers the
menagerie to have done a great educational work. We
shall be interested in the result of the sale, and the
comparison of the value realized by the annuals with
that produced at the sale of Cross's collection at the
Surrey Gardens.

On Tuesday, as previously announced, W. z.II.WOL'S
.1•114 pot nu for sale by auction in Edin-
liitri.;h. e L. or L. st 2 for some time past.
'roue was a large atteadan.*, and anoiag the buyers
trim a distance were Professor Edwards, on behalf ol
the Jardins des Plantes, Pau'; Mr. J irurach, animal
Jade. Lonely!: ; 7)11. Vice. London; Mr. Fervuson,
representing Vail ; Me. ialadiaths, :
Jamieeill, of the Zoologitzd gardens, M. Amster. ; Mr.
Jackson secretary If the Bristol Zoological Society;
Mr. atonal dealer, Liverpool ; arei others.
The sale ea,,itail much intereet. Cl there WAIF 1 red
deal of competition for some of the specimens Foe
instance, the male tusked elephant was bought tor the
Zoological Gardens, Manchester, for I:680 • the jolt
" Hannibal " for the Bristol Zoological Society, for
£270. The lions "Duke of Edinburgh "and "Nero"
were sold for £l4O each to Mr. Rice, who also bought
the lion" Wallace" for £B5. A Royal Bengal tigrese
was purchased by Mr. Jamrach for £155. The Polar
bear was sold to Professor Edwards for £4O, a racoon
was purchased on behalf of the Earl of Roseberry
for £l. The following is la list of the prices rea-
lised i-Racoon, £1; Agouti (2), 10s. each ; dasyure,
Is.; Gennet cat, £1 50.; Tasmanian devil, £3 Is.;
Diana monkey, £7; Capu.in monkey, £1 10s. ; man-
drill, £3O; ditto, £5; a Nubian baboon, £lO 10a. ;
ditto, £8 10s. • Hamadryad baboon, £3 10s. ' • Charms
baboon, £2 brill monkey. £5 Is. • ' dog-faced baboon
(3), £3 cocci; black cat, Sc.; black vulture, £3 Ifs.;
condor. £l5; men, £7; pelican (2), £6 15,1. each ;
scarlet macaw, £3 10a. ; ditto, £3 15s. ; line and
yellow macaw, £4; slenilerbeak cockat, .08 (2), £.l each;
34 pairs wa- tiling grass parroquets, Cl 2a. ; one King's
parrot, £1 17a. 62. • one Pennant'. parrot, la 108. ; rose-
breasted cockatoo, 50. ; purple oapoed lory, £2 10a. :
golden-headed parroquet, 103. ; Indian parroquet,
10s. • one pair lemon-crested cockatoos. £l4s. each ;one
ditto, 70. each ; white-crested cockatoo, El 13..;
lemon-crested ditto, £8; one green parrot, £2 20. Lone
rose-breasted cockatoo, £1 10s. ; a nylghan, £26; ditto,
£lO 100.; llama, £l5; boomer kangaroo, £l2; wolves,
£1 2.. each; ocelot, L'6 10s. ; African porcupine (3),
£5 10s. each; wombat, £7; leopard (faulty), £8;
brown coatimondi, 30s. ; common jackal, gl 6a. ;
saddleback jackal, £3; Thibetan sun bear, £5 Is.;
Polar bear, £10; brown bear, ; performing
leopard, £2O; performing leopardesses (2), L'2o each;
performing hyena, £3 ss. ; two wolves, each
30s. ; lion, "Wallace," 74 years old, £B5; royal
Bengal tigress. " Tippoo," in cub, three years old,
£155; lion "Duke of Edinburgh," three years old;
lion, "Boss," three years old (faulty), £2O; lionesses
" Princeas " and "Alexandra," about 31 years old,
£3421 each ; lioness, "Victoria," four years old, in
cub to lion " Ilanibal," £lO5 ; black mimed lion
"Hannibal," 64 years old, £270; lion, "Nero," 14
years old, very fine, £1411; leopardess, aged, £6 55.;
lion, "Prince Arthur," 18 months old, son of Han-
nibal, £110; lion, "Prince Alfred," 18 monthn old,
£9O; spotted hyena, £l5; Birchell zebra, £5O; gnu, £&%;
1 male tusked elephant, about 7f. 6in. in height, nearly
eight years old, £680; female elephant, about sft. 6in.
high, £115; two boa constrictors, £6 each; Malabar
squirrel, £5; male Bactrian camel. 7ft. high, 12 years
01d,819 ; female ditto (in calf), 64ft. high, 10 years
old, £3O; ditto, ditto in calf, (lift, high, 5 years old,
£23; male ditto. sft. high, 2i years old, £l4; female
ditto, in calf, sft. high, 14 year old, £l4 • male
dromedary, 7/ft. high, 5 years old, £3O; female ditto,
6411. high, 14. years old, £2l ; male camel calf, born
ebruary 6, 1872, kJ 10s. ; spotted carriage dog, £1;
Indian goat, £1 7..; dog mastiff, £l2; two-year-old
mastiff, £5; English for terrier, £2 2s. The total
amount realized on Tuesday, Was about £2,832.