6 
natural history,—I mean the now celebrated Eland dinner, when for 
the first time the freshly-lolled haunch of an African beast was placed 
on the table of the Aldersgate Tavern. 
The savoury smell of the roasted beast seemed to have pervaded 
the naturalist vrorkl, for a goodly company were assembled, all eager 
for the exjjei-iment. At the head of the table sat Professor Owen 
himself, his scalpel turned into a carving-knife ; and his gustatory 
apparatus” in full working order. 
It was indeed a Zoological dinner, to which each of the four points 
of the compfiss had sent its contribution. We had a large pike from 
the west, American partridges (shot but a few days ago in the dense 
woods of the transatlantic east), a wild goose (probably a young bean- 
goose) from the north, and an Eland from the south. The assembled 
company—the ardent lovers of Nature in all her works—most of 
them distinguished in their individual departments. 
The gastronomic trial over, wc next enjoyed an intellectual feast 
in hearing from the Professor his satisfaction at liaving been present 
at the inauguration festival of a new epoch in natural history. He 
put forth tlic benefits which would accrue to us by naturalising 
animals from foreign parts—animals good for food, as well as orna¬ 
mental to the park. The glades of South Africa have been described 
by numerous travellers as reminding them forcibly of the scenery of 
many of our English parks; and here were the first fruits of the 
experiment as to whether the indigenous animals of those distant 
climes would do well in our own latitudes. The experiment was 
entirely successful, and he hoped would lead to more, and that we 
might one day see troop.s of elands gracefully galloping over our 
green sward, and herds of Koodoos, and other representatives of the 
antelope family, which are so numerous in Africa, not only enjitying 
their existence in English parks, but added to the list of food good 
for the iuliabitants of not only England, but Europe in general. 
The Vice-Chairman, the late ilr. Mitchell, then instanced the case of 
the Indian pheasants already in coarse of naturalisation at several 
points in England, and expressed his conviction tluit the American 
partridges we had just partaken of, as well as the European Gclinotte, 
would thrive well in our wood.s and copses, particularly in Kent, and 
that there could not be any great difficulty in getting tliem over from 
America for tins purpose. Elands, since the present experiment had 
become public, had been found to answer every expectation; “they 
had risen in the marketthe demand much exceeded the supply, 
and there were numerous applicants for them, whose demands, he 
was sorry to say, the Zoological Society could not now satisfy. 
There were, however, plenty more elands in South Africji to be had 
