wie Per AN a Vou. XVI. No. 51 AissO)o MAY, 1912 il m Ac rar mi i \n ATT AANA AEN SOCIETY BULLETIN 510.673 SSS SSeS SSS Y y J Z U g aisonian Insij MAY 25 1091 NVA ak NUNN! Published by The NEW: YORK: ZOOLOGICAL’ SOCIETY y) Scr l Al x a 1 it ARTHUR FREUND, DES. Officers of the New York Zoological Society President Henry [airrretp Osporn, Hirst Vice-President Second Vice-President SaMuEL THORNE. Joun L. Capwaaper. Secretary Greasurer Mapison Grant, 11 Wall Street. Percy R. Pyne, 30 Pine Street. Board of Managers Ex-O fficio The Mayor of the City of New York. The Presipent of the Department of Parks. Glass of 1913 F. Augustus SCHERMERHORN, CrEevELAND H. Donper, Emerson McMIttin, Percy R. Pyne, C. Lepyarp Biair, AnTHoNy R, Kusrr, Grorce B. GRINNELL, Freperick G. Bourne, Watson B. Dickerman, Gerorce C. Ciark, W. Austin Wapsworrn, Morrmer L. Scuirr. Glass of 1914 Henry FarrrieLp Osporn, Hvueu D. Aucutnctioss, Grant B. Scutey, Wiriam C. Cuurcn, Cuar-es F, Dietericn, Wm. Pirrson Haminton, LisPENARD STEWART, James J. Hitt, Rozsert S. Brewster, H. Casimir pE RuaM, Georce F. Baker, Epwarp S. Harkness. Glass of 1415 Levi P. Morton, Witiiam Wuire Nixes, Frank K. Srureis, ANDREW CARNEGIE, Samuet THorRNE, Gerorce J. Gourp, Joun L. CapwaLapEr, Henry A. C. Taytor, OcpEN Mitxs, Mapison GRANT, Hueu J. CutsHoim, Lewis Rutuerrurp Morris. Executive Committee Mapison Grant, Chairman. Percy R. Pyne, SaMuet THORNE, Levi P. Morton, LisPENARD STEwart, WitiiaM Wuire Nites, Wm. Pierson Hamirton, Frank K. Sturgis, Henry Farrrrerp Osporn, Ex-O fficio. Grueral Officers Wixiram T. Hornapay, Director of the Park. Crartes H. Townsenp, Director of the Aquarium. La Farce & Morris, Architects. H. De B. Parsons, Consulting Engineer. Officers of the Zoological Park Witiiam T. Hornapay, Director. H. R. Mircuertz, C. Wtw11am Breese, H. W. MerxeEt, Ewin R. SANBORN, Raymonp L. Dirmars, L. S. Cranpatu, W. Rew Brair, G. M. Berrsower. Officers of the Aquarium Cuartes H. Townsenp, Director. Raymonp C. Ossurn, Assistant. Wasuineton I. DueNyssz, Rosert Surciirre. Wiiiam W. Wuire, U.S. N.( Retired). ost) tom AOOTROGCIC AL SOCTETY BULLE ET iEN CONTENTS FOR MAY PAGE SUSIE PAUN IMO TUE Gr EN ape te eto ements LO gene oc. 2 ET ee Frontispiece IB TRDSEO RS LREAv | CL Gr ih) pene C. William Beebe and L. S. Crandall. 871 Tue Wine-Hornep Wuite Mountain SHEEP........--.....- W. T. Hornaday. 857 Slum MOP RE RIA ARROWS 2 = fences eee eee: C. William Beebe. 868 i CAVE N GERD DRDSROR NID UAC. ee aes oa e eee ec C. William Beebe. 861 Storm-Bounp Dvucks....-.......-.--..-.-.-- C. William Beebe and Verdi Burtch. 866 piece RIAG EDs OR) PETE) GIR BBE Soe os oot ooo oc 2 ee es See L. S. Crandall. 864 ES HED BER OBE! CETON a UNI oy AINE OA oe eee ee ne eee Mason Mitchell. 865 Irems or INTEREST (Mammal Department) ....................... te Ie Dimers, -60 Grant) ieee 3 ‘ Fourth « zee a 40 “ 60. ( : ) wcenseessneeententetcetncetcetneetneeat Cloth $ .75 Fifth « oer fens "5 “ 1.00 | Zoclogica Vol. I. Nos. 1-7 ine. (Beebe), the Set 1.30 Sixth r Sree bees ‘75 * 1.00 | Zoologica Vol. I. No. 8. The Northern Seventh Belge? 1.00 1.25 Elephant Seal (Townsend) —.....W........ *.25 Eighth “ Cee ae ase Tn) VLG mia ; : Nini & « ‘ 135 « 1.50 | The Cultivation of Fishes in Ponds Tenth « “ 135 ‘ Tea mle eOWS EI pee ne toe es 20 Eleventh “ :- 1.00 = 1.29 | Chameleons of the Sea (Instantaneous Twelfth * 1.00 1.25 Color Changes in Fishes) (Townsend) 15 Thirteenth “ 3 1.00 s 1.25 a Fourteenth“ « 1.00 “ 1.95 | Sea-Shore -Life- (Mayer) 2.2200. Cloth 1.20 Fifteenth ‘ > 1.00 FA 1.25 | Guide Book: New York Zoological Park 25 Sixteenth eee 1.00 1.25 (ilommanay) ots seeks Se Roel eo By Mail 35 Notes on Mountain Sheep of North oe Er Raa fuiatdary = 8 be 6 Paper 40 The National Collection of Heads and : ~ Horns (Hornaday) Large quarto. Destruction of Our Birds and Mammals Parts 1 & 2 : Paper, Each 1.00 MCRAOTINAG AN 4 et nas Bs ane 4 AS ve ae pt aa Pa : The Caribou (Grant) .. . « F404) poulletin, Nosy sl Gr 16.255 oe ct eer Out of Print “ “ “ ES ee AD Bes ae Cloth .60 | Bulletins—bi-monthly... .-Yearly by Mail 1.00 Souvenir Books and Post Cards of the Zoological Park may be obtained by writing the Chief Clerk, New York Zoological Park, New York City. Publications of the Aquarium may be obtained by writing Dr. C. H. Townsend, Director, Battery Park, New York City. ee. * “Far ; rs F a (of : *. ¢ s . 7 ! ’ x t : ig z*, ae | y ? roe i eh He : s ‘ Vee : € i + ae 4 * re < \ 7 f : 4 . se +H nn i" ere aoe (ea ZK bX Cl Rn a * s ’ ri ¥ > ' 7. ee 8 re w Vou. XVI. No. 53 SEPTEMBER, 1912 =2zq| * SOCIETY oes BULLETIN —— iS : Published b Dy THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY i ih a. 2 TTT TA Officers uf the New York Zonlogical Soviety, President Henry Fairrreip Osporn. ae First Wice-President uted Second Wice-President Samuet Tuornn. poe Joun L. Capwanaper. Secretarp Treasurer ce Manpison Grant, 11 Wall Street. ‘ * Prrcy RB. Mane 30 Pine Size Board of Managers Ex Officio : The Mayor of the City of New York. _ The Prestwenr of the Department of ae : or Class of 1913 x Il’. Aucusrus ScHERMERHORN, Crrevetanp H. Doper, Emerson McMmun, Perey R. Pyne, C. Lepyarp Brair, Antuony R. Kuser, ty Grorcr B. GrinneELL, Freperick G. Bourne, Watson B. Dickerman, .- Georce C. Ciark, W. Austin Wapswortn, Mortimer L. Scuirr. €lass of 1914 Henry Fairrm.tp Osporn, Hvueun D. Avcuincross, Grant B. Scuiey, Wiriram C. Cuurcnu, Cuarves F. Dierericn, Wm. Pizrson Hamirton, LispeNArpD STEWART, James J. Hix1, Rogrert S. Brewster, H. Casimir pe Ruam, Grorce F. Baker, Enwarp S. Harkness. €lass of 1915 mins Levi P. Morton, Winiiam Wuite Nixes, Frank K. Srurais, Sens AnprREW CARNEGIE, Samuet TuorRNe, = Grorcr J. Govnp, . — Joun L. CapwaLaper, Henry A. C. Taytor, Ocpen Mitts, * Mapison Grant, Hvueu J. Cursnoim, Lnwis RurHerrurp Monnes, Executive Committee “ga pas Mapison Grant, Chairman. — s : Percy R. Pyne, Samur. TuHorne, Lrvr P. Morton, Lispenarp STEWART, Winriam Wire Nixes, Wo. Pierson Hamitron, Frank K. Srurets, Henry Farrrieip Osporn, Ea Officio. General Officers — ei ee Witiiam T. Hornavay, Director of the Park. Cuartes H. Townsenn, Director of the Aquarium. ara nr? 2 La Farce & Morris, Architects. Ee 2s B. g ONS Coneuities Engineer, AS * Officers of the. spidbarieal Park — Wiriiuam T. Hornapay, Director. H. R. Mircuett, C. Wiiit1am BeErse, H.W. Merker, - Raymonp L. Dirmars, L.S. Cranpart, W. Rei Brair, Gre, Gerorcre A. Dorn. Officers of the Aquarium speek | i Cuartes H. Townsenn, Director. Raymonp C. Ospurn. ¥ _ Wasuineron I. DeNyse, ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN CONTENTS FOR SEPTEMBER FGELODODENDRONSE nia et ene cae nee Contents Page LHODODENDRONS—RBaird Court Frontispiece BreaAuTIFYING THE ZooLoaicaL Park H. W. Merkel Tuer Case In Hanp E. R. Sanborn ‘TRANSPORTING WiLp ANIMALS..... R. L. Ditmars Opp FrimnpsuHips Between Birps L. S. Crandall ZOOLOGICAL Park Norns......... E. R. Sanborn 901 910 911 913 O15 AR THE ITALIAN GARDEN N BK NE ‘ x PLANTING RHODODENDRON x Published’ by *» a? Vou. XVI BEAUTIFYING THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK By Hermann W. MerKer Chief Forester and Constructor magnitude presents the same problems and needs as those of other parks, with several others that are due to zoological con- siderations. Much additional planting is neces- sary, and some of the planting, which all rules of landscape architecture demand, is not pos- sible on account of the inexorable demands of the animal kingdom, as opposed to the possibili- ties of the vegetable world. For example, many an ugly corner could be hidden by shrubbery if the animals would only refrain from eating such planting; and many a fine natural vista could and would be preserved were it not for the necessity of haying the animals and_ shelter houses and shade trees necessary to a zoological park. Lakes and ponds would teem with aquatic plants if they did not teem with preda- tory wild ducks and geese; and the Cranes’ Pad- dock would be a fine smooth lawn if the cranes did not consider it their life work to discover what the grass roots look like. Therefore, a compromise instead of perfection in design often is the only thing possible in a park or portion of a park where wild animals are kept for ex- hibition. The writer has yet in mind the mental picture that he had made of the ultimate appearance of sa (hae planting of any zoological park of the interior of the Flying Cage, and the effort that was made to obtain that ideal. Lotus and papyrus were waving in the summer breeze, showing off to perfection the vivid red of the flamingo and delicate rose color of the roseate spoonbill. Bamboos and banana plants, cannas and great palms were affording nesting sites and shelters for the herons and “bises. Conn: rants and pelicans were harmlessly diving and sporting among water-lilies that matched the gorgeous hues of the mandarin ducks. The great Victoria regia spread its immense leaves for the support of the dainty gallinules and egrets. So far so good. Everything was provided and planted to produce this picture; the birds were awaited and peace reigned supreme. The great day came. The birds were turned loose, and—but let me draw a veil over the record of the next agonizing day and night. To the credit of the winged destructors I will add that we did recover, perfectly uninjured and as good as new, several palm tubs and flower pots. So much for what might have been. In planning the planting of the New York Zoological Park, the Executive Committee and its advisors early adopted a definite policy, and has adhered to it as strictly as possible through- 902 ZOOLOGICAL WESTERN Rhododendrons out the progress of the work. This policy was to preserve as nearly as possible the wild character of the park, to establish an adequate boundary shelter, to provide sufficient shade in all corals and along all walks. and to confine all formal planting to the immediate vicinity of the large buildings and to Baird Court. The general re- sult appears to have given general satisfaction. All of the planting in the Zoological Park may, like omnia Gallia of old, be divided into three parts, according to its primary namely: shelter or protective planting, shade planting and ornamental planting. On the south and west the Zoological Park is bounded by streets that are or ultimately will be occupied solidly by large apartment houses, which if not shut out will obtrude most unpleasantly into all the views from within, as do even now, by reason of their higher ground, certain existing build- ings that in some instances are two or three blocks distant. This prospect called for the great border plantations which extend from West Farms at 182d Street, at the southeast cor- ner of the Park, to Pelham Avenue and South- ern Boulevard, the northwest corner, being in use, SOCIETY APPROACH BULLETIN. TO BAIRD COURT and German iris length 1,400 feet, and in width from 30 to 250 feet. In order to have this border effective in winter as well as in summer it was determined to use conifers to the largest extent possible; and over 5,000 of these evergreens were planted. White pine and hemlock predominate with about 750 plants of each, the remainder being white, bal- sam, Norway, oriental, Douglas and _ Colo- rado spruces, silver fir, Nordman’s fir, red and white cedar, Austrian pine, Norway pine, pitch pine, Scotch pine and others. Wherever pos- sible this great belt of evergreens was fronted by a planting of flowering or berry-bearing shrubs, such as arrowwood, highbush huckle- berry, snowberry, witch hazel, sumacs, cornels, pepper bush, ete., of which about 12,000 were used. All of this planting has done exceedingly well, some of the white pines making an average annual growth of over 30 inches. In a way this border plantation has formed a great nursery; and many of the fine evergreens now seen at the Concourse and elsewhere have been transplanted from the borders. Besides forming a shelter belt and wind- ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN: 903 WESTERN APPROACH TO BAIRD COURT Various species of iris are planted here break, this great mass of evergreens and shrubs make an ideal home for nesting birds. Our feathered friends have not been slow to take advantage of it, and may often be seen feeding in great numbers on the berries of the various shrubs. It is a fact that it is often impossible tc obtain seed from such plants as the highbush huckleberry, arrowwood and black-haw, because the birds get ahead of the men. This year the border planting was augmented on the south by a row of Norway maples on 182d Street, which, for the most