COMIC GEOTJPS. 253 



Looking back to '51, let us see what one of these foreigners 

 (mentioned at page 15) could teach us. Among over fifty groups 

 of animals shown in the Great Exhibition were — 



A stag canght by five hounds (price .£180). 



A wild boar set on by three hounds. 



A couple of old and young foxes in front of their ** earth" (^£60). 



Trophy of 25 heads of animals of the chase. 



Nest of a horned owl. Two old birds and five young defending 



themselves against two polecats (^830). 

 Goshawk attacking an eagle owl. 



These were followed by comic groups, six of which illustrated 

 Goethe's fable of "Reinecke the Fox," and were skilfully 

 managed as well as amusing. Some others were — 



A duel between two dormice, with moles as gravediggers. 

 "A Declaration of Love." Two weasels. 

 " A Nursery Maid." One old and four young weasels. 

 ** Shaving a Luxury." One frog shaving another. 



Apro]Jos of the above, frogs lend themselves better to comic 

 scenes than almost any other animal, from their ridiculous like- 

 ness, when erect on their hind legs, to mighty man. Hence 

 advantage is often taken of this ; and am-ongst mirth-provoking 

 caricatures I have seen "A Steeplechase," frogs mounted on 

 puppies as horses, some tumbling at the water-jump, others 

 riding to win, some unhorsed, scrambling after their steeds, and 

 so on; "The Battle of the Nile," frogs on rafts of leaves of 

 water plants, attacking one another with small bulrushes ; 

 duel scenes; "Courtship" and "Matrimony"; "Fortiter in 

 Re," a young frog soundly smacked (in the most approved 

 fashion) by the irate paternal frog; the companion picture, 

 "Suaviter in Modo," a young frog soothed by maternal 

 affection. 



Monkeys are the next best for comic scenes, but are more 

 awkward to handle, and not half so funny, unless very care- 

 fully modelled to caricature the manners and customs of 

 the human subject. Pourtrayed as shoemakers, acrobats, as 

 " Tou dirty boy ! " or, as in the Fisheries Exhibition of 1883, 

 as " The Enthusiast " (a gouty monkey fishing in a tub placed 



