Wood's Illustrated Natural History published by Altemus in an unknown year.
This book is now my favorite book, for various reasons, not the least of them being that it is so totally ridiculous it makes me laugh more than a Fannie Flagg book.
While the book is informative on the different types of animals known around the world at the year of publication, most of this information is how to kill and cook these animals. Or how to keep them in captivity.
Some excerpts from this "children's book"
On gorillas:
- "The old father remains seated at the foot of the tree. If you can approach close enough to shoot him, you may then kill the rest of the family at your ease"
- " A woman was brought to me who stated that she herself had excited the passions of a Gorilla and had hardly escaped him"
- "at the extremity of the lion's tail there is a small hook or claw, which has been represented as the means by which the animal lashes himself into a fury, using it as a spur. This is impossible, as the claw or prickle is very small, not fixed to the bone as the claws of the feet are, but merely attached to the skin, and falls off it roughly handled. It is not present in all lions."
- "In one case a man and his wife, who were riding in a sleigh through the woods, were so hard pressed by Wolves that they saved themselves only by throwing out their children one by one, to be devoured by the hungry beast. It is said that in Russia more than two hundred human beings are killed by Wolves every year..."
Albatross:
- The voracity of the Albatross renders it an easy prey. A hook is baited with a piece of blubber, fastened firmly to a string, and suffered to tow astern. the bird sweeps down to seize its prey, and is arrested by the hook, by means of which it is drawn into the ship. It seems rather remarkable that a bird that lives n or over the sea during its whole life should prove a landsman when taken on board. Yet, when caught and placed on deck it begins to stagger about, and soon becomes as thoroughly sea-sick as the most inexperienced sailor."
- (about a tortoise he owned for a period) "It's food consisted of bread and milk, which it ate several times a day... Tortoises are generally long loved, but this animal died within a few months after it came into my possession, in all probability because, for some days, its food was placed in a brass vessel."
- "nearly 200 eggs are laid in one nest. The eggs are held in great estimation, but the "white" does not become hard by boiling.
