The Birmingham age-herald., 1905-10-30
Trainer Studies the Temper of
 His Big Pets
VIEWS OF A CIRCUS MAN
In Spite of Their Strength Lions Have an Incipient Fear of Man-Wont
 Do to TrifIe With
 Sissy" Lions.

l the cages in zoo or menagerle Wateh"e | several noble specimens of the lion iamiiy I as they paced restlessly up and down l their narrow cell or lay at ease gazing | ustlesslv at the curious spectators have been interested enough to pursue theil 1 investigations to the point of discovering l what the various markings of the hni- | mals as we'll as their different expressions meant?
 Yet trainers of the beast as Uen who come in contact with them all declare that there is as much to be learned or the character of the animals by the study of their faces as can be discovered Dy the close scrutiny of the physiognomes of men and women.
 Lions, like human beings, have their moods, too and lovers of the animals de- clare that they can tell by looking m l the faces of the lions just what these moods are. When 1t is remembered tnat the lives of the trainers would be placed in jeopardy by venturing too close to the | beasts at any time when they were m an angry frame of mind 1t is not to be wondered at that these men study the | lions.
 In most places where there is no zoo about the only opportunity the people 1 have to see lion comes with the visit l of some large circus to the city rms chance will come when the Ringing Bros show comes to town and gives two performances tomorrow, and it is safe to say that their collection of lions will at tract more attention than any other ex- hibit in the menagerie. That the casual 1xla fn n the characteristics of the animals goes without saying. To the trainer, however any change in the moods of the lions as revealed in the expression of their faces will be plainly visible.
 On this subject of the character of lions one of the Ringlings related some inter- esting facts the other day in a newspaper interview.
 Circus Man Talks.
 "The lion is one of the finest subjects for character study of any of the wild animal kingdom, said he. ''No beast can compare with him for beauty and strength and he has as many sides to his nature as the average young woman.
 Although the king of beasts as the lion was dubbed years ago, has sufficient strength to crush the skull of an OK with one sweep of his ponderous paw, and he is indeed the greatest fighter of the animal kingdom when matched with other deni- zens of the jungle he seems to have an incipient horror of man. 1t is true that the lion often attacks men. but such in- stances occur only when he Is driven to desperation by hunger or when the ani- mai is cornered.
 "All of the twenty fine specimens we have fin our collection are known to me as a father knows his children, and can tell from a glance what mood they happen to be in. Now there is Brutus. the leader of the lion troupe. We have had him four years, and 1 think that from the first day he came in possession of the circus l thoroughly understood him.
 He has the finest head I ever saw, and he has more forehead than the usual lion. The eyes are large and round, and there is a greater space between them than those of the commoner breed
 ''The large full upper lip indicates that he has a good heart, while his mouth is just the right width at the bottom. His chin Is full and slightly curved, yet 1t lacks that curviture so omnipresent in the animal in which there Is a thirst for blood. He has just the right character point to denote that he is strong without being mean, while he Is a good fellow, and there is nothing to denote weakness in his whole makeup. In his long, well formed legs there is nothing to denote treachery.
 "rhe animal trainer that for an instant allows himself to be caught off guard by lion whose legs are lean and anl1 will meet terrible fate, for no beast of that kind ever forgets the treacherous cunning for which the cat family Is | noted.
 A Dudish Lion.
 There is another type of lion that Is 1 quite different from Brutus. It is Jingo surnamed "The Dandy by his Keepers | 1T there Is anything in his nature that ldoes not indicate that he Is full of vanity and conceit I have been unable to find it. "The fur on the top of his head bristles up like that of a Russian barber. while l his body is covered with a thinner coat 1 Of hair than the average lion. He Is quick tempered, sensitive and childish in l his nature and unless he Is the whole thing he is usually in q bad humor. | Just as soon as a new lion is brought i into the menagerie there is trouble. Jingo suks and it is dangerous for anyone to i bother him. The chances are ten to one that If the new conner was placed in the cage with lingo he would immediately make it lively for the new lion But in l spite of his quarrelsome tendency there | is great deal of bluffng evidencde in his nature and 1t is an even chance that lingo would not fight long if he saw his antagonist was more than a match for him.
 Few people know that lions have man. ners as well as people and that they run | from good to bad just as they do in l human beings.
 Ut seems like an absurd thing to say, but nevertheless 1t is the truth, we have l sissy lions Of course 1t would not be l well for anyone to attempt to take ad- vantage of the fact and try to whip lion of this kind for even the most effeminate l lions ore formidable antagonists when i they are aroused.
 "Often the lions, though, are marked more like their mothers than the fathers. | In that case the fact is always indicated | by mild eye, curl of the lip and fine hair. These fellows are always ready to | share their food with mate or to sym pathize with any of their fellows that | happens to be suffering.
 Ponderous Lion.
 Then there is the lion that is large and ponderous When he steps along the corridor of his cage the structure trem- bles, although his footsteps. of course. are untitled. This is, of course, the finest type of lion for exhibition purposes. Whenever see a lion of this type I al- ways make 1t point to run his hair the I betraying him he will never forget 1t. | Sometimes when the animals are | pacing up and down their cells, I have wondered if they are not really in misery. and if it was not cruel to keep them in | captivity. Of course when a lion Is first captured he Is severely punished by his incarceration. But an animal does not worry like man.