Curiosities from Bozen: An exceptionally heavy ox and a malformed calf

Miscellanea.

Botzen, in the month of May. During the past Lenten season, an ox of unusual size was put on display here, attracting curiosity all the more because its fattening was the work of one of the local residents, who as is well known usually did not engage in this. However, the active master butcher Stephan Pitschieler wanted to make a trial. He therefore bought an ox scarcely two and a half years old from the Ulten valley and kept it in fattening for 2 years and 7 months. When it seemed to no longer gain weight, he had it weighed under official supervision. This took place 5 weeks before he slaughtered it, and the ox weighed at that time 21 Zentner 71 Pfund, certainly a rare weight for this region. The maximum height of this stately animal, the sight of which truly afforded pleasure, was 6 Schuh. Its meat was found to be very tasty. Incidentally, according to the owner's statement, the profit did not cover the fattening costs. He was granted permission to show the ox a few days before slaughtering for a small entrance fee. However, this was intended more as some compensation for various incidental expenses than to achieve a significant profit. Thus, little remained for him from this income, and even the remainder he used mostly for good, donating 136 Pfund to the local poor, and likewise some 60 Pfund of meat from this cattle to the 2 local mendicant monasteries, thus together over 2 Zentner as a voluntary charity.

On this occasion it may also be permitted to mention an extremely remarkable monstrosity that occurred on December 20 of last year in this municipality. It consists of a calf with 2 heads, 2 tails, and 8 legs, 4 of which are directed in the opposite direction. The cow, which carried it 14 days beyond the usual time, could not give birth to it and therefore had to be slaughtered. Thereupon the monstrosity was removed dead. A local furrier stuffed it. The entrails were present only singly; but the navel was double. The anal opening was entirely missing. The owner sold the stuffed monstrosity for 10 Louis d'or to a certain Simon Marth, who obtained permission to carry it around and display it as a certainly rare freak of nature.