SALE OF A MENAGERIE.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 2113, 12 October 1875, Page 4

SALE OF A MENAGERIE.

The sale of Mander's Royal Menagerie took place at the Agricultural • Hall, Islington, on August 4. Of the sale Mr R Buckland furnishes the following particulars:— " Caravans containing the cages of the animals were arranged on four sides of a square; Mr Brinsley, the auctioneer, taking up his position in front of the principal van, through -the doors of .which the public entered when the beasts were on show. It was almost impossible that such a large place as the Agricultural Hall should be crowded ; however, a large number of people were present. They were principal dealers in wild animals, proprietors of shows and travelling menageries, and others. I now give somp of the prices realised :—Orange - coloured crested cockatoo, a good talker, £7 ; wombat, £5 1,0s; mongoose, £1 2s. The '• variegated mandrill, or red and blue faced gorilla monkey, from Abyssinia, the only- specimen in England." This blue-nosed mandrill was the first lot that caused any excitement. .For a long time there was no bidding at all. The first offer was £100; the animal was ultimately knocked down for £105. My friend " Bob " (Mr Jamrach's head keeper) informed me that this was £25 more than Jerry, for that is this huge monkey's name, realised four or five years ago. Jerry is supposed to be fourteen to fifteen years old. His neighbour, a black Canadian bear, only fetched £1 6s. A big Russian bear—the size of a small cabhorse—only fetched £1, worth much more than that to a barber to fatten up for bear's grease; his skin is worth 10s at the least. The market price of a good bear is £5. This brar was old and not a good show animal; he was probably bought for Iris skeleton. A very nice zebra fetched £30; his hoofs were malformed from having no outdoor exercise, or he would have fetched more, The "gnu" or horned horse," fetched fifty guineas only; the market price of a good gnu is £100 at least. The five camels were then paraded and marched past the auctioneer in single file. The large male came first, a splendid-look-ing animal. The first bid was two shillings, and it was a long time before he got over four-and-sixpence. He was very nearly knocked down for fifteen shillings. After a great deal of chaff he realised £7 10s. Bob l"t me into the secret of this. "If them as has bought him don't know how to manage him he'll eat up the lot on 'em, clothes and all." This shows what bad temper will do in depreciating an otherwise splendid animal. Camels have, as your readers, are aware, very long sbarp teeth, very like dogs' teeth. They have great reach with their longnecks. A camel's bite is a very serious thing. I hear that this animal has already bitten more than one man. The other camels realised about £20 apiece ; a camel calf, four months old, twenty guineas. A female "llama that goes in harness" was purchased for £16 10s. Lot 37, the spotted hyaena, which had bitten off a j bear's nose, fetched £5 only. The excitement culminated when the sale of the lions commenced. A lioness five years old fetched £30. " Two lion \ cubs eighteen months old, born in the Agricultural Hall," fetched £150; the lioness, in cub, £115. The auctioneer prophesied that the purchaser would ultimately obtain more than one lion for his money. Bob, however, shook his head at. the auctioneer. "They'll never get any cubs from her; she's the worst mother out. She'll eat her lot of cubs before they can be took from her. She ate the last lot of cubs when I was travelling along with her in the provinces." The leopardess fetched £5 only; if she had a tail she would have fetched more; gome other animal had bitten her tail off at some time or other, and converted her into a lynx. Two very handsome South American jaguars fetched respectively £30 and £32; these animals will find a good home in the Zoological Gardens, Regent's Park. Five small monkeys with a tame cat thrown in, only fetched £3; the cat lives with the monkeys. "Two Tasmanian devils, male and female," only fetched £3 the pair. These animals are, of course, "Diabolus ursinus." The Tasmanian devil is a bear-like, savage animal; he lives in a burrow, and is a great poultryeater. One of these animals recently escaped near Taunton, and created tremendous havoc among the poultryin theneighborhood. Thesalewent off very quietly; at j one time there was a little commotion J ■when lot forty-eight, the young black mule " Topsy," began to lash out with her heels amongst a crowd who had pressed too near her. The lioness happened to j roar just at the same time, as if in sorrow i that the managerie had tc be broken up, ajid she and her lion relations would have to go fresh masters. Nothing, however, happened except that Bob was disappointed in a job to catch any wild beast that should happen to get loose. Representatives were . present in the hall from most of the zoological gardens both at home and abroad.