LEAVES FROM THE NOTE-BOOK OF A NATURALIST. 



15 



have the satisfaction of beholding the two first of 

 these gigantic pachyderms in the garden at the 

 Regent's Park. 



And here we cannot but congratulate those who 

 delight in zoology and who, nowadays, does not ? 

 upon the happy change which has passed over 

 that noble and now well-conducted establishment, 

 since Mr. Mitchell, favorably known for his attain- 

 ments in that branch of science, and gifted with 

 the command of a ready and accurate pencil, has 

 held the office of secretary. A healthy and com- 

 fortable air pervades the place. The habits of the 

 animals are studied, and confinement made as little 

 irksome as possible. Communications are opened 

 with foreign powers, and new forms continually 

 flow in consequent upon a wise liberality. 



I am just returned from visiting the greyhounds 

 ibout to be sent by the Zoological Society to 

 Abbas Pasha, who has already caused one young 

 hippopotamus to be taken from the White Nile. It 

 is now under the kind care of the Hon. C. A. 

 Murray* at Cairo, where it safely arrived on the 

 14th of November last, when it was flourishing, 

 enjoying a bath of the temperature of the river, 

 and delighting everybody by its amiable and docile 

 qualities. This most valuable gift was accom- 

 panied by a fine lioness and a cheetah ; and Mr. 

 Murray was further informed by his highness the 

 Viceroy of Egypt that a party of his troops re- 

 mained out on the White Nile, expressly charged 

 with the duty of securing a young female hippo- 

 potamus, destined also for the society. 



If fortune be but propitious if no casualty 

 should arise to disappoint our hopes, it is not im- 

 probable that in the merry month of May two 

 hippopotami may be presented to the wondering 

 eyes of the visitors to the Regent's Park. The 

 Romans, who saw in their day every known crea- 

 ture that the Old World produced, were made 

 familiar with this uncouth form this huge in- 

 corporation of life at their shows and shambles 

 of men and beasts, when both fell slaughtered as 

 the crowning excitement of the arena. But no 

 living hippopotamus has yet been seen on British 

 ground. 



The King of Dahomy, the steps of whose throne 

 are formed of the skulls of hi* enemies, and who 

 commands an army of plump, well-fed Amazons, 

 had never seen a peacock. The Zoological 

 Society, longing for an African elephant, sent over 

 to his majesty a gift of pea-fowls, the cocks having 

 first been shorn of their tail or rather back- 

 feathers ; for the feathers springing from the 

 back arrange themselves into that magnificent iri- 

 descent circle, and are supported by the caudal 

 feathers, when Juno's bird shines out in all its 

 splendor, and, as the nursery-maids term it, 

 " spreads his tail." 



But why dock the peacocks ? 



Because, if they had been sent with their trains 

 on, they would have presented such a ragged ap- 



* Zoologists owe a large debt of gratitude to Mr. Mur- 

 ray, for the unwearied activity, tact, skill, and care, 

 which he has exerted to procure curious living animals 

 for this country. 



pearance to the royal eyes, after being cooped up 

 on their voyage to say nothing of the irritation 

 to the system of the birds themselves from their 

 bedraggled and begrimed plumage, or of the acci- 

 dents of pitch and tar that the king might have 

 well questioned the faith of those who had filled 

 his mind with the glories of this recipient of the 

 eyes of Argus, and his blood-drinker might have 

 been called into action. No, the train-feathers 

 were most wisely cut, and, with the .birds, a well- 

 executed drawing of a peacock in all its glory 

 was sent, and his majesty was informed, that 

 when they moulted, and the new feathers came to 

 perfection, the effect would be similar to the 

 drawing, but very superior. 



With the present, a letter grandis epistola 

 was sent, besealed and beribanded, together with 

 a list of the society from which the present came. 

 His majesty listened in silence while one name 

 well-known to scientific Europe after another was 

 pronounced, and the king made no sign ; but 

 when that of Lord Palmerston was enunciated, the 

 royal voice interrupted the recitation of the bead- 

 roll with, " Ah, I know that man !" 



Then the peacocks were paraded, and, even in 

 their curtailed state, admired, and the king gave 

 directions to his Amazons to seek out a wild fe- 

 male elephant, with a young one of an age fit to 

 be separated from the mother ; and when they 

 had found her, their orders were to kill the hap- 

 less parent and to save the offspring as a gift to 

 the Zoological Society of London. 



The lamented death of Mr. Duncan, who, take 

 him all in all, was, perhaps, the very man of all 

 others for keeping up our relations with this grim 

 potentate, may possibly act unfavorably for the 

 interests of the society, but we have so much con- 

 fidence in the energy of the management, that we 

 doubt not that this misfortune, great as it is, will 

 not be suffered long to cloud the fair prospects 

 which were opened to the longing eyes of natural- 

 ists and the sight-seeing public. 



Just look at the announcement which the coun- 

 cil of the Zoological Society have been enabled to 

 make for the current year. They state that thev 

 have already received advice of collections of va 

 rious importance, which are in progress of forma 

 tion, or already shipped from : 



Singapore by Capt. the Hon. H. Keppel, 

 R. N. 



Ceylon by A. Grant, Esq., M. D., and A. 

 Grace, Esq., Deputy Queen's Advocate. 



Bombay by Alexander Elphinston, Esq., and 

 A. Shaw, Esq., H. E. I. C. Civ. S. 



Whydah by J. Duncan, Esq., H. B. M. 

 Vice-Consul. 



Sta. Lucia by Lieut. Tyler, R. E. 



South Carolina by J. Davis, Esq., M. D. 



As long as the president and council do their 

 duty in this way, and consider the instruction and 

 amusement of thousands, as they have done, by 

 lowering the price of admission on Mondays to 

 sixpence, they will receive the support of the pub- 

 lic ; and they deserve it. 





