i8o 



HARDWICKE' S SCIENCE-GOSSIP. 



being intensified by the manner in which the show- 

 man describes them, leading one to suppose that his 

 "petrified bones" belonged to some giant animal 

 twenty times bigger than the mammoth, his snakes 

 were the most deadly poisonous species, or that his 

 insects were the worst plague on earth, and a good 

 job they didn't live in the British Isles. 



It is a well-known fact that in all branches of the 

 show business there are "catches" of some sort or 

 another, so in the curiosity line a " get at "must now 

 and again be expected. The most remarkable 

 " catch " I ever came across was here, at Yarmouth, 

 in 1883, and it caused considerable excitement at the 

 time. Bills were extensively posted all over the 

 town, announcing that on the following Saturday 

 (market-day), the most t curious animal ever seen 

 would be exhibited in the market-place. It was 

 described as resembling a pig, covered with scales 

 similar to those of a crocodile, in fact, it was called 

 " ' The Marvellous Crocodile-Pig,' or as known by 

 the natives, ' The Koi gafer,' from the wilds of South 

 America." "What more crowd-getting title could be 

 chosen ? 



Saturday came, the show stood where it wss 

 announced to stand, and, from the lime of opening 

 until the time of closing, crowds literally besieged 

 for admission. Outside hung a sheep's head, great 

 bunches of vegetables, and other edibles represented 

 to be what the animal lived on, whilst during the 

 day, the quaintest of food and buckets of steaming 

 hot water were continually carried in and out, pre- 

 sumably for its use. This performance of course 

 "struck ile," everyone thinking that it must be a 

 marvellous creature to require so much attention. A 

 few wiseacres were doubtful as to its genuineness, 

 and wanted to know which was the biggest sheep's 

 head, the one that hung at the entrance, or that of 

 the showman (a now well-known Yarmouth naturalist). 

 They, however, on being permitted to see the animal 

 gratis, concurred with the general thinking, and pro- 

 nounced it to be what it was described, a " Crocodile 

 Pig." 



Of the many hundreds who visited it that day, 

 only one found it to be a " catch." Not a single 

 untruth appeared in the description of the animal, 

 yet only this one individual knew that the "Mar- 

 vellous Crocodile Pig," or "Koi gafer," was a — 

 Poyou armadillo. This shows what a lack of know- 

 ledge in even common natural history there is 

 among the multitudes, and the sooner it is more 

 practically taught in our schools, I think it will be 

 the better. 



Another " get up " recently exhibited at Yarmouth, 

 was described as an elephant fish. Such a fish I 

 knew there was not, so I expected a " take in," and 

 true enough the " Elephant Fish " turned out to be 

 a sun-fish. Capital had been made out of the 

 pectoral fins, which were said to be the ears, not 

 unlike elephant's ears, and together with the rough- 



ness of the skin, it took very well under its assumed 

 name. 



Other equally ingenious "catches" occasionally 

 turn up, but I hope they will not deter my readers 

 from visiting, at every opportunity, a curiosity show, 

 for I am sure great pleasure will be derived thereby, 

 although sometimes a misnomer is applied to the 

 exhibit. This, however, must be overlooked, as it 

 shows most people's ignorance, and the showman's 

 ingenuity, who after all only does it to turn an honest 

 penny. 



AN EARLY MORNING RAMBLE IN THE 

 ISLE OF WIGHT. 



WHO is that banging at the door ? We awake 

 with a start, and look at our watch. It 

 is five o'clock, and the morning looks dull and 

 uninviting ; but we remember that we are going for 

 two or three hours' shooting before breakfast, and 

 therefore, rousing ourselves, we make a hasty toilet. 

 In about a quarter of an hour we stand outside the 

 door in the cool morning air, and gaze on the scene 



Fig- 85. 



before us. In front lies the English Channel, looking 

 calm, cool and misty ; above is a cold grey sky, with 

 a lighter shade in the east, foretelling the coming of 

 the sun, and around us are the green fields and 

 gardens, moist with the heavy dew. We fill our 

 pocket with cartridges, and, having loaded our gun, 

 climb over the gate which leads to the field of action. 

 All around us is very quiet, and at first the place 



