ANIMAL FIGHTERS.

Evening Star, Issue 11434, 29 December 1900, Page 2

ANIMAL FIGHTERS.

I. SupposiAgaiil the'aaiinid*.in. tfeft."Zoo, H »§, .RogßtMUx^my. London* wef*tflrbGgin. a fight to'w , dptp,'.whd ; %jfliild feftitlie ultittite victor! '. anifiiftl dealer Votes fqr whieh He cAIls the J. L. Sifflivaa bfHbeasts.' , Bis tarffiblk is his yiapon, and he is the harcteftfc latter with it of all the wjmais, Furfliyrmore, lie £OI6B wltlx Itis fcusks, arid -tramples ~beneath his huge feet his daring adversary. In a fight between a tiger and an elephant the latter has trunk, tusks, and feet in play, while "Stripes" relies for offence and defence on. his powerful daws and teeth. A, sporting writer would cafl the tiger a Wfiii&WTNDFIGttEEfe;

He is very light on his feet, and his impetuous rudi needs clever withstanding. With his heavy p*t* big favorite stroke is a lightning downward punch. With all his cleverness he soon tires if he meets a tough adversary. The same remarks apply to the lion's style of fighting, though Leo has generally more grit than friend Stripes, and will last longer in a conflict. Still, in a lion-and-tiger fight one would hardly back Leo, fo*- he is generally' several stones lighter than the

GENTLEMAN FROM BENGAL. And it is generally admitted among students of the fistic art that " a good big one is better than a good little one." What Mr Gilbert calls "an interesting Eastern potentate" often has lion pitted against tiger in the wild-beast fights with which he beguiles his leisure, and almost invariably is the King of Beasts subjected to an ignominious knock-out. The specialty of the giraffe is his enormous reach. He can deliver a nasty punch with his forelegs, and is not above biting his opponent when opportunity offers'. Another long-range fighter is the deer, who is also very swift in Sis movements. Besides the quick punch with the forefoot, beware of the sharp horns when you take on Brer Deer. The buffalo, though his pet weapon is his great ironclad head, is also good at a long, swinging blow with the forefoot. The grizzly bear is a formidable foe. He can punch like no animal save the elephant—one blow of his" stupendous pwr will break a horse's back—and when he clinches to avoid punishmeSit his bug will crash anything living. Besides this, nothing can break his pluck. He will' fight as long as he can see or standi and he is a glutton for punishment. None of the cat tribe could stand a tenth of th» pounding which the grizzly takes without turning a hair. As an offset to the useful qualities I have enumerated, the bear is slow on his feet, and his eye is not good. The snake is about the cruellest of fighters; He has not the advantage of legs, but he is armed with the deadliest poison, arid once he has wound himself round his adversary's body one swift movement of the head enables him to bite his victim. THE KANGAROO.

The trickiest fighter is our colonial friend, Uncle Kangaroo. He bites when he am, and his powerful hind legs and tail are useful for dodging. The opponent who gets one of his forefoot blows seldom requires another* and a straight kick from him will rip a horse or another large animal wide open. He is also fond of hugging, and when pursued by dogs will take the faithful friend of man to his bosom in a fervent embrace that is generally fatal. Thus, though each of the beasts has his own specialties in the way of fighting, we have to come to the Conclusion that either the elephant or the bear would wear the belt in a general fight among the happy family of Regent's Park.—London ' Express.'