Genre:

Introduction, Drollery; Notes, Drollery

Subjects:

Exhibitions, Cultural Geography, Physical Geography, Natural History, Animal Behaviour, Human Species, Human Development, Politics

    Explaining that the directors of the International Exhibition are expecting contributions from the Northern States of America, presents a list of some of the articles to be expected. These include 'The American Eagle' with its 'natural food' ('bunkum'), 'Regular Opossums' and other 'curiosities of American natural history', 'A B'hoy', who will make an interesting comparison 'with his superior' but related genus, the gorilla, and 'Specimens of American Apes, and Naturalised Irishmen, stuffed'. The list makes implicit reference to the controversy over the aggressive nature of the gorilla, and draws connections between the behaviour of these animals and the violent anti-British behaviour of Americans and Irish nationalists.