lit 



THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 29 



One would like to know if tliis were the monkey described 

 by Broderip in his "Zoological Recreations." 



There was one [Wanderoo monkey] in the Zoological Society's col- 

 jection, then in its infancy, in Bruton Street, and a right merry fellow 

 was he. He would run up his pole and throw himself over the crossbar, 

 so as to swing backwards and forwards as he hung suspended by the 

 chain which held the leather strap that girt his loins. The expression 

 of his countenance was peculiarly innocent ; but he was sly, very sly, and 

 not to be approached with impunity by those who valued their headgear. 

 He would sit demurely on his cross-perch, pretending to look another 

 way, or to examine a nut-shell for some remnants of kernel, till a proper 

 victim came within his reach ; when down the pole he rushed, and up he 

 was again in the twinkling of an eye, leaving the bareheaded surprised one 

 minus his hat, at least, which he had the satisfaction of seeing under- 

 going a variety of metamorphoses under the plastic hands of the grinning 

 ravisher. ... It was whispered — horrescimus referentes — that he once 

 scalped a bishop, who ventured too near, notwithstanding the caution 

 given to his lordship by another dignitary of the Church, and that it 

 was some time before he could be made to give up, with much mowing 

 and chattering, the well-powdered wig which he had transferred from 

 the sacred poll to his own. 



In Children's address to the Zoological Club of the Linnean 

 Society on November 29, 1827, he announced that arrangements 

 were being made for the transfer to the Zoological Society of the 

 lake and its islands near Regent's Park^ for the breeding, rearing, 

 and preserving of waterfowl, and of a plot of ground on which 

 to erect suitable offices and farmyards for breeding and domesti- 

 cating poultry. The right of entry to the walks and ornamental 

 grounds on the west side of the Park was accorded to the Mem- 

 bers about this time, and these were referred to as " privileges of 

 essential importance to the Society, and gratifying proofs of the 

 interest that His Majesty's Government takes in its welfare." 



From the same source we learn that in the Menagerie and 

 Gardens (not yet open to the public) nearly two hundred living 

 animals were exhibited in suitable paddocks, dens, and aviaries ; 

 " as two beautiful llamas, a leopard, kangaroos, a Russian bear, 

 ratel, ichneumons, &c., (fee, besides a pair of emus, cranes, gulls, 

 gannets, corvorants, various gallinaceous birds, and many others." 

 Of course, the Members had free access to the grounds, as they 

 had to the Museum, with the privilege of introducing two friends. 



* The large lake, near the grounds of the Royal Botanic Society. 



