Port Royal standard and commercial. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1874-1876, 1876-02-10
Baby Lions In Central Park.

The twin lions in the Central Park,
New York, were but three weeks old,
SAYS a visitor, when I looked in upon
them. They are called Romulus and
Remus, and lie in a cradle of straw,
sucked by an animal of the wolf genus,
a watchdog of the menagerie, a large,
handsome half breed mastiff. Her eight
children we're taken from her three weeks
ago, and the whelps of Jenny, the
lioness, after two or three days Of starva-
ton at their mothers breast, were given
to the dog. Their ionlikeand uncanine
odor startled her, and she gave the baby
lions some severe cuffs, whereby the
smaller one still weeps with sore eye.
After two or three days the mother dog
forgot that they were not puppies, and
has ever since carefully nursed and
tenderly bathed them every day with her
tongue.
The cubs are yet too young to gambol,
but they fight Justify for the best oppor-
tunities of taking their infantile food.
Romulus, who is the larger, is always
master, selfshly sending away his little
brother, whose forehead is nearly de
nuded by those frequent fights for the
best place. They are unappreciative OF
caresses and move uneasily about in
their pen, giving faint sounds that were
only slightly indicative of the lions
roar, but their little giant paws show
long nails, and on the floor they walk
rapidly, with soft, dragging, stealthy
step.
Until they are three months old, they
will be allowed only infants foot. By
that time the first teeth will be through.
They are already visible through the
gums. Whelps are kept as long as pos
sible on milk, and long after they quit
eating flesh the mother dog will be kept
with them, to afford the delicate cubs
her warmth. But were she not removed
at meal times they would without hesita-
ton eat her without compunction, The
whelps have soft, short fur of tawny,
yellow color, with dark streak down
the spine, and a fat, tapering tail. Bred
in this latitude, young lions are tender
throughout infancy, but in teething they
pass two dangerous periods. At about
a year old, they shed their milk teeth,
and at the cutting of the second set they
meet critical period, which but small
proportion of lions, captive or wild, sur.
vive. At four years of age, they are full
grown. They do not develop their rea-
soning powers, said Mr.. Conkling, be-
fore they cut the second teeth. Romu-
lus has all his incisor and is cutting his
eye teeth. Remus has the lower In
cisors, and has two upper little front
teeth.
Their brother, two years old, retains
the name of Baby; is in cage by him
self, and is a handsome creature. Their
parents, Jenny and Lincoln, are also in
the menagerie, each alone, and contented
to be alone. Aside from slight conju-
lugal affection, they have no love for any
living being-beast or man-but their
keeper. At his approach they rouse
into emotional activity, roar affection
ately, with the softest voice of which q
lion is capable, and run their shaggy
heads and SHOULDERS against the bars OF
the cage in unmistakable delight when
their friend and master fatters them
with the playful caresses of stick.
"Jenny is not loving mother" said
the keeper. "She showed no regret for
the young, taken from her at three days
old, and seems to be without the mater
nal sentiment which some lions have in
small degree.
Lincoln is said to be the handsomest
lion in America. He aud Jenny are
seven years old, were captured in Africa,
and purchased by sea captain, who
brought them to this country, selling
them to New York city for 81 $50.