part, is ele- vated considerably above the Park itself, and consequently will show off the planting to great advantage. Ouly those acquainted with the ground before 1904 can realize that all of our planting re- quired an immense amount of preparation in the way of draining and filling. While it is true that some years must elapse before the ever- greens will arrive at perfection, no one will dis- pute the fact that even now the border planting is a conspicuous and welcome feature, and of very great advantage to the Park. For the shade plantings along the walks and roads, and in the various corrals and ranges, de- ciduous trees were, of course, used in most in- stances. Preference has always been given to American trees of a permanent character, such as the oaks, the ete. As many varieties as possible have been used, so as to present all the types that are available. It must not be understood that no quickly growing trees were planted, for we have not hesitated to use poplars, box elder and soft maples wherever shade was needed at once. In nearly every in- stance, however, permanent trees have been set in close proximity to the others, so that the temporary trees will not be missed when they are finally removed. Except in two cases, that of Audubon Court and Baird Court. straight lines were carefully avoided, and all the trees were spaced so as to give ample opportunity for their full develop- The importance of ample spacing is, un- elms, ashes, ment. fortunately, often overlooked, and more private and public parks have been spoiled by planting too closely than by not planting enough. No special attempt was made to introduce a great number of foreign species, but all of the 904 ZOOLOGICAL hardy American trees that will live have been or will be used and labelled, as we already have done with the native trees adjacent to walks and roads. No less care was taken to give all of the trees planted an adequate amount of good soil. On Baird Court, for instance, a trench four feet deep and sixteen feet wide was filled with good soil, giving each tree nearly thirty-eight yards of soil; and in addition a cast-iron grating four feet by eight feet surrounds each trunk, pre- venting the packing down of the soil, and ad- mitting air and moisture to the roots. The flourishing condition of the elms on Baird Court attests that the money and effort were not ex- pended in vain. SOCIETY BULLETIN. In corrals and ranges it is very necessary to protect every tree with a substantial guard strong enough to withstand the attacks of what- ever animal the enclosure may contain. That this is not a simple matter in the case of a bison that can strike a blow of as many foot pounds as a locomotive, or a giraffe that can reach seventeen feet or more, may readily be imagined. The purely ornamental planting is both for- mal and natural in character as the occasion demanded. Of the formal planting, that of the Concourse and Italian Garden is, of course, the more important and consists, broadly speak- ing, of four large flower beds edged with box- wood and separated by grass walks. These are flanked by large masses of evergreens that rise from the low-creeping forms of mughus and dwarf white pine near the center, to the tower- ing specimens of American cedar thirty feet in height. Great numbers of European and American pines, cedars, junipers and thuyas in all their horticultural forms and variations were used with charming effect. In front and below the Italian Garden the same effects were ob- tained in a larger way by using Japanese holly as a hedge, and large specimens of evergreens on either side of the three flights of steps that lead to the garden. Fronting the conifers and gradually blending into natural woodland are masses of hybrid and native rhododendrons in all the gorgeous colors of their kind, reinforced with various lilies. Leading from the Concourse to the entrance is a broad avenue, which, like Baird Court above the garden and Pelham Park- way below the entrance, is planted with Ameri- can elms. Altogether the Concourse, Approach and the Italian Garden form a park entrance not approached in either dignity or grandeur by any other park entrance in New York. Semi-formal in character is the perennial and shrubbery border in front of the new Eagle and Vulture Aviary. This is formed of two great masses of planting, divided by shrubs of the best kind into a number of hardy herbaceous perennial beds, presenting all that is best, new- est and beautiful in hardy poppies, phloxes, MADONNA LILY ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. ie Des eds A CONIFERS ARE AS DECORATIVE IN WINTER AS IN SUMMER Pe ed te BS Se Bo SEIS POOL IN BEAVER VALLIY IN MIDSUMMER Completely surrounded by ferns and rhododendrons ZOOLOGICAL 906 SOCIETY BULLETIN. GERMAN IRIS sunflowers, asters, etc. This planting was done late in the spring of 1912 and will not show to good advantage until next year. Another inter- esting bit of planting is the iris and lily groups on either side of the west approach of Baird Court Asiatic European irises, which have so aptly been named the poor where American, and man’s orchids, maintain a succession of blooms until July. later taken up by the lilies. Of the informal or natural planting the best example is found in the woodland walks of Beaver Valley from the Buffalo Entrance to Baird Court. Here also we have worked with a definite aim in view, to restore an originally beautiful forest that had been trampled and picked bare of almost every native wild flower and fern into the best conditions that protection would have shown. ‘Thousands of and care NORTHERN END OF VALLEY Rhododendrons coyer the banks and yarious species of water lilies fill the pool BEAVER ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. RHODODENDRONS native rhododendrons, azaleas and_ rhodoras were planted. Leucothe, Andromeda were brought from North Carolina, and yellow root, yew and wild flowers, such as wake-robin, blood- root, snakeroot, violets, anemones, hepaticas and hundreds of ferns were spread under the great oaks, beeches and tulip trees, until now these plants, and others like dog’s-tooth violets, beauty, wood which came back with protection alone, make a spring jewelweed and asters trip to the Park well worth the while. Farther south, along this same walk, is a magnificent mass of mountain laurel covering the whole east and north side of the hill occupied by the Rock- ing Stone Restaurant. Of these glorious plants, only a dozen or so broken and stunted speci- mens were found when the Park was taken over by the New York Zoological Society; though an abundance of stumps showed clearly that it had been a permanent feature in the forest before MOUNTAIN LAUREL NEAR 908 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. BORDER PLANTATION OF CONIFERS IN 1905 fire and marauders did their deadly work. Now over 4,000 fine thrifty bushes from three to six feet high delight the eyes of visitors as they approach the Lydig Arch. On account of the poisonous nature of the foliage of the mountain laurel and rhododen- drons, none have been planted near the enclos- ures of the ruminants, as visitors might easily break off branches and feed them to the sheep, etc., with bad effect. The low wet ground op- posite the Rocking Stone Hill has been planted with magnolias, the fragrant blossoms of which perfume the air for a great distance. Another ornamental planting that may well be mentioned is the rose groups from the Buf- falo Range to the restaurant. On the slope facing the upper bison corrals is an interesting lot of seedlings, showing an intermixture of Rosa rugosa, Rosa humilis and others, several of them of horticultural value. Above these and around the base of the Lydig Arch is a great mass of memorial roses, and west and north of these, two groups of Multiflora and ramblers and prairie roses. All of the varieties of roses mentioned are of value, not only on account of their flowers, but also because of the winter food supplied by the bright red rose hips, and the excellent protected nesting sites which the thorny tangle affords. We have planted many shrubs that are useful in attracting birds, such as buckthorn, red and black chokeberry, black haw, arrowwood, maple- leaved viburnum, kinnikinnick, several cornels and many others. Fortunately we have always had at hand an abundant supply of good fertilizer and mulch- ing material, and the writer has never been stinted by the Director in the sinews of war necessary to care for this vast planting material, nor has he hesitated to use men or money when the occasion for extraordinary effort was re- quired. For instance, in 1905 when our 12,000 newly planted trees and shrubs were endangered by a drought of seven weeks, permission was ob- tained from the Water Department to use the fire hydrants surrounding the Park, and a num- ber of men working in relays, sometimes all night, through watering and mulching suc- ceeded in keeping the losses down to one and one-tenth per cent., though over 5,000 of these plants were large conifers. Again in 1912, when the shortage of water caused the Department of Water Supply to issue an order that no city water should be used on the grounds, a gasoline engine and pump, quickly purchased and set up on the banks of Lake Agassiz, saved the situation. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 909 ye ese THE SAME PLANTATION OF CONIFERS IN 1912 To others who are considering the planting of a zoological park, our failures in this direction may be as interesting as the successes, and espe- cially two instances which come to the writer’s mind. The first one was the combination of water birds and rhododendrons. It would seem that these two, both loving water, would agree perfectly, and for that reason the center island of the Goose Aviary was planted with rhododen- drons. In spite of great care and several trials the plants have always died, undoubtedly on account of the great amount of lime voided by the fish-eating birds. The second combination that failed to work was that of squirrels and crocuses, and similar bulbous plants. On the lawn of Audubon Court we planted thousands of crocus, scillas, snowdrops, etc., but there are now but very few left. The gray squirrels, of which hundreds make their home in the Park, followed the planters closely, and worked early and Jate until every bulb had been dug up. The bulbs were not eaten at once, but unearthed, the sprout bitten out, and the remainder re- planted for future use. In spite of these and various other setbacks, however, the planting in the New York Zoologi- cal Park, as a whole, is more than satisfactory. It may be said that the Zoological Society has accomplished its aim, and carried out its original plan of making the Park an attractive recreation ground, filled with the beauties of nature, where the jaded mind of the busy city dweller may find entertainment, peace or seri- ous study, as he is inclined. Young Pea Fonl.—Several of the pea fowl have succeeded in rearing their young this sea- son; a matter of considerable import, as the peacocks attract the attention of the visitors as much as any of their wild contemporaries. Coming upon an old hen and her young upon one of the walks, I attempted to photograph her. This proceding she completely frustrated by circling around her young or flying directly at me whenever I approached within a radius which she evidently regarded as the danger line. She was not at all anxious to fight, but showed not the least timidity in making an attack. The young ones in the meantime were constantly running about in pursuit of insects, and seemed to have the most sublime confidence in their parent’s ability to ward off any danger. So far she seems to have been eminently suc- cessful, for the young and mother were taking food from a group of visitors but a few days ago. BK. R. S: Butietin No. 6.