The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-01-04 00:00:00

ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS ITEMS.

Mr._ Frank Buckland writes in Land and Mater

I think it is now about one or two and twenty year,
ago since the old father hippopotamus first arrived in
this country, and I believe it is to this hippopo
tannin that the society owes much of its well-
earned and increasing reputation and popularity.
It is therefore very interesting to observe how that
the third son of this veteran animal has, like hie
father, gained so much popularity in all circles of
society. I am happy to be able to report that
little 'Guy Fawkee" remains in a perfect state of
health; he has grown amazingly, and is becoming
quite tame ; be allows Prescott, the keeper, to
tickle his tars, and he often opens his great mouth
quite 'wide, and delights in having his gums rubbed,
especially at the point where his tusks are just coming
through ; will nobody give him an ivory or india-
rubber ring ? He does not seem to mind the crowd
a bit, and looks at them as impndently as possible.
When there is nobody in the home he hops and plays
about as lively as a kitten. Although I hare such
good news to report about the young hippopotamus, I
am sorry to say that the baby thin ,ceroe is dead. It
is much to be regretted that Mr. Rice did not ilepoeit
it at the Zoological•gardens, where it would have had
the benefit of Mr. Partlett's great experience and
care. It was, unfortunately, allowed to remain in a
portion of an ordinary arable, very roughly arranged for
its reception. Somehow or other the clumsy old parent
rhinoceros managed to lie upon the young see, and
kill-d i it. This s very much to be regretted, for many
reasons, though of course the comparative anatem6ts
will not be sorry having such a chance of a rare di.
secti.n. I understand the price of the two rhinoceri
together was £1,300. It is a very interesting fact that
a young hippopotamus and young rhinoceros ebonid
be born in a few days of each other, in the middle of
winter, in London. Giraffes breed in this country, no
do elands. If, therefore, the above inhabitants of
tropical climates breed here, and now that we know
their habits and wants FO well, mav we not live in
hopes that it may yet be possible that a young
elephant may come as a Christmas•box to the
naturalist j üblic for 1373?

SPUTTERINGS FROM "JUDY'S" PEN.

MOTTO FOR • TEETOTAL CORPORAL • —Ginger beer sold
here eolther).

BETTER tli&n" By Jove !" any day—iluy
A CAKE IR only sometimes tiywy, wheroas a glass r I wine I.
always deltnk.

A XERMING Parad,—The mom a fire Is supplied pith
fuel, Ve nore "culi'' it iS

SEASONABLE An NoUNCEMENT —A number of householders
at the West End have determined to do away with the
" waits" next year.

CRACKEILA for Chrlstmas—The excuses one makes to
tra.iremen for not paying their accounts.

JUDY Is the most loyal of subjects : yet we must my we
should like to lee the rod of the present min.

Wily le a kippered herring like a celebrated English poetil
—Because It's a dirled'un (DRYDEN).
WHEN Is a parson not a parson? —When he's a-marryln
her.

CHRISTMAS BILLS —The bill most Fought after—The
amta-ble. The Mil most avoided-1 he contempti-ble.
Policeman's bill—The incapa-ble.
. -

WIIAT le the difference between a mare and a mayor "i—lf
you beat her, she will go ; if you beat him, you will g, to
prison.

IF a justice wore to give an unwise decision, would it be
contempt of court to retort with a Jun hiss.

WHAT IS the difference between a Welsh air and a WeLeta
rabbit ?

GINN AND TAIL —lf you do not take pains. I will give you
some, said a schoolmaster to a careless pupil. -- Judy.

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.
A Chicago poet begin 9 an apostrophe to the ceean
with " Prodigious dampness !"

For gushing young maidens of twenty-five or forty
a cunning fringe of hair on the forehead, in poodle-dog etyle,
I. the proper thing.
At a recent wedding the bride and bridegroom were
both stout, when a literary individual of the wedding party
said "they were now bound tow. ther, two volumes iu one."

A nann up in Now Hampshire named bin two
children Ebenes.r and Pima. Ho always speaks of them as
Eb. sad Tie. Very tidy joke Utah
"

An old Istiy vis-itnl Barnns hnw, wns
delighted with all ste saw, and said :—" Be has everything
he bin show that is an the hills but the hionorlrome. I
wonder where he keeps his hippodrome/ Is it "
Ingenious boys in Stratford, Conn., hollow out the
mosquitos, and putting Pgi t.l eanoles in them, set them on
fenewposts to confuse the wayfarer.
-

There is a town out West called Random. A real-
dent of the place, being a sent from It, and asked where he
lived, said he " lived at Ran 1"m." Ile was taken up as a
vagrant.
There is rivalry in the American newspapers
tire to the army correspondence. The newspaper that has
the best of It to tar publishes " Letterstrom • dead soldier r

It wan, and may still be, a beautifnl custom of the
Hollanders to dedicate a piece of silver plate, or some other
article of value, to the memory of departed friends or roll-
Hons. A silver spoon would suit most cases!
A novelty in gentlemen's dress is promised in Eli a-
ton. The bosom of the shirt is to have a few liars of mode
',rioted upon it, In some cases with words. Gentleimn
wearing them will stand I, •hlnd pianos to be sung and
plO3 6il from.
- - •

-.—
The saddest incident of misplaced confidence on re-
cord Is that of a man who recently rescued another from •
watery grave only to find that It was • person to whom he
owed a considerable account, and who 4 once asked when
he intended to settle.

Josh Billings, writing upon natural hidory, says,
" The mule is hal hose and haf jackass, and then knms tew
a full stop, natur diskovering her mistake." Josh's critic
notices that "Josh Billings "is written with a full stop alter
it.
An American poet aske—" Where are the dead?
the vanished deal, who trod the earth that now we tread?"
If we were to make a rantl,an guess, we should say the most
of them are buried—though this may uot be the right
answer.

Here is an Oriental maxim, just tramlated : —lf a
man knows what he knows, he will lead a happy life. If •
male does not know, and knows that he does Lot know, he
may lead a tolerable life, lint if a man does not know, and
does not know that no does net know, he will lead a miser-
able life.

In Cincinnati there 1 Paid to live a man so bow-
legged that ha hat ins trousers cut with a circular saw.

Our young friends will thank us for directing atten-
tion to some Sanscrit books which we find announced If
the works are as charming as their titleg, they have, rich
treat in store. Here are is few of them " aspanchaksha-
rimahamantrastotra," " Triminatmikakalikratotra,' " tioan-
gslalitavratodyapatana," and "A nantachainrdasivratak atha."
They will relieve the tedium of jouruey, especially if the
train Jolts a little, and they can be recommended for birth-
day presents.