The Wasp — 1879 — page 93: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This page contains a **question-and-answer humor column** ("Questions in Zoology, Defined") rather than political cartoons. The content uses satirical definitions of animals to make social commentary. Key examples visible: - **Hedgehog/Mayor**: Compares a mayor to a hedgehog, likely mocking municipal leadership as defensive and prickly - **Hyena/Supervisor**: Describes hyenas as carnivorous animals that hunt in squads—apparently equating supervisors with predatory pack animals - **Crocodile**: References crocodiles as deceptive creatures The humor relies on animal analogies to criticize contemporary political and civic figures. Without knowing the specific date or San Francisco context, the exact targets remain unclear, but the format demonstrates how 19th-century satirical magazines used zoological "definitions" to mock local authority figures.