What is probably the largest audience that has ever been brought together under one roof in Shanghai assembled on Monday night opposite the Race Course to welcome Fitzgerald's Australian Qirous. The tent, fa substantial erection, excellently lighted with inemndescent electricity was packed to its utmost tier of seats, and some little difficulty was experienced i+ keeping a few exuberant. spirits outside the ring itself And the show was worthy of the audience, little too serious on the whole perhaps, but presenting a long programme of popular feats promptly evtried through. What ix Ivoked fur first of ull ing circus is that it should produce good horses, and if only for the six magnificent black Hungarian horses introduced by H. Cardello. the ent tainment would be strong in that 2 respect. There were shown in addition two other grand animals "the Olym-pinns" who with H. Cardello and Ly. curgusup went through a spirited double—or should it be quadruple?—act; a strikingly intelligent pony Silver King 14 the usual string of steady-going ring-pacers, faithful creatures whose business itis never to go on strike, nor Know the reason why, but to follow the ring-master's whip and give athletic ladies and jockeys a platform for their tricks.
'A turn which will undoubtedly appeal to all lovers of animals is given by Mdllo. Millie Dagmar's performing dogs, than which we have never seen anything more human in its cleverness. The clown dog "Rex" was by far the most original humourist of the evening. There is an elephant, of course, and almost equall; inevitably a pony companion for him. A lion and elephant bicycle act was al sunounced as the closing number, but it came on too late for us to say more about it.
Juggling of average merit was performed by Miss Sybil Barroni; and some daring exhibitions on the high trapeze by the Herbert troupe, who were, however, a little handicapped in the erection of their apparatus. Those who appreciate hand balancing would be pleased with Hadji Tabor; and a really brilliant bicycle act was put on by Allan Kerr. Nor must we omit to mention the corps of Indy ballet dancers whose two turns. were among the most loudly applauded of the evening. Mr. G. Ridgway ud Miss A.. Laurie, who led the exkewalk, did attractive, semi-acrobatic work. The clowns and dummies are the weakest members of the company, j but they will no doubt liven up as they get more accustomed to Shanghai, ud the entertainment on.the whole tinctly one to be grateful for, while the hot weather lingers with us.
Panenrs and guardians in Shanghai do not seem to have realised with what fierce delight the Circus affects the infantile imagination, or the Matinge on Wednesday would have been better at-{tended than it was. To the children who. were there the performance gave unbounded delight, particularly the m chievousness of the comic dog, whos: object in life it is to "queer" the tricks of his comrades. Altogether the entertainment given was most excellent, and to see the elephant gravely riding round tricycle with the lion on his back an: exhibition which promises to Cause much anxiety to the domestic cat or dog in private households, where tempts are sure to be winde to reproduce the act,
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.