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MONTANO AND HIS HYENAS.
In the collection of wild beasts belonging to
Sanger’s Menagerie of trained animals, asso
ciated wjtb Howes 1 great London Circna, ia a
pack of-Laugbing Hyenas; recently captured in
Africa by the present keeper, who accompanies,
them in the exhibitions. Montano is a native
of Southern Africa. He belongs to a tribe of
Hottentots of that region, who ore said to ap
pease their carnivorous appetites by eating
human flesh. A cannibal, a wild beast sub
duer, and a bom and bred Hottentot at the
same time, would seem to be. a bad record.
But such is not the is a quietj
inoffensive - colored man, and is besides a man
of taste, who prefers mutton to missionary
whenever the former is to be obtained.
The. fierce and cowardly hyenas-that infest
the country he hails from, and their peculiar
relish for grave-yard lunch, was too much for
oven the Hottentots, cruel and beastly as they
are in a savage state, to bear, and so Montano,
being the moat courageous and enterprising of
his tribe, undertook the herculean task of rid
ding ‘ the, neighborhood of their presence.
Fully posted as to their habits and treacherous
character, the crafty Montano made prepara
tions for entrapping them alive, and after
many mouths of toil and watchfnlnesshe finally
succeeded in capturing fifteen of their number,
including the most savage and dangerous of the
pack, whom he put immediately into training,
with a view of offering them for sale to some
of the .enterprising showmen who frequently
visit the coast in search of elephants, lions.
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and other .wild beasts, to replenish their exhi
bition stock. The creatures exhibited in this
collection are. diversified in size and species—
the spotted-and the striped—between whom a
r ,continual animosity exists. Among the group
arc two well-known old grave-robbers, who,glve
their keeper considerable trouble occasionally
.when there happens to be a dead carcass any
where in their neighborhood. The Hyena
group presents some of the-most powerful,
muscular,fierce, restless, insatiate and repul-
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B We brutes that were ever brought under the
dominion of man. But Montano’s; system of
toning down, and rendering them entirely sub
servient to his will, is one of the'most extraordi
nary successes in wild beast training upon re
cord, and is the only instance known in show his
tory where a pack of hyenas have-been trained
to perform before an- audience.
A LIVING HOGOPOTAMtIS.
One of the most extraordinary novelties ex
hibited in Howes! Great -London Circus; and
Sanger’s wild beast collection, is the African
Hogopotamus, being the only specimen in
America. This animal was captured near the
head waters of the Nile, by the boatmen of
the Viceroy, of Egypt, and secured by the
agents of the British Menagerie at an expense
of ten thousand dollars. • . ”
The Hogopotamus is an anomalous' hybrid or
crop between the Hippopotamus and Rhinoce
ros, being amphibious in its nature, and par
taking generally of the characteristics of both
of these remarkable animals. It lives on the
banks of and in .the river Nile, subsisting upon
the roots of aquatic plants, and the sluggish
reptiles which abound in the slimy bore, and
mud of the river. They are exceedingly fero
cious when attacked, defending themselves
with their enormous tasks and diving under
the boats, frequently' upsetting them, when
( A Living Hogopotamus.
they commence a savage and indiscriminate
attack upon their pursuers.
VANCE AG
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In presenting this specimen of the most re
markable animal ever captured, the proprietors
feel that- they bavo made a most important
addition to the school of practical zoology in
the United States, and one worthy of the
earnest attention of every student of Natural
History in the land, while he will he found full
of interest to all lovers of the wonderful and
-curious, One of the most remarkable peculi
arities of this strange animal is that he sweats
pure blood, like the hippopotamus, and pre
sents many other features peculiar to that
animal. He belongs to the order of PacKy-.
dennata, and is also allied to the Pachydactyla
ZEBB.IS IV HARNESS.
