Polito’s Menagerie, Exeter Change

Reprinted from Ackermann’s Repository, February 1812 at 27-31.

Among the various advantages enjoyed by the inhabitants of most large cities, is the opportunity of gaining a more intimate acquaintance with many of the stupendous and interesting productions of nature, than can be obtained from books. For person of cultivated minds the study of natural history has strong attractions, and such will eagerly avail themselves of the facilities afforded them for a ocular examination of those animals by the account of whose peculiarities of figure, habit, and manners they have been so often amused.

No place, perhaps, presents such ample means of gratifying this laudable curiosity as London, where various collection, both of dead and living subjects, invite the attentions of the inquisitive. The superiority of the latter for conveying correct ideas of animated nature, is too obvious to need remark. Impressed with this consideration, the late Mr. Pidcock began to form a Menagerie for public exhibition, and in an opulent and enlightened age his exertions could scarcely fail of answering his most sanguine expectations. On his death about two years since, his collection was transferred to Mr. Polito, the present proprietor.

This Menagerie occupies the upper part of the building known by the name of Exeter Change, and is distributed in three apartments. Up one light of stairs is the first and principal of these, of which a correct representation is given in the annexed engraving, except that, by a license in which artists, like poets, are frequently indulged, one or two alterations have been introduced, for the purpose of heightening the picturesque effect of the whole. For instance, the first cage on the right hand, instead of being occupied by a lion, contains, like the adjoining one, a very beautiful Bengal tiger, of the variety dignified with the epithet of royal; and the den at the extremity of the room, where the elephant is seen in our view, is divided horizontally into two compartments, in the lower of which is an hyena, a beast which seems remarkably wild; and in the upper a young lion, the only one left to this Menagerie out of seven which it some time since possessed. A remarkably fine and majestic male lion, which is said to have cost 100 pounds, died in the month of May last, and his death is supp0osed to have been hastened by the loss of a female, to which he appeared attached with an affection that would scarcely be expected in a brute. It is not improbable that the generous nature of this noble animal is more sensible to the privation of that liberty which he enjoyed in his native deserts, than the more sanguinary and perfidious varieties of the tiger, the leopard, the panther &c. Of all these, there are specimens in this apartment, as also of the real jaguar, or tiger-cat, lately imported from Amboyna; a male and female of that singular animal the ursine sloth, recently discovered in the interior of India; the great Egyptian camel, with an extensive and pleasing variety of the ape and monkey tribe, of parroquets, and other curious and interesting subjects. The tapir, or hippopotamus of the New World, in particular, is worthy of notice on account of its long snout, which forms a sort of proboscis capable of voluntary extensions and contractions. This animal is the most prominent figure in the second cage from the right in our engraving.

The second room, which turns off on the right, at the entrance into the former, contains a male ele0hant, who, should he ever live to return to the banks of the Ganges, might abolish his fellows with an account of the applauses which he obtained, in conjunction with biped performers, on the principal stage in one of the most polished cities of the world; for, be it known to the reader, that this is the identical elephant that delighted crowded audiences for forty successive nights, at the Theatre Royal, Covent-Garden! Next to this noble animal is lodged the rhinoceros, who is little, if at all inferior in size to his neighbor, having grown surprisingly since his arrival in this country in 1810. This beast is rendered formidable by an exceedingly hard and solid horn, which grows near the point of his snout, sometimes to the length of nearly four feet; and his hide is so impenetrable as to resist leaden musket-balls, for which reason the hunters are obliged to use iron ones to dispatch him. The only two animals of this species which were brought to England for a considerable number of years, before that of which we are speaking, were both purchased for this Menagerie. The first, whose skin is still preserved, was about five years old, and was bought by Mr. Pidcock for 700 pounds. His docility was nearly equal to that of a tolerably tractable pig; he would obey his master’s orders, walk about the room to exhibit himself, and even allow visitors to pat him on the back or side. His voice bore some resemblance to the bleating of a calf, and was most commonly excited when he perceived persons with fruit or other favourite food in their hands. His food was invariably seized with his projecting upper lip, and conveyed by it to his mouth. He usually ate 28 pounds of clover, the same weight of ship-biscuit, and a prodigious quantity of greens every day. He was likewise allowed five pails of water twice or thrice in the same time. He was extremely fond of sweet wines, and would sometimes drink three or four bottles in the course of a few hours. In October, 1792, this animal was rising up suddenly, when he dislocated one of his fore legs, and this accident occasioned his death about nine months afterwards. He died in a caravan near Portsmouth and the smell arising from the body was so intolerable, that the mayor ordered it to be immediately buried. In about a fortnight, however, it was privately dug up in the night, for the purpose of preserving its skin and some of the most valuable of its bones; but the stench was so powerful that the persons employed found the greatest difficulty in accomplishing the operation.