—Wanted, one copy. 910 ZOOLOGICAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN Departments: Mammal Reptile W. T. HORNADAY- RAyMOND L. DITMARs. Aquarium Bird C. H. TOWNSEND. C. WILLIAM BEEBE. RAYMOND C. OSBURN. LEE S. CRANDALL. Published Bi-Monthly at the Office of the Society, 11 Wall Street, New York City. Yearly, by Mail, $1.00. MAILED FREE TO MEMBERS, Copyright, 1912, by the New York Zoological Society. Each author is responsible for the scientific accuracy and the proof reading of his contribution. ELwrin R. SANBORN, Editor. Vor. XVI. No: 53 SEPTEMBER, 1912 THE CASE IN HAND. Some time the layman will understand that wild animals are dangerous. Some time he may learn that to safely approach an animal on terms of familiarity it is necessary to have a knowledge of the habits of the animal. More important than all else, some time he may learn that when he exercises any selfish privileges, or insists upon giving the public a treat by stepping over the rail and putting some creature through its paces, that he places the men in charge of these animals in serious danger. ‘The visitor can make even a friendly animal dangerous, and thereby render the old “familiarity breeds contempt,” the very personification of truth. Any large animal approached on a basis of familiarity is thereafter in the dangerous adage, class. No living man can absolutely know the curi- ous freaks of temperament that are constantly passing through the brain of wild animals, and after some of them have been pampered and petted by would-be animal trainers, the men who are compelled by their every-day tasks to come in contact with their various charges are liable to be sacrificed. Any stranger who enters a corral, steps be- hind a railing or in any way places himself in a position that will bring him close enough to afford an animal the opportunity to do harm, is not only courting danger for himself, but is paving the way for possible future injury of the keeper. A man that takes advantage of the fact that he can secure an inside privilege, may rest assured that in “petting” large animals he is preparing trouble for the keepers; and _ inci- dentally he may inadvertently subject the offi- cers of the Park to criticism. It is time for visitors to call a halt, and allow the officers and keepers of the Zoological Park, SOCIETY BULLETIN. who are compelled to handle vicious animals, to work out their own salvation in their own fashion. Kindness to animals is all right up to a cer- tain point, but carrying it beyond the danger line is nothing short of folly. For months after the male Indian elephant, Gunda, came to the Park, I visited him daily, invariably provided with sugar, some peanuts, or other bit of food that he particularly liked. He became so well acquainted with me that by whistling in a pecu- liar way he would come to me from any point in his yard or shelter. One day, after he had secured my offering of sugar, he launched a terrific blow at me with his trunk with deadly intent. It was a lesson that bore fruit. I never tried it again. And yet to protest with a visitor for leaning over a guard rail and presenting his hand to the teeth of a bear is to draw down upon the keeper a most indignant protest. My work brings me constantly in contact with various animals, and, after years of observation, I have reduced it all to one line of thought: what are we going to do to each other? It is fairly possible for the man to judge, but not so with the animal. The animal is always nervous, and the tension is quite likely to carry him either in the direction of maiming himself or the man. If he is nervous to the point of fear, then the sympathy is all with the animal, and the sooner he is left to his own resources the greater the display of humanity. If he is bold and displays no timidity, the danger then points directly to the man in the ease. To the keeper of a wild animal, the location of the danger point may be diagnosed very ac- curately by knowledge that can be gained only by long experience. When the keeper is not absorbed with the care of a third party, his chances are at their best. If, on the other hand, there is a stranger present, the keeper is bur- dened with the care of the stranger and himself. The stranger does not care what happens to the animal as long as he himself is safe, and the risks are, therefore, doubled; the animal is the direct sufferer for the time being and the keeper in the end. Gunda has been for years a center of interest. Because he can throw back his head at the beck and eall of every man, woman and child while they heave all kinds of food into his eager throat, and chase up and down the fence in a rage when he is tormented, he has become a great attraction. If the responsibility for accidents could be placed where it belongs, there would be fewer accidents. Some of the people with hearts over- flowing with the milk of human kindness ought ZOOLOGICAL to realize, if they do not, that when they pet and feed any captive animal they are liable to ruin its disposition. How many of the men who spend a part of their time in the Park on Sun- day afternoons baiting the bull elk Stanley until he charges the fence to the breaking point, would dare go into the corral to feed or care for him? Not many; but someone must render this service. Gunda is like the majority of men and wo- men. He has moods. He has his good qualities, and his bad ones are not improved, either by ceaseless baiting or misdirected attention from people who imagine that he never gets a meal. Man cannot serve two masters, nor can an ele- phant. It would be an idle thought to ascribe the entire responsibility for Thuman’s accident to outside influences, but it would remove all doubt if there never had been any. E. R.S. TRANSPORTING WILD ANIMALS By Raymonp L. Dirmars EW of our visitors realize the time and labor consumed in moving animals from one cage to another. Such operations are frequent, and, in an institution such as the Zoological Park, where many visitors are near by, every precaution must be taken to prevent the escape of an animal. This work always de- mands ingenuity, and no two operations are quite alike. On an average, our work involves the removal of one animal a week, and we are rather proud of a record that shows a general absence of escapes and casualties. It must be considered that to successfully maintain a record of this kind there must not alone be ceaseless vigilance in inspecting the many cage doors and the multitude of locks securing them, but operations relating to the removal of heavy and dangerous animals from temporary cages to permanent quarters must be most carefully planned. Of all animals to be moved, the greatest pre- caution must be exercised with the bears. These animals are not only powerful, but ingenious in seeking and working at weak places. A bear will test every board of a temporary chute lead- ing into the shifting cage. It will work at the fastenings of the shifting cage; seek to force its fore feet through any openings that may appear large enough, and rock and endeavor to upset the shifting cage. Hence it will be under- stood that in moving a large bear a considerable amount of planning and construction work is necessary. The shifting cage must be placed upon a strong platform constructed by efficient carpenters; in fact, the general arrangement in SOCIETY BULLETIN. 911 placing the shifting cage must be practically as strong as the permanent caging for the animal. In moving large cats it is not necessary to adopt the elaborate precautions involved in shifting a bear. Lions, tigers and leopards are powerfully built and vigorous animals, and they become highly excited during shifting op- erations, but while they may tear wildly at corners or small openings, there is no ingenuity displayed in their furious attacks, nor do they seek weak points and concentrate their atten- tion upon such places. Thus, in moving a big cat animal, a simple, hastily built staging holds the shifting cage against the door of the ani- mal’s quarters, the transportation cage is roped in position and the animal run in. This latter part of the operation may appear to those not familiar with the erratic habits of captive ani- mals as comparatively easy. It is during this very process, however, that many hours may be consumed in caging a frightened or stubborn animal. The writer re- members instances where it required days to induce a bear to enter a shifting cage, and the animal went in only after all kinds of enticing bait had been placed before it. It had been prodded and coaxed and forced forward by heavy planks run through the bars, and then was observed by a man who had been left on watch to walk quietly in of its own accord. It is often quite as difficult to induce a newly arrived animal to leave the travelling cage which it has occupied since it left its native land. Frequently it is impossible to force an animal out of its travelling cage through the door of its permanent quarters, and in such instances it is necessary to remove a panel of the door of the permanent cage in order to bring the travel- ling box inside. Once inside, the door of the travelling box is again opened. In a day or two the animal decides to prow] about its new quar- ters. Then an opportunity must be awaited to trap it in the sleeping den, lock it inside, again remove the panel of the main cage and take out the travelling cage. The writer remem- bers a stubborn snow leopard that arrived late in the afternoon and was lashed against the open door of its new home. We worked until dark endeavoring to coax the animal out of its stuffy travelling cage, but it clung in such tenacious fashion that our labors continued well into the night. Many of the smaller carnivores must be cap- tured in nets, as they cannot be coaxed into a shifting cage. This refers to the wolves and foxes, and the greater number of the inmates of the Small-Mammal House. Some of these ani- mals are so nervous that to capture them with a ZOOLOGICAL 912 LIFTING A CRATE FROM A SHIP’S HOLD net is liable to cause convulsions. From such attacks they recover slowly, or perhaps not at all. Vor animals of such intensely nervous dis- position, we prepare a trap door in the shifting cage, securely fasten food at the end of the box, and regulate the door to drop when the animal grasps the morsel inside. Many of the small carnivores, particularly the wild dogs and the foxes, prefer to starve for days before making an attempt to obtain the meat in the improvised traps. In moving hoofed animals altogether different precautions are taken. In this work our plan- ning is directed more toward crating the animal without injuring it. The deer and antelope are naturally timid animals and become greatly ex- cited when they note anything unusual about to take place. The mere sight of a crate sends them scurrying to remote corners of their ranges or corrals. For the heavy stock, like the bison, we have long runways or chutes, into which the animal may be run, when section gates are suc- cessively closed behind them, finally forcing them close to the crate. With such an arrange- ment we crated fifteen bison in two days’ time. It is, of course, impossible to construct such runways in all of the deer ranges, and we must therefore resort to various schemes in capturing and crating these nervous animals. In the past eight years we have offered for sale a con- siderable number of hoofed animals bred and born in the Park. This means the crating of a great number of shy and active animals, and our consultations have been many before we could decide upon the best methods of capturing them. Among several hundred deer shipped from the Park very few specimens have been sent away with as much as a bruise to illustrate our difficulties in crating them. When we select deer to be crated, a consulta- SOCIETY BULLETIN. tion is held with the keepers in charge and a plan of campaign is mapped out. It is usually advisable to secure these animals in their shelter houses where they may be handled at close quarters; but this is not always possible, as some of our deer seldom go near their barns. In cases like this a room of the barn is selected as a trap, the animal’s food is placed inside and a long rope is attached to the door. A scheme like this is not always successful. Some deer will immediately become suspicious of the un- usual proceeding and prefer to fast, remaining out on the range where they are satisfied in pick- ing up leaves or nibbling at the sparse grass. It was in this manner that we attempted to capture a herd of red deer. We were in despair of trapping them in the room until we decided to shut off their outside water supply and place a drinking trough in the room, together with their food. After five days’ time, a man on guard with a rope controlling the door, noted an incli- nation of the animals to enter the house. They had several times approached the door, and would have entered during the night, but a sud- den storm completely upset our operations. A heavy rain formed a generous pond in one cor- ner of the range, and it was a full week’s time before we finally captured these specimens. It is considerably more difficult to pick out certain deer running with the herd. In work like