The Sun.
London, England, 1867-11-16 00:00:00

LONDON GaZSJ:CE.-I,A 3T ,EVENING.

ADMIRALTY, Nov. 14.
Lieutenant Somerled MacDougall to bo Commander in
her Majesty's Fleet.

COURSE OF EXCHANGE.—Last /Wooing.

Amsterdam Short. 11 18}
Ditto 3 Months.l2 Of
Rotterdam
Antwerp — 25 35
Brussels — 25 35
Hamburg — 13 91
Paris Short 25 12f
Ditto 3 Mouths. 25 30
Marseilles
Frankfort on the Maine —120 k
Vienna — 12 5o
Trieste — 12 55
Petersburgti
Berlin
Madrid
Cadiz
Leghorn
Milan
Genoa — 28 35
Naples — 28 35
Palermo
Messina ... — 28 35
Lisbon — 51}
Oporto — 511

11 19}
11 1}
12 11-
25 4U
25 40
13 10}
25 20

25 35
25 37f
120 f
12 62f
12 62*
32f
6 .27

481
49i
28 45
28 45
28 45
28 45
28 45
28 45
511
51i

THE WALRUS AT THE ZOOLOGICAL

GAUDENS.

The walrus calf lately brought to England, although
but a few days domiciled in the Regent's-park, has already
made himself quite at home in his new quarters. He is a
fine male specimen, but has attained little more than a
third of his natural growth. He occupies the tank or
pond in which the sea bear of unhappy memory used to
disport during his brief existence. The water supplied to
him is strongly impregnated with salt, and as his cave or
bedroom adjoins, he can, when so minded, avail himself of
that highly-vaunted sanitary arrangement—a cold salt-
water bath before breakfast. The animal is about the size
of a three-months-old calf without legs. Itt place of the
latter, he is furnished with four flappers, by means of
which he rolls himself along in a very ungraceful fashion.
His mouth is shaped somewhat like that of the hippo-
potamus, and strong bristles grow out of his nose, which
aid him materially in collecting food at the bottom of the
sea. At present he has no sign of the formidable horns
so familiar to Arctic navigators, and which give such a
peculiar appearance to the sea-horse. His eyes are
bleared and bloodshot, as if he sat up lato.at night and
indulged iu stimulants of a vinous character., It is quite
possible that he sits up late, but ho may be fairly pre-
sumed to be innocent of anything in the way of liquids
stronger than salt water. He is fed exclusively on fish,
fiat and round, which are provided fur him In common
with the seals who inhabit the largo pond in the im-
mediate vicinity. Fur the whiting he has a peculiar
liking ; but as his general knowledge of ichthyology is
considerable, regard being had to his tender ago, he devours
all descriptions of fish with avidity. In the matter of
mussels, welks, and the like, ho is also easy to please, and
a store of the latter delicacies is provided for him every
day. He passes the greater portion of his time at the
bottom of the tank, rising occasionally to inflate his lungs,
but he is not curious so far as strangers are concerned, and
does not much care to quit the water and show himself,
unless for a consideration. The keepers have christened
him "Jemmy," to which name he responds with extraor-
dinary alacrity, as he knows that when he comes to the
surface he is usually rewarded with a few mussels. These
he can catch with his open mouth when thrown to him.
To induce him to take a walk round his pond, all that is
necessary is to call "Jemmy," and then show him a bowl
filled with welks. The savoury morsels act like a talisman,
and the creature suddenly displays au extraordinary
degree of aniu►ation; climbing awkwardly over the edge of
his pond, ho follows the keeper on such occasions with an
agility which c mid scarcely be expected by those who
have merely witnessed the slow and clumsy manner in
which ho moves about in the water. his skin is covered
with a wrinkled subAauce quite unlike that of any other
animal in the gardens, and in the case of the old walrus it
becomes so hard and tough as to he impervious tea musket-
ball. For the present "Jemmy" appears quite as con-
tented as when sporting by the side of his mother in
Baffin's Bay. B:tould he continue to progress satisfac-
torily, a awn) cave or grotto wiil be built for him, which
will be more comfortable and picturesque than the big
wooden box to which he now retires when 'weary of ex-
amining the bottom of his tank—a pursuit which at pre-
sent appears to occupy every leisure moment. The cost
of the vi alms to the Zoological Gardens will be about
£400; but the investment is likely to be a good one, as
many persons aro daily attracted to inspect so rare and
curious a specimen of animal life. Among the other recent
additions to the fine collection of natural history in the
gardens is a black leopard. This generally ferocious de-
nizen of the woods is much more amestable to human influ-
ences than his predecessors in the same don, who, accord-
ing to tradition, were too spiteful to live.