382 The Political Zoological Garden. [APRIL, 



work, and requires incredibly little provender ; indeed so little, that 

 some zoologists have supposed that, like the chameleon, it might be 

 supported altogether on air. 



The Hcrald-at-arms a nondescript animal, with the head of a lion, 

 the body of a horse, the plumage of a mackaw, and the tail of a dol- 

 phin. Its outlandish shape and gaudy colours are wonderfully attractive 

 to children under eight years of age, hereditary peers, and old ladies ; 

 but it is impossible for a sensible man to see them without bursting into 

 a fit of laughter. Like all monsters, the herald-at-arms is perfectly 

 useless ; and it is, perhaps, for that reason that it is so great a favourite 

 in the aristocratic circles. It has the screaming note of a parrot, and 

 might be said to have a language of its own, were it not that none of 

 its sounds have the slightest sense or meaning. The growing indis- 

 position of the age to encourage the breed of any creature that is un- 

 serviceable to man, is likely to make this grotesque animal as great a 

 rarity before long as a phoenix or unicorn. 



The Great Captain a hunting leopard, a fierce and sanguinary, but 

 withal magnificent looking animal. It generally hunts down what- 

 ever game it is ordered to pursue ; but its keeping costs more than the 

 game is worth. The people of England had once such a rage for the 

 species of amusement this brute afforded them, that they submitted to 

 be taxed enormously for it. In fact, their "penchant" for great cap- 

 tains has contributed more than any other national folly to swell the 

 national debt. In the year 1815 one of the finest of the breed was 

 brought over to Flanders (reckoned the best ground in Europe for the 

 chace), and there was such noble sport, and so much game killed, that 

 nothing else was talked of for a long time : at length, however, brea4 

 grew dear, the people began to see that such pastimes were too e#- 

 pensive ; and they have " rued the hunting of that day" ever since. 



The Agitator ~ a species of watch-dog, and a native of Kerry, in 

 Ireland. It got into the House of Commons one day (through the 

 negligence of Sir R. Peel, who left the door open), and bit the Irish 

 secretary, who immediately went mad and attended to his business. 

 The animal is fierce and noisy, but has many useful, and some noble 

 qualities. In the present defective state of the laws for the protection 

 of property, the agitator is extremely useful, especially to the poor, 

 who would often have their pockets picked, or their cottages burgla- 

 riously entered, but for his timely barking. Many a depredator, lay and 

 clerical, has been detected by his vigilance ; he is consequently the 

 " best abused" dog in Ireland ; some call him a mad dog, some a dirty 

 dog, some a wicked dog ; all, however, agree that he is a clever dog. 

 His chief fault seems to be, that he snarls sometimes at persons whose 

 intentions are honest ; this, however, may be only through habit : the 

 knaves in the world are so much more numerous than the fools, that 

 wiser animals than dogs may be excused if they do not always distin- 

 guish the one character from the other. Some say that, if the ministry 

 would throw him a bone, he is ready to turn tail upon the people ; we 

 incline to believe, however, that he is attached to his master ; and, as 

 good radical reformers, we heartily wish we had a dozen of the same 

 breed in England, 



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