this the plan is to run all the animals into a supplementary corral, and then release those not wanted. With all of the animals much ex- cited and dashing about in every direction it is lively work to retain those specimens to be crated. So difficult is the handling of some of the hoofed animals that we often find it neces- sary to erect temporary spans of fence to sepa- rate them in the way described. When deer to be crated are enclosed in a room, we resort rT $f Ue tHiil tl ZOOLOGICAL CHUTE FOR SHIFTING BUFFALOES to several methods in crating them. The larger deer are usually roped and pulled into a crate. With the smaller and more active specimens, several keepers rush them into corners, grasp them firmly and then force them into the boxes. While this work is not dangerous for the men, great care is necessary in handling the strug- gling animals to prevent breaking limbs and injuring antlers, and there is much padding of corners and of the crates themselves. In moving reptiles, preliminary precautions are not so elaborate, although great care is nec- essary in handling the poisonous snakes. With very nervous examples, that will stop feeding if handled, we employ a box trap with a drop door. The snake enters the box to hide, the trap is removed to another cage, the door opened and the snake emerges at its leisure. With a big python the work is strenuous, but not par- ticularly dangerous. The serpent is covered with a blanket, and through the folds a keeper seizes its neck. When the head is pinned down, eight or ten men quickly grasp the body; the writhing creature is straightened out, and then precipitated, tail first, into the new cage it is to occupy. ODD FRIENDSHIPS BETWEEN BIRDS By Lee S. Cranpary Assistant Curator of Birds HILE there is undoubtedly an instine- tive tendency among birds to seek mates of the same species, which accounts largely for the paucity of records of wild hybrids, there are numerous facts which tend to demonstrate that the barrier is, in many cases, a flimsy one at best and readily put aside under favorable conditions. One of the best-known SOCIETY BULLETIN. 913 cases is that of the Lawrence and Brewster warblers, hybrids between golden-wings and blue-wings. These cross-bred birds have been noted only where the ranges of the parent species overlap, and it would appear that prox- imity is the only requisite for mating. Numer- ous wild duck hybrids have been described, many of them doubtless resulting from unions between wing-tipped birds, unable to seek more natural mates. In captivity, the objections of birds to alien species seem to be readily overcome, and many very interesting hybrids have been produced. The greater number have been obtained from water fowl, which are easily crossed. With many species, it is necessary to confine the birds in a compartment secluded from the sight of others. Very often, however, birds at large among a diverse assembly will select mates of totally unrelated species. One of the most strik- ing instances was furnished by a large, un- pinioned male Canada goose, which had winged his way from Lake Agassiz to Cope Lake, perhaps with the intention of selecting a mate from the geese gathered there. His fancy evi- dently was taken by the female Cereopsis goose. Her rightful mate, however, is a powerful bird and the Canada must needs go about his court- ing with discretion. He commenced his cam- paign by attaching himself to the pair and fol- lowing their every movement most assiduously. The male Cereopsis appeared to resent this attendance and did not hesitate to show his dis- like. Soon, however, he became more tolerant of the other’s company and ceased his hostile demonstrations. After this point, matters went smoothly for the Canada. His attentions be- came more and more persistent, until finally he usurped the position of the Cereopsis. Once he had gained this coveted place, however, he RECEIVING A LION BY EXPRES Ww ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. did not display the magnanimity of the de- posed gander, but drove him to the far end of the enclosure. As we did not consider the dis- turbing our pair of Cereopsis desirable, the Canada was returned, with a clipped wing, to Lake Agassiz, when the Cereopsis soon reunited. Male Egyptian geese are well known as tyrants, and will surely prove the rogues of any collection in which they are included. Their splenic tempers often turn them against their weaker companions, and catastrophes are of fre- quent occurrence. It caused us no regret, there- fore, when our old Egyptian escaped from the pen in which he and his mate are always con- fined during the breeding season, and met with an accident which compelled his removal from the Wild Fowl Pond and allowed us to liberate his less quarrelsome mate. It had never occurred to us that the tyranny of the male Egyptian might be domestic as well as general, but the alaerity with which the female formed an alli- ance with a brant goose seemed to indicate no sorrow at the loss of her former spouse. It is true, of course, that birds mated in this manner rarely lay eggs. We were greatly dis- appointed, therefore, when the Bewick and Trumpeter swans, which have been close com- panions for years, destroyed the nest of the bean and gray-lag goose, where the latter was closely incubating her five eggs. Some most interesting hybrids might have resulted from this cross. It is well known that wild-fowl at liberty sometimes mate for life, and rarely separate until death claims one of the couple. That cross- mating and captivity do not affect the trait is well shown by an European brant and a lesser snow goose, which have been inseparable for about four years. There are several unattached CANADA GANDER FOLLOWING A CEREOPSIS GOOSE Si birds of these species and of each sex in the same enclosure, but the stability of the union has never been threatened. Many of these queer friendships are purely platonic and often are formed between birds of widely separated groups. When it was decided to attempt to acclimatize the rheas during the past winter, a male guinea-fowl which had shared their corral during the summer months, was allowed to remain with them. A perch was placed across one corner of the indoor shelter for his convenience, and on it he passed the nights of fall and early winter. As the tempera- ture dropped lower, however, the bird was no longer to be seen in his accustomed place, and his absence caused an investigation to be made. A thorough search failed to reveal his presence, and it was not until a sleepy rhea was disturbed that the missing bird was found, warmly ensconced beneath her protecting wing! The guinea-fowl availed himself of the rhea’s hospi- tality until the warm days of spring rendered this shelter unnecessary. He then turned upon his benefactor with a ferocity which she lacked the courage to oppose and pursued her relent- lessly about the enclosure. It was a truly ludi- crous sight to see the diminutive bird driving his lumbering victim about the paddock, but the matter became so serious as to cause the tyrant’s removal. One of the most remarkable of these associa- tions is that of the Ceram cassowary and the great marabou stork. Each spring, with the return of warm weather, the cassowary is given his liberty in the Crane Paddock. This is also the summer home of the Javan and Indian adju- tants and the marabou. The latter tolerates the company of his allies during the few weeks that elapse between the date at which they are placed ZOOLOGICAL TAHR ON THE TREE GUARD in the paddock and the coming of good weather of sufficient constancy to insure the safety of the Cassowary. When the great bird finally is added to the group, the pleasure of his gro- tesque companion is unmistakable. Each is allowed the most unexpected freedom with the other’s person, and frequently the cassowary may be seen lying upon the ground, the mara- bou perched solemnly upon his back, often with his long wings widespread. Until fall, the two birds are constantly in each other’s company, and are separated only when it becomes neces- sary to remove them to warmer winter quarters. ZOOLOGICAL PARK NOTES. The Agile Goat.—It would be exceedingly difficult and very likely a useless task to attempt to prove with words alone the extraordinary mountaineering feats of the wild sheep and goats. In the language of a hunter, inelegant but expressive, “they can perch where a tele- scope can’t look.” Visitors to the Park fre- quently see the Rocky Mountain goats airily standing on the ridge of their shelter, or run- ning lightly along the roofs. No matter what SOCIETY BULLETIN. 915 the condition of the roof may be, it is negotiated with perfect ease. This feat, however, becomes rather common- place in comparison to one performed by the Himalayan tahr on Mountain Sheep Hill. In their corral, directly on the ridge, stands a cedar tree ten inches in diameter. To protect it from the horns of the tahr family, a tree-guard of small slats was placed around it and securely fastened with wires. These sticks are five feet long, two inches wide, an inch thick and stand close to the tree, offering the most precarious foothold. Passing Mountain Sheep Hill re- cently, I was astonished to observe one of the goats lightly perched on the top of the guard, nimbly shifting her feet from stick to stick. There is but one way for the goat to get to the top of the guard, a straight leap from the ground, and absolute precision in alighting on the ends of the sticks. Mr. Merkel assures me that he has seen the goat with all four feet on the end of one stick. The accompanying picture does not show the goat’s method of getting on the guard, but it undeniably proves that it can be done. My personal knowledge of the temper of this particular animal may fairly be regarded as proof that it would be a physical impossi- bility for any one to have posed her in the airy position that the photograph records. A Reliable Engineer.—Take a small stream, a generous supply of trees (poplars and birches are best), plenty of peace and quiet, put a fence around it and add a good sized healthy Ameri- can beaver. After you have done all this, come back to your peace at dusk, being perfectly cer- tain that you furnish the quiet, and prepare to see a wonderful display of animal ingenuity. Such an opportunity was afforded me once at our Beaver Pond and after several trips—dur- ing which time I failed to bring along enough quiet—the beaver furnished me an exclusive en- tertainment. The Beaver Pond is a stationary body of water and to maintain it in clean condi- tion, a hydraulic ram keeps the water at a suitable height. In order that the water does not overflow the banks, a twelve-inch pipe has been placed under the dam in the bed of the stream. At the end of the pipe, under the dam, an elbow and a thirty-inch perpendicular joint have been attached to serve as an overflow for the pond after the water has attained a certain level. But the beaver, not agreeing with these utili- ties, waged a continuous warfare with the men as to the ultimate maintenance of the water sup- ply; and upon my successful visit I learned just 916 how he did it. It was nearly dusk when his nose popped out of the water near the dam. Draw- ing himself clumsily upon the bank, he carefully inspected the matted sticks and mud that filled the outlet of the stream from bank to bank. Ap- parently satisfied that there was no leakage there, he turned to the overflow pipe and peered down into the black hole. The sound of falling water was proof that this spot needed work. Scarcely hesitating, he dived from the bank and presently reappeared with the butt of a small tree about three inches in diameter and four feet long. Dragging it to the hole he lowered it until it stood upright. With unflagging energy he made trip after trip to the bottom of the pool, each time carrying, limbs of various sizes to the pipe and jamming them into it. When the stick seemed too long, he withdrew it and made a notch near the center, and, upon returning to the hole, the stick would then bend to follow the curve of the pipe. Finally he commenced to fill the interstices with mud. In carrying the mud he was quite as ingenious as he had been in rafting his timber. Sinking to the bottom of the pool, he pushed himself along the bottom with his hind feet, plowing the mud ahead with his breast until the bank was reached. Here he seized the pile with his fore feet and, clasping it against his breast, waddled slowly to the hole and dropped it in. The num- ber of steps back and forth to the water were innumerable, but they did not falter until the sound of the falling water was lessened and finally ceased altogether. Knowing then that his work was at end, he sat on the edge of the pool to rest and comb the mud out of his plenti- fully bedaubed fur. New Zebra House.