Genre:

News-Commentary, Drollery

Subjects:

Animal Behaviour, Monstrosities, Time, Natural History, Nationalism

    Responding to newspaper discussion of the ages of various animals, criticises the 'unpardonable' omission of the British lion from the debate. Considers the latter species to be older than the elephant, a species which, as Punch notes, was estimated by George L Leclerc, comte de Buffon, to be 500 years old. Suggests methods of ascertaining the lion's age and (referring to the newspaper discussion) deplores the omission of other fabulous creatures, including the Russian bear, the French eagle, and the American sea serpent.