The only instance on record where a zebra
has been known to submit to the bit and har
ness, is the team now on exhibition at Howes’
London Circus. They were captured wild
about three years ago ft by some of the natives
of Southern Africa, by whom they were
ZEBRAS IN HARNESS.
subsequently sold to Sir. Howes, who jut
them under a course of training both to work
in harness and perform in the ring. Con
trary to all precedent they soon became man
ageable and willing to learn, and indeed,
seemed rather pleased than otherwise with
the ■ excitement of show life. These animals
are all very beautifully marked with-stripes
resembling those of the Bengal Tiger,. and
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Gnu or Horned Horse.
their delicate coloring and perfect docility
have led some, ‘who are .not well acquainted
with the species, to suppose that their' stripes.
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are the result of art, and that the nnimfilq bear
ing them are in reality only nudes in disguise.
It is very eyident that if their hides have been
colored by artificial means, it must have been
a moat expert artist who could imitate nature
in so perfect a manner as not to have his trick
discovered by the many thousands who have
seen these zebras perform in the ring and
driven in the great street procession.
OfJR ENGLISH CLOWN,
Mr. James Cook does the genteel clown,in'
Howes’ London Circus, being a sort of Touch
stone in dress and address, and affording an
agreeable contrast with the grimacing trick
, clown, his rival, who depends more -upon his
heels than his head for applause. Mr. Cook
never tortures his audience with thrice-spun
yams and wom-out Joe Millers. His wit is
ever ready, and his repartees are elegantly ex
pressed and exceedingly relished'by both old
and young. Mr. C. introduces, outside of his
clowning a beautiful performing horse, Jupiter,,
which hb has taken much pains in training,
and is, besides, the Director of the equestrian
performances. A circus without a clcvcr.clown
would be like an act of horsemanship without
music. As man is the only animal that laughs,
it is right that he should exercise this faculty
on all proper occasions. * If those who witness
the antics of Kcnnebel or listen to the elegant
nothings of Cook can refrain from laughing, it
will require something besides what has ever
yet been discovered to excite their risibilities.
f TUB AVIiBT DEPARTMENT, .
In the British Menagerie, will be found to be
very amusing and interesting, naturally in
viting the atten
tion of viators;'
Initwillbe seen
a. full depart-*
xnent of Ma
caws, Cock
atoos, Parrots,
Mexican Fowees
Paroquets, and
several others of
the feathered
tribe, including
the gorgeous
Birds of Para
dise, and a
Poweo, or
CASSOWARY, represented in the cat, a fine ■
noble bird, with plumage, black as jet. and
a crest that a Hungarian might be proud to
■wear.
The Ponderous
XV AH CHARIOT OF INDIA ;
08, CAB OP JUGGERNAUT,
Colossal, magnificent and richly adorned, ia
thirty-five feet in length and thirty-five feet in
height. Upon the top of this chariot is pre
sented a full life-size idol elephant! entirely
covered with gold, upon the back of which ia
a Royal Hoodah, shielded by a superb canopy
of silk. The panels are inlaid with costly mir
rors and elaborate gilt carvings. Near the
upper part or arch are displayed a collection of
costly portraits in oil, said to be correct like
nesses of distinguished Turks, Moors, Sultanas,-
etc. The sides and front and rear panels are
ornamented with classic allegories, gladiatorial
combats, etc., all superbly carved and richly
gilt, drawn by ten of the largest horses the
world can produce. This chariot will appear .
in the centre of the grand street procession
upon the entrance of the combined troops into
town bn the day of exhibition^
. Howes’ Great London Circes and Sang
er's British Menagerie ok Trained 'Wild
Beasts. — It consists of four hundred men and
horses, a novel collection of trained wild "beasts,
including tigers, hyenas, elephants, and zebras,
and a circus company of one hundred male and
female performers; besides a
a mere “blind” composed of a few sickly,
mangy animals of the more common sort, an-
Tiounced as a. 1 “menagerie,” for the purpose of
:* i i •r« I lug a flimsy cloak to disguise the circus
pt-riV. nuances and help peck-mifllan people to
an owoeg for visiting on exhibition, which, if
annu-’uofid hpnrsfcly ns a. “circus” alone, they
would,nob aftend for fear of giving offence to
their neighbors, bnt a well-selected Menagerie,
of the rarer sorts of animals, full of intcrcat
. and instruction.
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127 a
South American