—This installation for the wild equines, with its outlying yards, will be completed and opened early this fall. The various species of wild horses, asses and zebras, of which the Society has an extensive collection, may then be exhibited to a good advantage. Ty = . . x . .- > The collection and new installation will be thoroughly described in the next number of the BuLuerin. Friendly Red Squirrels——There is not one wild creature in the woods that is as shy as the red squirrel; particularly when he dwells within striking distance of boys with guns. After many of these experiences he may be heard scolding and chattering deep in the woods, but affords only fleeting glimpses of his lithe red body as ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. he skips about through the trees. As soon as he learns of a section of the woods where he is not molested his timidity disappears and he becomes the boldest of beggars. At Rock City, in the Bradford oil regions, there are a few acres in which the red squirrel finds a safe refuge. Despite the fact that the grounds are swarming with people, little red- skin is quite at home, and boldly runs around among the luncheon parties, begging for bits of bread or any delicacy they may offer. Woolly Monkeys.—One of the two little woolly monkeys from the upper Amazon has now lived in the Park for nearly three years. This is a record for keeping this delicate little animal in the Park, at least, if not in any other zoological garden. The two live out of doors during all the days when the weather is agree- able; evidently a good policy for their health has remained uninterruptedly excellent. Guinea-Fonl.—The guinea-fowl run about the Park with a very business-like air, and always impress one, as they scurry across the paths and through the bushes, as having an im- portant mission which they are hurrying to fulfil. They invariably steal a nesting site which they conceal with great care. Whenever the hens lay they announce it by bursting out of the bushes with a tremendous noise, which is immediately echoed by the whole flock. Even though this important event is so loudly adver- tised, the nests are difficult to find and the ap- pearance of a flock of young guinea-fowl is always in the nature of a surprise. When the young are hatched they have a devoted follow- ing of old birds that vie with each other in searching out delicate insect morsels for the hungry flock. Guinea-fowl are desirable birds around plant and vegetable gardens, as they wage a persistent warfare on all insect pests and seldom scratch up the ground. To some nervous persons the voice of the guinea-fowl is distracting; but to those of us who have grown accustomed to the cry of the pea fowl, the song of a guinea-hen is not without its charms. Hon the Gnu Drinks.—The old adage, “there is nothing new under the sun,” has been dis- proved by the gnu. It is quite well known that all ruminants plunge there noses into water when drinking, and draw the water into their stomachs by a muscular contraction of the throat aided by the slight vacuum created. But ZOOLOGICAL the gnu dees not do it that way. They lap the water like a dog or a cat. This may be ac- counted for by the fact that the nostrils, which are thin, flat and wide, are placed near the end of the muzzle. Should the gnu thrust his nose into the water the very narrow air space would be completely covered and afford no means of breathing while drinking. Ivy from Fontainebleau.—Mrs. Eli Harvey has presented to the Park a root of ivy from the famous forest of Fontainebleau. This noted forest has been the Mecea of all the artists of France from time immemorial. Rousseau has glorified the old oaks, and could the silent aisles of the forest speak what a wondrous story they might tell of the generations of painters that have transferred its marvelous beauty to their canvas. Mrs. Harvey has planted the tiny sprig against the sheltered side of an ancient oak near the Bear Dens. Collecting Reptiles——Curator Ditmars has just returned from a successful collecting trip in Sullivan County. He secured 11 species and 115 specimens of our native reptiles. In addition to these, he also captured 129 speci- mens of insects, including a splendid lot of katydids. Enumerating the species, there were represented in the collection 6 rattle- snakes, 14 milk snakes, 75 striped snakes, 3 red-bellied snakes, 5 ring-necked snakes, 13 water snakes, one black snake, one hog-nosed snake, 2 ribbon snakes, 17 katydids, 14 broad- winged meadow locusts, 50 walking sticks rep- resenting 2 species, eighteen narrow-winged meadow locusts, 12 lesser katydids, 8 ground katydids, and 10 cone-headed locusts. New Shops.—Destruction of the old worn out workshops and sheds in the Service Yard is progressing steadily, and the buildings that for so long have answered a useful purpose will soon be a matter of ancient history. The Pelican House for birds is rapidly nearing com- pletion, and work upon other structures will soon be in progress. An Agressive Giraffe.—The giraffe is one of the mildest, most inoffensive animals, and the large placid eyes, so like the “gazelle-like eye” of which the Arabian poets write, are almost conclusive proof of its excessive timidity. But the giraffe does not lack courage nor aggressive- ness in defending himself. Not having horns of a dangerous character, he makes use of the SOCIETY BULLETIN. 917 best weapons available—the two fore feet. Backed by considerable weight, he is able to strike out forward with terrific force and great precision. The movements of the giraffe are awkward, but carry him over the ground so rapidly that he is close enough to strike before one is aware of it. A blow from either foot would be a very serious matter, and the keepers have had several narrow escapes from our large male specimen. The Chipmunk.—One of the most cheerful and active dwellers in the woods of the Park is the common chipmunk. Like the red squirrel he selects a suitable place for a home and ap- parently after he has determined upon the loca- tion resides there indefinitely. For many years one of these hard-working little rodents has dwelt under a boulder near the Beaver Pond. Almost any bright summer morning he may be seen perched on the top of his home-site bask- ing in the warm sun. His labor in securing food for the long winter is limitless, and in pursuit of his task he radiates in all directions from the home base. When the wild cherry is fruitful, he seurries about under the trees stuffing his cheek pouches almost to the burst- ing point; making countless trips from the harvest to the storehouse. How much food is required to carry him through the season when supplies cannot be obtained, is beyond compre- hension, but the energy with which he pursues his task would indicate that the amount stored must be enormous. Considering the chipmunk’s energy and the fact that he is only a trifle smaller than the red squirrel, some idea of the storing capacity of the chipmunk may be gained by the fact that in a tree which was cut down in the Park was found a squirrel’s nest that con- tained at least two pecks of hickory nuts. This comparison is based upon the respective work- ing ability of the two rodents. Friendly Tortoises.—It is a matter of wonder to observe the attitude of the giant tortoises toward visitors. Like many of the other ani- mals they have learned to beg for food, and the most astonishing part is the kinds of food they will take. It is not strange that the monkeys, deer, elephants, and even ducks, geese and pea- cocks accept peanuts or candy, but it is de- cidedly humorous when a great lumbering tor- toise painfully struggles to the top of the wire fence with his fore flippers and willingly eats ham sandwiches or pie, and moreover devours the food with decided relish. RK. R. S. ZOOLOGICAL TETY BULLETIN. GENERAL INFORMATION MEMBERSHIP IN THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY Membership in the Zoological Society is open to all interested in the objects of the organi- zation, who desire to contribute toward its support. The cost of Annual Membership is $10 per year, which entitles the holder to admission to the Zoological Park on all pay days, when he may see the collections to the best advantage. Members are entitled to the Annual Reports, bi-monthly Bulletins, Zoologica, privileges of the Administration Building, all lectures and special exhibitions, and ten complimentary tickets to the Zoological Park for distribution. Any Annual Member may become a Life Member by the payment of $200. A subscriber of $1,000 becomes a Patron; $2,500, an Associate Founder; $5,000, a Founder; $10,000, a Founder in Perpetuity, and $25,000, a Benefactor. Applications for membership may be handed to the Chief Clerk, in the Zoological Park, Dr. C. H. Townsend, N. Y. Aquarium, Battery Park, New York City, or forwarded to the Gen- eral Secretary, No. 11 Wall Street, New York City. ZOOLOGICAL PARK The Zoological Park is open every day in the year, free. except Monday and Thursday of each week, when admission is charged. Should either of these days fall on a holiday no admis- sion fee is charged. From May 1 to November: 1, the opening and closing hours are from 9 o'clock A. M. until one-half hour before sunset. From November 1 to May 1, the opening and closing hours are from 10 o'clock A. M. until one-half hour before sunset. NEW YORK AQUARIUM The Aquarium is open every day in the year: April 15 to October 15, from 9 o'clock A. M. to 5 o'clock P. M.; October 16 to April 14, from 10 o'clock A. M. to 4. 0’clock P: M. No admission is charged. PUBLICATIONS The publications of the Society are for sale at the prices affixed below. Address H. R. Mitchell, Chief Clerk, New York Zoological Park. First Annals Report sey op i-ie. wesvs Paper $ 40 | The Origin and Relationship of the Second = “ ....Paper $ .75 Cloth 1.00 | Large Mammals of North America Third ae eee AO ~ 60 GRAD Re tn ers esate erties ate ashe Cloth $ .75 Fourth Se A Ree: A0 Hs 60 | Zoologica Vol. I. Nos. 1-7 inc. (Beebe), the Set 1.30 Fifth x en Wee Pogo ve) NG 1.00 | Zoologica Vol. I. No. 8. The Northern Sixth ‘ “Soe ee 75 a 1.00.| Elephant Seal (Townsend) ......... 25 Seventh oy ed ae ra 1.00 y 1.25 Zoologica Vol. I. No. 9. Diseases of Pri- Eighth e3 - ilgee, ra a 1.00 = ADs GMALeS: (NAIL) eck ete ese totes wate AS Ninth 4 BO Bey Se 1.25 a 1.50 | Zoologica Vol. I. No. 10. New Blood Tenth © ee ies Sank 1.25 = LOD eta Pheacduts WCbeebe) yeuiple rit neeerivcc tials 15 Eleventh “ “ws... “ 1.00 “ 1.25 | The Cultivation of Fishes in Ponds Twelfth sa ge te ee 1.00 3 1.25 (Rownsend)) 2.1.) 