Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1896-01-22
BABY LIONS.
PICTURE IN THE
CENTRAL PARK "ZOO."
How the Leonine Infants Look and
Act Very Hard to Keep
Awake-Thelr Tremen-
dous Ears.

7 INTEREST in the five lion cubs
at the Central Park Menagerie
continues unabated, says the New
& York World. At any time of
day while the doors of the carniver-
Gus house are open crowds OF curic us
visitors may be seen gathered in front
of the cage containing Mrs. Nelly
and her infants. If Mrs. Nelly were
not used to this sort of thing the in
cessant staring OF the 1ude multitude
would make her very nervous. But
Nelly does not mind it, for she, too,
like the scrawny little child lions that
sleep and toddle by her side, was
born in captivity.
When you look at Mrs. Nelly's fine.
slender body and observe her i'm
mense, though cat-like paws, and her
bright eager eyes, you cannot help as
sociating her in your mind with the
forest and the jungle and the wide
outdoors. 1t is very difficult to be-
lieve that she has never known any
thing but hard boards, iron bars and
gazing. curious crowds.
Mrs, Nelly's babies have not arrived
at that stage when they care whether
they are in jungle or prison. It
is quite evident that they have but
feeble consciousness of their surround
ings. All of their efforts, in fact, are
devoted to two objects: the first, to
keep awake; the second, to the stand
ard set by their ears. And in both of
these endeavors, it must be confessed,
they appear to have met, thus far at
least. with very little success
Try as they may to keep their eyes
open and to gambol, they are soon ex-
hausted and topple over in sound
sleep, using each other for pillows.
There is one bright chap among them
who appears to have more determine
tion than the others. He will sit upon
his launches and stare at you fxedly
for q minute at time with his big
steely gray eyes, having evidently
made up his mind to stay awake at all
hazards. But, like the sleepy-headed
people in the story, the very interest
of the thing makes him sleepier than
ever, and he too succumbs.
The personal attendant of this
family is Robert Mckay, of Barnum &
Bailey's Circus. Mr.. Mckay is
familiar with the habits of young
lions born in captivity, and he thinks
that these will live. He regards their
excessive sleeping as good sign.
"The trouble with lion cubs" re-
marked Mr.. Mckay, ''is that they be-
come weak in the back and loins. If
they get proper rest and exercise they
will live all right enough"
1t has been generally reported that
these cubs were born under circus
tent, but such is not the case. Six
months ago. while the "show" was at
Hamilton, Ont, Mr.. Mckay left Mrs.
Nelly one night securely and comfort
ably quartered on the cars, prepara-
tory to trip to the next "stand. "
On visiting the cage next morning he
discovered that Mrs. Nelly had done
her share toward perpetuating the
lion family. The five little cubs were
huddled into scraggy looking ball
at her feet, and Mrs. Nelly, as is
usual and pardonable with mothers on
such occasions, was very proud. She
was then screened from the public
gaze, and Mr.. Mckay waited anxiously
to see whether she would eat her
children, which is common practice
with lions ut this time. When two
months had passed and Mrs Nelly still
refralned from indulging her appetite,
it was considered safe to place her on
exhibition.
She was then removed to the Gen.
tral Park Menagerie. The father
came along, too, but he was placed in
another cage on the opposite side of
the aisle, where he remains wander
ing up and down gloomily, hour after
hour. Scientific men who have Wis
tied the menagerie to see the cubs de-
clare that the father IS unaware of the
recent increase of his family. These
scientific men declare that dogs and
lions and other animals never appre-
ciate the circumstance of their father
hood.
The most remarkable feature about
these cubs is the size of their ears.
These important appendages seem to
have been almost fully developed ut
birth, and are now fully as large as
those of the mother. This, of course,
gives the young lions a top.heavy ap-
pearance, and in order to Offset this
nature has kindly provided them with
extra large feet, which look very much
like small boxing gloves.
They are useful to rest the chin on
while taking nap. and also in cOun-
teracting general tendency to capsize
while under way.
The general aspect of the FIVE baby
lions IS one of extreme discourage
ment. They do not behave as babies
should, and they take m entirely too
serious view of life at their tender
age. Directly across the way is cage
containing three little tiger cubs, who,
when not romping about and playing
with one another, are busily engaged
in making tours of investigation. The
lion cubs might well follow their ex-
ample. 1t is evident that they need
some diversion. Usually that may be
afforded bya croquet balI.-New York
World.
Spider Silk.
RI llot