The second rhinoceros exhibited here was considerably smaller than the former. He was brought over in 1799, and purchased by an agent of the Emperor of Germany, for 1000 pounds; but died about two months after he was sold, in a stable-yard in Drury-lane.

In the third apartment, which is over the two others, the spectator find some of the largest species of the feathered tribe; among the rest a gigantic male ostrich, which is said to weigh upwards of 300 pounds, and to be 11 feet high; the cassowary; the pelican of the wilderness; two large emews; the southern ostrich of Linnaeus from Van Dieman’s land; the Cyrus or great crane of Bengal; several Balearie, or crown cranes, from the coast of Guinea; a pair of curassoes from the Bay of Honduras; and the eagle and condor of South America. Some of these, as well as the different kinds of cockatoos and parroquets, display the most brilliant colours. Here is also shewn the great female elk of North America; two pairs of kangaroos, one of which may now be seen fostering her young one in the remarkable pouch with which nature has furnished this creature; and the nilghan, an interesting and apparently very tame specie of the antelope family. This remark agrees with the observations of Dr. Hunter, who for some time kept two that were brought to England; and has given some account of the manners of this curious animal. In the 61^st volume of the Philosophical Transactions, he says, that though the nilghan was generally reported to be extremely vicious, yet that which was the subject of his observations was very gentle. It seemed pleased with every kind of familiarity, always licked the hand which stroked or gave it bread, and never attempted to use its horns offensively. Its manner of fighting was very particular:--This was observed at Lord Clive’s, where two males were put into a little inclosure. While yet at a considerable distance, they prepared for the attack by falling on their fore-knees, and when they had advanced within some yards, they made a spring, and darted against each other. The force with which they thus dart against any object, may be conceived from a circumstance that happened to one of the finest and largest of these creatures ever seen in England. A poor laboring man, without knowing that the animal was near him, came up to the pales of the inclosure in which it was kept; the nilghan, with the rapidity of lightning, darted against the poles with such violence as to shatter them in pieces, and to break off one of his horns close to the root. To this accident was attributed his death, which soon after followed. Hence, it appears, that however gentle this creature may sometimes be, it is on other occasions equally vicious and fierce.

The last curiosity which we shall mention in this upper apartment, is the skeleton of a whale, about 60 feet long, which has 22 ribs, 11 on each side, and 54 vertebrae or joints in the back-bone.

We cannot conclude our brief remarks on this collection, which, as the property of a private individual, is perhaps unique, without paying a deserved tribute of applause to the present spirited owner, for his exertions to increase it with rare animals; for the improved arrangement which he has introduced; and for the extreme attention bestowed on the removal of every thing offensive. When the heavy disbursements attending these objects,--as well as the subsistence of such a large number of animals are considered, the charge of half-a-crown cannot but appear extremely reasonable; and we ca assure every person who loves to contemplate the wonderful works of the Almighty Creator, that he will not regret a visit to the Menagerie at Exeter Change. The precautions for the security of the spectators are so complete, that the most timid female cannot feel the least apprehension; and those for the preservation of cleanliness and a due degree of ventilation so effectual, that the most delicate may approach without disgust.

Before we conclude, we beg leave to suggest to the proprietor, whether it would not be likely to prove an accommodation to the public, as well as a relief to his own attendants, if he were to print a catalogue, at least, of the various animals exhibited, with numbers and corresponding ones affixed to their respective dens or cages. Such a guide might be afforded a very trifling expense, and would certainly recommend itself by its usefulness to the generality of visitors.