0h eg case eee ewe erace 20 Thirteenth “ os Tain eh he See ie 1.25 | Chameleons of the Sea (Instantaneous Fourteenth “ “... “ 1.00 “ 1.25 | Color Changes in Fishes) (Townsend) 5 Fifteenth Poe dleresy, | oe LOO 2) 1.25 | Sea-Shore Life: (Mayer)... bes te Cloth 1.20 Sixteenth =“ ae eae 1,00 r 1.25 | Guide Book: New York Zoological Park 25 Notes on Mountain Sheep of North | (EVO AT Es Eh ane uien | BoIe Cie, N cee rae By Mail .35 America (Hornaday) ............... Paper AO | The National Collection of Heads and Destruction of Our Birds and Mammals Horns (Hornaday). Large quarto. CEIOTNAUBY ) cornet nantes geen ve és 15}. « ‘Parts Land 2.5.00... e es Paper, Each 1.00 Ghe Carnvor-(Graue) seed a.t. > ae aetel- ee s 40: aalleting Nos. ile and rOn ewe oakta.s iar wee ate Out of Print by Ke Sel Pye Makai tase ovary 38 Cloth .60 | Bulletins—bi-monthly........... Yearly by Mail 1.00 Souvenir Books and Post Cards of the Zoological Park may be obtained by writing the Chief Clerk, New York Zoological Park, New York City. Publications and Post Cards of the Aquarium may be obtained by writing Dr. C. H. Town- send, Director, Battery Park, New York City. Vor. XVI. No. 54 Ni, NOVEMBER, 1912 a “ “i PULA ‘ZOOLOGICAL - SOCIETY {<:.0.h2| BULLETIN ill it r Published by i THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY | " | i ill 7 ‘cm MUU MMM TUONO i | va PANNA HT ACSA TTB LAAT AER TUT ETT AUST TT [TATE LEPTIN FO TION ee Pee COCT PY COMO CUOSOQOOPA OD OV COO CUO LULU RAOUL COTTA ATP POO OPOOLLL OTOL A CONDETOOODYOONOOOORE SOU QREC CSTs COTS OTS LTT TOOT TALEO LEDUC ORCC CTT TO TOT sr ie ARTHUR FREUND- 3912 Officers of the New York Zoological Soriety President Henry Fairrietp Osporn. First Wice-President SamureLt THoRNE. Second Wice-President Joun IL. Capwaaprer. Secretary Mapison Grant, 11 Wall Street. Treasurer Prrcy R. Pyne, 30 Pine Street. The Mayor of the City of New York. F. Aucusrus ScueERMERHORN, Prrcy R. Pyne, Gerorce B. GrinNELL, Grorce C. Ciark, Henry Famrimetp Osrorn, Wiriiam C. Crurcn, LisPENARD STEWART, H. Casimir pe Ruam, Lrvi P. Morton; ANDREW CARNEGIE, Joun L. CapwaLaper, Mapison GRANT, Percy R. Pyne, Witriam Wuirtr NIes, Samuet TrorNe, Board of Managers Ea Officio Class of 1913 CieveLanp H. Doper, C. Lepyarp Brair, Freperick G. Bourne, W. Austin Wapbsworrtn, Class of 1914 Hueu D. AucuiNncuoss, Cuartes F. Dinrericu, James J. Hitt, Grorcr IF. Baker, Class of 1915 Wiriiam Wuitr Nixes, Samue. TrrorNE, Henry A. C. Taytor, Frank K. Srureis, Executive Committee Mapison Grant, Chairman. Wm. Pirrson Hamirron, Henry Farrrietp Ossorn, Ea Officio. General Officers Levi P. Morton, The Prusipent of the Department of Parks. Emerson McMiruin, Antuony R. Kusmr, Warson B. DickrerMAn, Mortimer L. Scurr. Grant B. Scurry, Wm. Pirrson Haminton, Rogert S. Brewster, Enwarp S. Harkness. Grorce J. GouLp, Ocepen Mitts, Lewis Rururrrurp Morris. Lisprnarp STEWART, Franx K. Srurais, WittuM T. Hornapay, Director of the Park. Cuaries H. Townsenn, Director of the Aquarium. La Farce & Morris, Architects. H. De B. Parsons, Consulting Engineer. Officers of the Zoological Park Witrtiam T. Hornapay, Director. H: W. Merxet, W. Reip Brarr, Grorce A. Dorn. H. R. Mirenert, Raymonp L. Drrmars, C. Wiri1am Breese, Exwin R. Sanporn, L. S. CRANDALL, G. M. BerrBower, @fficers of the Aquarium Cuartes H. Townsenp, Director. Raymonp C. Osspurn, Assistant. Wasuineton I. DeNysz, Rogert Surcwirre. : PEL LOO OG Ale CAC SOC Lb bilo SB USE Ban AQUARIUM NUMBER CONTENTS FOR NOVEMBER Prepared and Edited by Dr. Raymonp C. OsspurN PAGE ORANG BIE E RISERS Ree ea cae oh hacia co eee ee Oe Eee Frontispiece Llisiae (Crea Gren? og A AOS 8 ote cid arc cet cho B cE ke Ce Renre Sonchen a eRe eee dh raeeatone 921 ANT TICAR, [Rian ipo teKOOIuOL A A-cnalolp. bisa sis ic-d-s AUD pews Glee emed dla 5 Ren eae AOS) SEPM CIRSTO Re biISreSrINi cha WORLD Meh. sree cacciticeiccen o araeiiea sine an cise ciome 928 (OVINE) Bee cree PES Mr oe he SAIL Se eect Eo OAC a Tes 928 Nawal Vie MIR RSs Orders Naren ecyehe ees ee oad to Gass wie Se ar mabye (O29 IMs (Ceimony lon Lusi Gusas, WICKING) Slonbolosnaegedino dea cesdo uso. 929 Hisense Ware ODUGH IENvING = VOUNG tae cicii nickle dace aot tae 930 ABWAGHIDIOUSHO PIDER= CRAB WA bel rert nicici ene eke ie aie Gia enna setaonsl eres ee 931 SWORD RISE ING MENT USILRIVe Heeacae ira incre nai te oc isaac tee ae MC eer nial ccs, he 931 Jiisqord Bie (Sree rap nO AEN els ares oy creep ONO a RCRA nen oe AE yess oe nS en 932 Our reack- SLOTTED MER OULienstR te Meson iste tei nies HER bee bhai one 932 ‘lisa (Op as eho 18s Gosh ECS ec diam ccc alo b SEAS. Goa PRON on eohoS GO Der OrCrS 933 PN GORO LATIN TIN | OAN OF. ance Say eROr ono apo oR O IED ER POU Ee ORING ror Oa Pech OR eat ead eect ae ee O34 WOIUVOOV MHOA MAN GHG NI SAHSIATAIIA TON VUO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN Published by the New York Zoological Society VoL. XVI NOVEMBER 1912 NuMBER 54 THE CRAYFISH are better known to the casual observer and few have been the subject of more study by naturalists and scientists than the cray- fishes. These are popularly known by a variety of names such as crawfish, crawdad, cray, lob- ster, crab, ete. The origin of the word “cray- fish” is interesting as an illustration of the changes which words sometimes undergo during the evolution of languages. Apparently from the Old High German word “Krebis” there have been derived the modern German word “Krebs,” the Old French “crevice” from which has come the modern French “ecrevisse,’ and the Old English “‘crevis’ or “creves,’ which has been corrupted into “crayfish” and still further into “crawfish.” Every country lad knows where and how crayfishes may be found, and is quite familiar with their propensity for stealing bait when he is fishing for the far more desirable suckers, catfish and shiners; and what barefooted urchin in the country does not possess among his treas- ures at least a few crab’s-eyes or lucky-stones, as the calcareous concretions formed within the thorax are called? Though harmless enough, they are usually greatly feared by the small boys and girls who love to wade barefooted in the shallow streams and ponds. The bass fisher- man fully appreciates the value of the soft- shelled stage as a tempting lure for the wily game. Nie of the inhabitants of fresh water Popular writers have, for the most part, over- looked the possibilities of the crayfish and refer- ences to this interesting animal outside of scien- tific literature are rare indeed. James Whitcomb Riley, who has been able to see something of poetic charm in many of the humble creatures of the woods and streams, evidently considers the crayfish as occupying the lowest limit of exist- ence, for he pictures a treetoad utterly disgusted with the long and continued drought, which “Jest backed down in a crawfish hole Weary at hart and sick at sole.” Alfred Henry Lewis’s “Crawfish Jim,” though harmless, is not a particularly attractive charac- ter. Even the English language takes a fling at the little crustacean on account of his mode of backing out of difficulties, and “crawfishing” is widely and slightingly applied to this method of the human species in escaping from an un- pleasant situation. Various scientific monographs have been writ- ten on the structure, habits, distribution and relationship of the crayfishes, while their use as a laboratory type for the purpose of illustrating the crustacea has become a matter of course in the colleges and secondary schools of Europe and America. Yet in spite of all that has been written by the scientists, the natural history of the crayfish is but little known to the general reader, and it is commonly regarded as a use- less and uninteresting animal, which may occa- CRAYFISH, DORSAL SIDE The abdomen is turned under as at the end of a swimming stroke. sionally serve for bait or to furnish amusement for the youngsters, and which sometimes makes a nuisance of itself by burrowing into dams and levees, allowing the water to seep out. Even the fact that the crayfish has a very considerable food value is known to but a small percentage of Americans. The crayfishes are all edible and are eaten in many parts of the world, and only the small size of most of the species has prevented them from being any less popular than the lobster as an article of diet. The large muscles of the abdomen, similar to those of the lobster, are the most valuable parts. Many a country boy has discovered that a luscious tidbit may be obtained by removing the big muscle and toasting it on a stick before his campfire. In Europe they are commonly used, and in some places are cultivated for market. The special report on the fisheries of the United States contained in the last report of the Bureau of the Census, states that in the year 1908 the total catch of crayfish in this country was 666,000 pounds, netting the fisherman $34.,- 000—a little over five cents a pound. The states chiefly interested in this industry at that time were Louisiana, 88,000 Ibs.; Oregon, 178,000 lbs., and Wisconsin, 348,000 Ibs. But the Ore- ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. gon crayfish (of the genus Astacus) are larger than the eastern species (of the genus Camba- rus) and so command a higher price. Perhaps the absence of lobsters from the Pacific coast may have been a contributing factor, but at any rate the Oregon catch was valued at $14,000, while the Wisconsin catch, though nearly twice as large, was valued at the same figure. While crayfishes may be taken by lines, nets and seines, the chief method of capture is the trap or pot, and, according to the census estimate, 606,000 pounds of the total were taken in this manner. In New York City the demand for crayfishes is confined almost entirely to the foreign popula- tion, who have learned abroad to appreciate the delicacy of this aquatic food. Yet a very con- siderable quantity is consumed here, and ship- ments are received from numerous sources. Dr. E. A. Andrews* is responsible for the state- ment that one-half million crayfishes are shipped to New York annually from a very limited re- gion on the Potomac River. The crayfishes belong to the decapod, or ten- footed crustacea, and are thus closely related to the marine lobster and prawn. They constitute a separate family, the Astacidae, which is rep- resented in every continent (Africa excepted) and in many of the larger islands of the world. This family is divided into two sub-families: the Astacinae and the Parastacinae, limited respec- tively to the northern and southern hemispheres, with the exception that the genus Parastacus of South America ranges northward into Mexico. For some unknown reason, the crayfishes have been unable to adapt themselves well to the con- ditions of life in the tropics, and but few species are found outside of the temperate zones. Quite a number occur in Mexico, especially in the highlands where temperate conditions obtain. The Astacinae contain three genera whose dis- tribution is very interesting and the reasons for which are not fully understood. The species of Astacus occupy Europe and western Asia and the Pacific slope of North America, while the genus Cambarus is limited to North America east of the Rocky Mountains, and the closely re- lated Cambaroides to eastern Asia. Thus each group, Astacus, and Cambarus plus Camba- roides, is divided into two widely separated fields, between which occurs a division of the other group. There is no overlapping of the groups to indicate that they have occupied the same region at the same time. The absence of crayfish from Africa is especially interesting in view of the fact that they occur in Madagascar. This, however, is in accord with the distribu- *The Future of the Crayfish Industry. Science, new series, vol. XXIII, pp. 983-6. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY tion of certain other Madagascar animals, for example, the true lemurs, which flourish on this and other islands of the Indian Ocean, but not on the mainland. The first important work on the North American crayfishes was that of Hagen* in 1871. Since that time Faxon and Ortmann have added greatly to our knowledge of the group. Hayy lists eighty-four species, only five of which belong to the genus Astacus, found west of the Rocky Mountains. The remaining seventy-nine belong to Cambarus, found east of the Rockies. Nine species, plus three varieties, were listed for Mexico, Central America and the West In- dies. More recently several additional species have been described. Ortmannz has divided the crayfishes of North America according to their habits into three groups: I, river species; II, mountain stream species, and III, burrowing species. While no sharp distinction can be made between these groups, it is true that many species are confined entirely to larger streams and lakes, others are never found except in small cold streams and springs, while others are entirely burrowing in habit. The burrowing species are often found at considerable distance from any open water, in lowlands where they can have water the year round by digging holes, which, in extreme cases, extend to a depth of three or four feet. Some species, known as chimney builders, deposit the earth brought up in constructing the burrow in a ring of pellets around the opening, sometimes extending to a height of ten to twelve inches and a diameter of twelve to eighteen inches, though usually the piles are much smaller. Ac- cording to Ortmann (1. ¢., p. 42) there is no evi- dent purpose in constructing circular mounds. The crayfish simply adopts the easiest way of getting rid of the dirt removed from the burrow. Each hole contains only one individual, except during the time the young remain with the mother and also at the mating season, when a pair may occupy the same burrow. The holes are often found sealed up by pellets of earth placed at or near the mouth, and this is espe- cially true in winter when they may remain sealed for three or four months. Crayfishes are all more or less nocturnal in habit, though some of the species of the larger streams and ponds wander about a good deal during the day and are not at all averse to tak- *Memoirs of the Museum of Comparative Zoology of Harvard College, IT, No. 1. +Synopsis of the Astacidae of North American Naturalist, December, 1899. +Crayfishes of Pennsylvania. Memoirs of the Car- negie Museum of Pittsburgh, vol. II, No. X, 1906. America. BULLETIN. 