THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 65 



a male, and, like other ruminants, came into the world with 

 the eyes open and the hoofs disproportionately large. 



The skin was marked as distinctly as in the adult, with large angular 

 spots, which were somewhat darker than those of the mother; and the hair 

 of the legs was of a deeper fawn colour. It sucked some warm cow's milk 

 from a bottle with avidity, and once or twice uttered a low, gentle grunt or 

 bleat, something between that of a fawn and a calf. The young creature 

 made several efforts to stand, raising itself on the fore knees ; and was 

 able to support itself on its vacillating and out-stretched legs about 

 two hours after its birth.* 



It was necessary to feed the young animal on warm cow's 

 milk, for the dam would not allow it to come near her. It 

 gambolled actively about when a day old, and continued with 

 no appearance of illness till June 28, when it was attacked by 

 convulsions and died. 



In 1837 the first orang was exhibited in a cage at the west 

 end of the giraffe house, where it lived till May 7, 1839. 

 Jenny was about three years old when she arrived, and 

 attracted a large number of visitors to the Gardens. Broderip 

 described her as " apparently amiable, though grave and of a 

 sage deportment." 



In the last year of this decade Captain Belcher presented a 

 babirusa, the strange '' pig-deer" of Celebes, the first to reach 

 England alive. The Argus pheasant — the plumage of which, 

 with its wonderful ball-and-socket eye-spots, was investigated 

 and described by Darwint in his " Descent of Man " — and the 

 iire-backed pheasant, from Malacca, were also introduced to the 

 Menagerie. The first example of this " fire-back " was obtained 

 in Sumatra by Sir Stamford Baffles. It appears to be fairly 

 common in the neighbourhood of Malacca, but, according to 

 Mr. W. R. Ogilvie- Grant, nothing is known of its eggs or 

 nesting habits. 



The Council called special attention in their Report for 1836 

 '' to a donation by H.R.H. the Princess Victoria of two musk 

 deer." J In the following year the Princess ascended the throne, 

 and signified her pleasure to become the Patroness of the Society, 



* Owen, in Proceedings, 1839, p. 109. 



t Elected a Corresponding Member in 1831 and a Fellow in 1839. 



:|: These were Stanleyan chevrotains. See p. 142. 



F 



