, of the
appropriate character that we so much admire elsewhere in the Gardens.

[1] The _Literary Gazette_ first published the Ground Plan of
the Zoological Gardens, from a lithograph circulated among the
members, towards the close of the year 1827. In seeking to do
ourselves justice, we must not forget others. Our first
Engraving, a _Bird's Eye View of the Gardens_ from an original
sketch, appeared in No. 330, of _The Mirror_, September 6, 1828.

[Illustration: "Happy Jerry"]

The individual with this felicitous _soubriquet_, was a specimen of the
great Mandrill Baboon, in its adult state, the _Papio Maimon_ of
Geoffrey, and the _Cynocephalus Maimon_ of Desmarest. It is a native of
the Gold Coast and Guinea, in Africa, where whole droves of them often
plunder the orchards and vineyards. Their colours are greyish brown,
inclining to olive above; the cheeks are blue and furrowed, and the chin
has a sharp-pointed orange beard; the nose grows red, especially towards
the end, where it becomes of a bright scarlet. Such are, however, only
the colours of the adult animal; the young differs materially, on which
account it has been considered by naturalists as a distinct species.

Jerry is now a member of death's "antic court," but his necrology may be
interesting to the reader. Mr. Cross describes him as "from on board a
slave vessel that had been captured off the Gold Coast, in the year
1815," when he was supposed to be three years old. He was landed at
Bristol, and was there purchased by the proprietor of a travelling
menagerie, who kept him for some years, and taught him the various
accomplishments he after excelled in, as sitting in a chair, smoking,
drinking grog, &c.; probably he required but little tuition in the
latter; since we find a fondness for fermented liquors numbered among
his habits by the biographers of his species. In 1828, Jerry was
purchased by Mr. Cross, and exhibited at the King's Mews, when he
appeared in full vigour, and attracted a large number of daily visitors.
He was fed daily from the table of his owner, and almost made a parlour
guest; taking tea, toast, bread and butter, soup, boiled and roast
meats, vegetables, pastry, &c., with as much _gout_ as any member of a
club in his vicinity. In 1829, his eccentricities reached the royal ear
at Windsor, and George the Fourth, (whose partiality to _exotics_,
animate or inanimate, was well known,) sent an "express command" that