92 eo FEMALE CRAYFISH Under side showing abdominal legs or swimmerets. The last two pairs of walking legs end in spikes, the others have pincers for holding the food. ing food in the daytime. Other species confine their activities to the night and lie hidden away under stones or in burrows the rest of the time. Four species found in the United States are blind and inhabit caves. The best known of these is Cambarus pellucidus (Tellkampf) of Mammoth Cave, Wyandotte Cave and other caverns of Kentucky and Indiana. The eyes of crayfishes are compound (7. e., composed of numerous facets) like those of insects and other crustaceans. The facets are arranged in a hemispherical form on the end of the movable eye-stallk, but in blind species the facets are wanting. The crayfish can walk in any direction, back- ward, forward or sideways, by means of the thoracic legs, though progress by this means is slow. Especially is this true on land, where, not having the buoyancy they possess in the water, they drag themselves along in a laborious fash- ion. In swimming the crayfish uses his abdo- ment after the same manner as the lobster, and a quick movement of the tail will send him dart- ing backward through the water for some dis- tance. When cornered he will defend himself vigorously with the large pincers, but he usually 924 considers discretion the better part of valor, and escapes if opportunity offers. The method of swimming has two advantages: he presents his large fighting claws to his enemy while fleeing, and when cover is reached he can enter it back- ward without stopping to turn around and blocks pursuit with his claws. In fighting he possesses some of the qualities of the bulldog, and doesn’t always know when to let go. If a stick is poked at him, he may attack it with such vigor that he can be drawn from his retreat, or even out of the water before it occurs to him that he can release his hold. The species which live on a muddy bottom would seem to have taken a lesson from the Hebrew exodus, and learned to cover their retreat by a pillar of cloud. In this case, however, the cloud consists of mud which is stirred up to such an extent by striking the tail on the bottom that their where- abouts is effectively obscured. When, after a few minutes the mud is settled, the crayfish may be seen half buried under it, his colors com- pletely obscured by it, and his slowly moving antenne and watchful eyes the most conspicu- ous parts observed. In New England crayfishes are not common, and only one species (C. bartonii) has been re- ported. West of the Adirondacks and Catskills they become very abundant, and this is espe- cially true of streams having their source in the Alleghenies and in the great central basin of the United States. No less than twenty-five species and varieties inhabit the Ohio River basin, which is perhaps the richest area in the world in species of crayfishes. Species are numerous in the South Atlantic and Gulf States, and also in the region of the Ozark Mountains west of the Mississippi. In the number of individuals these regions are no less rich than in number of species. A single haul of a fine-meshed seine will often yield hundreds of them. In the writer’s ex- perience in collecting fishes in Ohio, the cray- fishes were frequently so abundant as to ma- terially impede the progress of the work. A half-bushel of crayfish would often have to be looked over and the smaller fishes separated from the clawing and snapping mass, and when recovered, were often found injured by the large pincers of their armored fellow captives. Thus far only a single species has been re- ported in the region about New York City*. This is the widely distributed Cambarus bartoni (Fabricius), which occurs in eastern Canada and eastern United States south to North Caro- lina and west to Indiana, and which is the only *Paulmier. Higher Crustacea of New York State, Bull. 91, New York State Museum, 1905. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. species reported from New England. Recently the New York Aquarium has obtained an abun- dance of specimens of another species, C. limosus (Rafinesque), from Central Park Lake, New York City, and Prospect Park Lake, Brooklyn. This species has not hitherto been known outside of the Delaware, Potomac and Susquehannah river drainages, except for one locality, Redbank, New Jersey, in the New York Bay drainage (see Ortmann’s “Crayfishes of Pennsylvania’’). Its appearance in the park lakes of New York City thus extends its range considerably. Dr. Ortmann has called my attention in a recent letter to the fact that this species has been in- troduced into a lake at East Hampton, Con- necticut, and also that it has been naturalized, locally, in Germany. Cambarus limosus is essentially a lowland species of the rivers and ponds, while of C. bartoni, Ortmann (1. ¢., p- 447) says “Ecologically this species is a form of the rapid and cool waters of the uplands and mountains, living preferably in small streams and even in springs,” Cambarus limosus is now abundant in the arti- ficial lakes of New York City. On seining trips to these lakes, made by employees of the Aquarium for the purpose of obtaining fishes, they have been taken readily, sometimes a couple of dozen or more at a haul. Whether they occur in the lowland streams of the vicinity has not been determined. Neither is it known whether their appearance here is of recent date, or whether they have merely been overlooked. At any rate, there are no records of occurrence in this vicinity, and the study of the specimens in the local museums reveals only very recent captures from these same lakes. As to the possibility of recent distribution to the eastward from the Delaware River system, it would seem that this may have been facilitated by means of the Raritan Canal. In this case their appearnace in Central Park Lake would have necessitated the species distributing itself across the brackish waters of New York Bay or the lower Hudson River, and to get to Prospect Park Lake the East River would also have to be crossed. No crayfishes are found in salt water, however, and this fact would seem to be opposed to such a distribution. Experiments have been made at the New York Aquarium to test the resistance of this species to the harbor water, and it has been found that in brackish water having a specific gravity of 1.14 degrees they will live for many days. If investigation should prove that the species has distributed itself commonly in eastern New Jersey, the hypothesis that they have gained access to the park lakes through the brackish water of the ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 925 NORMAL AND PALE PHASES OF Cambarus limosus The pale form is really much lighter than it appears in the cut, being nearly white. lower Hudson would gain considerable support. There is a possibility that they may have been distributed accidentally among water plants, or that they have been purposely carried by some one. At any rate there is no question but that they have permanently adapted themselves to the local waters. Our two local species of crayfishes may be readily distinguished as follows: Cambarus limo- sus has a strong spine on either side of the ros- trum, or pointed projection between the eyes, while C. bartoni has no marginal spine on the rostrum. In C. limosus there is a patch of spines on either side of the carapace in the region of the cervical, or neck, groove, while in C. bartoni this region is only slightly granulated. There are various other well-marked differences in structure, form and color of the body, and espe- cially in the appendages. Photograph by R. C. Osburn. A distinct color variation not hitherto noticed in the species has appeared in C. limosus from this vicinity. Faxon* and Ortmann (I. ¢., pp- 355-6) have carefully described the colors as usually found, which briefly stated are: Chief color olivaceous with large blotches of dark green; under parts pale. Each segment of the abdomen is marked above by paired brown (burnt sienna) spots and there is a brown spot on each side below the eye. The tips of the big pincers are ferruginous and behind this is a ring of dark green or nearly black. The color variety is not a case of albinism, for the eyes appear to be as fully pigmented as in the typical form, but there is an almost total suppression of the normal body coloration. The ground color is almost white, but it is tinged “Revision of the Astacidae, Memoirs of the Museum of Harvard College, vol. X, p. 88. 926 CRAYFISH In the water the crayfish balances himself easily on the walking legs Photograph by R. C. Osburn with pale bluish on the upper part of the thorax and abdomen and on the legs. There is no indi- cation anywhere of the dark green or blackish pigment, and the only red to be observed is a faint tinge of this color in the region where the abdominal spots occur in the normal form. No structural differences have been observed. Cases of partial albinism or suppressed de- velopment of color have been noted occasionally in various species of animals. Of the crayfish Dr. Ortmann writes thus in reply to a recent let- ter: “The pale blue color-variety is very re- markable indeed. Bluish specimens, as a color- variety, have been described in European spe- cies of Potamobius (Astacus), but have always been regarded as extraordinary cases. I have occasionally observed slate-blue specimens in Cambarus bartoni, but always single individuals only. I have received specimens of a whitish variety of C. virilis from Sandy Lake, Peter- boro County, Ontario, Canada, a lake remark- able for its limestone deposits, but here they are all said to be of this color.” More than two dozen specimens of this pale phase of C. limosus, of both sexes, have been taken at different times in Prospect Park Lake, Brooklyn, during the past two summers, among about two hundred of the ordinary color phase— no exact counts were made. What may be the cause of the suppression of the ordinary colors in this and similar cases of partial albinism is not known. Whether it is due to some congenital variation (mutation or saltation), which would then be hereditary, or ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. whether it is due to some physiological condi- tion developed during the life of the individual is unknown, and could only be determined by breeding experiments. From the number of specimens and from the fact that they were taken living with the ordinary variety, it seems probable that the difference is congenital and due to the suppression of a color-developing fac- tor. ‘This assumption is further borne out by the fact that color is not entirely absent, but merely suppressed in large part. The reproduction of the crayfish is very in- teresting and has been the subject of much study in this country, especially by Professor EK. A. Andrews,* of Johns Hopkins University. It has long been known that the crayfishes have no larval surface-swimming stages as do their marine relatives, the lobsters and prawns. As early as 1755 von Rosenhof noticed that the young of the European crayfish are similar to the mother and that they remain with her for a time after hatching. Rathke in 1829 showed that the young emerges from the egg in essen- tially the adult form and so has no metamor- phosis. Later, however, Huxley (1879) proved that the young before the first moult are not ex- actly similar to the adult, but differ in the lack of setae, or bristles, and in the form of the first and sixth abdominal appendages. Thus it will be seen that there is only a slight degree of metamorphosis and of a different sort from that seen in the marine crustacea. The reason for the elimination of the free- swimming stages is probably to be found in their adaptation to a special habitat. If a surface- swimming stage were present, as in the lobster, A FEMALE CRAYFISH Showing method of carrying the eggs. Photograph by R. C, Osburn, the young of the mountain stream species might be carried into the larger streams, while those of the inhabitants of the lowland streams might even be carried out to sea at this period. The eggs of the crayfishes are regularly laid in the early spring and the time of laying for *“The Young of the Crayfish, Astacus and Cam- barus. Smithsonian Contributions to Knowledge, vol. XXX, pp. 1-79, plates I-X. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY any species may extend over a considerable period—in Cambarus bartoni, for example, from March 15th to May 15th. Chidester* has ob- served that in C. bartoni var. bartoni there is also an autumnal spawning season beginning with the latter part of September and extending through October and November. Although Chi- dester does not discuss the matter, this probably does not mean that two broods are produced in a season, but that some of the females mature their eggs in the spring and others in the fall. Andrewsy has carefully studied the reproduc- tion of Cambarus affinis. ‘Three hundred to six hundred eggs, of a diameter of about one and one-half millimeters, are produced. These, as in the lobster, become attached to the under side of the abdomen, especially on the swimmerets, by adhesive portions of the egg envelopes. The eggs are laid in April and May and hatch in a few weeks, the time apparently depending on the temperature of the water. When first hatched each young crayfish is at- tached by the telson thread, a string of cuticle fastened at one end to the telson or last ab- dominal segment and at the other to the now empty egg membrane. In this condition they remain for two days, when they moult and pass from the first stage to the second. In the second stage also the young are inactive and re- main with the mother, but the telson thread is lost and they remain attached by grasping the old egg cases and the abdominal setae with their pincers. During this time they eat nothing and the yolk sae is gradually absorbed. After six days in this condition the skin is again moulted and the young emerge in the third stage. By this time they have taken on the form of the adult, except that the proportions are somewhat different. The third stage marks the beginning of active life, and, while the young remain with the parent more or less closely for a week or so, they gradually wander away and begin an independ- ent existence. By fall the young ordinarily reach a length of about two inches and are sexu- ally mature, and the first pairing takes place in October or November of the first year. After this there are no more moults and con- sequently no growth until the young have been produced in the following spring. How long crayfishes live has been ascertained for only a few species. Andrews found no specimens of Cambarus limosus living after the third summer, and Ortmann states that, except in occasional individuals, three years constitutes *American Naturalist, May, 1912. +Smithsonian Contributions to XXXV, 1907. Knowledge, vol. BULLETIN. 927 the life period of C. obscurus. The European crayfish Astacus fluviatilis, has been known to live six years. Size is dependent largely upon the species. Some of our smaller species do not attain a greater length than a couple of inches. C. limosus reaches a maximum of about four inches, while the European Astacus fluviatilis grows to nearly eight inches. ‘The largest species known is Astacopsis franklinii, found in small streams of Tasmania, which reaches a weight of eight or nine pounds and is thus about equal in size to the European lobster. The crayfish has many natural enemies. Per- haps the most destructive are various species of fishes, the larger salamanders, such as the mud- puppy (Necturus) and hellbender (Crypto- branchus) and water-snakes. No doubt the semi-aquatic mammals take their toll and the raccoon is said to be particularly fond of them. Many aquatic birds feed upon them. They are parasitized by leeches, copepod crustaceans and worms. The shells are often overgrown with diatoms and algae, and those from our park lakes are often covered with a profuse growth of a large colonial protozoan (Epistylus). It is doubtful if these do any particular harm, ex- cept, perhaps, to impede the progress of the crayfish when the growth is abundant. Fur- thermore, all crayfishes are given to cannibalism to some extent, and not only are young devoured by the adults, but full-grown specimens, when shedding, may be attacked and devoured before the new shell has had time to harden enough to serve for a protection. CRAYFISH COVERED WITH PROTOZOANS Photograph by R. C. Osburn. One-half natural size. 928 ZOOLOGICAL ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. Departments: Mammal Reptile W. T. HORNADAY- RAYMOND L. DITMARS. Aquarium Bird C. H. TOWNSEND. C. WILLIAM BEEBE. RAYMOND C. OSBURN. LEE S. CRANDALL. Published Bi-Monthly at the Office of the Society, 11 Wall Street, New York City. Yearly, by Mail, $1.00. MAILED FREE TO MEMBERS. Copyright, 1912, by the New York Zoological Society. Each author is responsible for the scientific accuracy and the proof reading of his contribution. ELWIn R. SANBORN, Editor. Vou. XVI. No. 54 NOVEMBER, 1912 Minute adopted by the Executive Committee of the New York Zoological Society, held on Tuesday, the eighth of October, One thousand nine hundred and twelve. Resolved, ‘That the Executive Committee learn with deep regret of the death of Mr. Hugh J. Chisholm, a member of the Board of Managers since 1900. From the time of the early development of the New York Zoological Park, when interest and support were most needed, Mr. Chisholm always displayed the keenest interest in the great undertaking and readiness to assist in its development in every way. He attended all the meetings of the Board, and always expressed great pleasure in the progress of the work. His generosity and good-will were a source of strength to the Executive Committee, and it is with a sincere sense of loss that this entry is made upon the minutes. AMERICAN FISHERIES SOCIETY The annual meeting of this society was held in Denver, occupying three days, from Septem- ber 3d to 5th, inclusive, Mr. S. F. Fullerton, of St. Paul, Minn., presiding. Fifty-three mem- bers were present, a good attendance considering that a majority of the membership reside in the eastern states. The following papers, embracing many fields of fisheries work, were read and discussed at the meeting: A Defense of the Humble Dogfish. By George Wm. Miles. Protection of the Undersized Fish. By G. H. Thomson. SOCIETY BULLETIN. The Black-Spotted Mountain Trout. The Whitefish. By C. H. Wilson. The Whitefish. By 'T. S. Palmer. Report on Progress of the Building of New Pond- fish Hatchery in Kansas. By L. L. Dyche. The Kansas Fish Law. By L. L. Dyche. Report on Oregon Fish and Game Laws. Cranston. The Catfish as a Host for Fresh-water Mussels. By A. D. Howard. The Oyster and Fish Industry of Louisiana. O. Hart. Some Suggestions Looking Toward the Enlargement in Scope and Membership of the American Fisheries Society. By H. Wheeler Perce. Pollution of Public Waters in Massachusetts. By G. W. Field. Demonstration of Free Pearls of Forced Production. By R. E. Coker. Grayling. By H. D. Dean. Preservation of Our Fish Ward. Recent Legislation on the Fur Seal Fishery. By C. H. ‘Townsend. Fishways for the Rank and File. By O. W. Buck. Federal Control oyer Fish in Boundary Waters. By H. Hinrichs. By S. E. Land. By C. K. By W. Fauna. By Henry B. The following officers were elected for the coming year: President, Dr. Charles H. Townsend, Director of the New York Aquarium. Vice-President, Prof. H. B. Illinois. Recording Secretary, Mr. Ward Bower, U. S. Bureau of Fisheries. Corresponding Secretary, Dr. Geo. W. Field, Massa- chusetts State Fish Commissioner. Treasurer, Mr. C. W. Willard, Westerly, R. I. Ward, University of The 1913 meeting will be held in Boston, but the exact date has not yet been determined. SPECIES OF FISHES IN THE WORLD Questions are frequently asked at the Aqua- rium concerning the number of species of fishes in this region, in North America and in the world. In any locality where the fishes have been well studied, it is an easy matter to answer suck a question. Thus, within fifty miles of New York City there have been taken two hundred and thirty-nine species, according to Mr. John T. Nichols, of the American Museum of Natural History, who has carefully collected the records of occurrences. Of course, this number may be increased slightly in coming years, especially by the capture of marine wanderers accidental to our fauna. The number of North American species can only be estimated somewhat roughly at present, for the reason that in many regions the fishes have not been studied with sufficient care. Jordan and ZOOLOGICAL Evermann, in their Report upon the Fishes of North and Middle America, list about three thousand five hundred species. Since the ap- pearance of this work a number of additional species have been described. How many fishes yet remained unknown, how many of those listed are pure synonyms or should be classed merely as variations, cannot be known until many more years of study have been given to the subject. Mr. W. W. Henshaw, Chief of the Biological Survey at Washington, has recently published an estimate of the probable number of species of vertebrated animals in the world (Science, Sept. 6, 1912, p. 317) as follows: Mammals yam: clere ciacis sie See ee 7,000 BID Sipeerse teres 5s roc ieis hele aysveieie ott Sipser 20,000 @rocodiles: andi turtles eee se oe cr oe 300 MOA ANS) sopse se cravatecrtcy sete 2 esata soenae ets 3,300 SEVER Ee treiitcarc Rib ees reer eerin ns eee em ae 2,400 ROSS AN LO ACS te arene ta. atepa ede te ser sistem Peaere 2,000 SHIEH GIS. v5 cioteado Donte aoe aoe 200 TBE. eo owrec Pcs Ga ee eae ae ene 12,000 PRO. baller Are .apeteie, act aynisic eich ne 47,200 As Mr. Henshaw points out, such estimates must necessarily be little more than guesswork, ex- cept, perhaps, in the birds and mammals which are better known than the other groups. In view of the fact that some three thousand five hundred fishes are listed for North American waters north of Panama, the total of twelve thousand for a world estimate appears rather small. To be sure, many species, especially of the ocean waters, are very widely distributed, and many undoubtedly yet remain to be placed in synonymy. Yet, when one considers the vast regions of the earth—central portions of South America, Africa and Asia, the islands of Oceanica and depths of the ocean, in all of which the fish fauna is very imperfectly known —it would seem that Mr. Henshaw’s estimate is, to say the least, a very conservative one. NEW MEMBERS June 6, 1912, to October 8, 1912 ANNUAL MEMBERS Mrs. C. C. Auchincloss, Mrs. H. K. Pomroy, Mrs. Alvin W. Krech, H. C. Koehler, Mrs. Frederick H. Eaton, Arthur B. Hunn, Mrs. Joseph Palmer Knapp,Sidney J. Jennings, Mrs. E. LeGrand Beers, James Timpson, Mrs. DeLancey Kane, Maunsell S. Crosby, Dr. J. H. O’Connell, M. M. Hansford, Mrs. Augusta Booth, Theodor A. Simon. Baroness R. de Graffenried. SOCIETY BULLETIN. 929 THE GARDEN POOL AND THE MOSQUITO T IS a matter of common knowledge that many species of small fishes have a fond- ness for the larvae of the mosquito as an article of diet. The result of this is that open streams and ponds where fishes thrive never produce large numbers of this irritating and often dangerous pest. Unfortunately for humanity the mosquitoes are not as particular where they live as fishes are, and will thrive in many places unfitted for fish life. Appar- ently no puddle of water is too small or too foul to breed mosquitoes, while fishes, even catfishes and carp, have their limits. Any temporary mud-hole holding water for a couple of weeks may yield a plentiful crop of mosquitoes, and even a tin can, before it has time to go dry after a heavy rain, may furnish enough to cause a household considerable worry. The rain barrel can be covered, the tin can emptied, the puddle drained or oiled, but what about the fountain and the lily pool, which, even in the heart of the city, is maintained for the beauty and interest, and apparently also for the mosquitoes it affords? The garden pool cannot be oiled like the stagnant marsh pool. To do so would destroy its beauty; to drain it dry enough to kill the mosquitoes would also mean the killing of the plant life contained in it. The one solution of the problem is the in- troduction of small fishes in sufficient numbers to destroy the wrigglers. Without question, the best fish for this pur- pose, all things considered, is the goldfish. The common variety of goldfish is hardy and well suited by centuries of cultivation for life in such pools. They are easily obtained from dealers in fish and aquarium supplies and will stand shipment in a small amount of water better than most any other ordinary fish—and “commons” are cheap. A few small specimens introduced into a pool will be sufficient to keep the mosqui- toes in check, for it has been shown by abundant evidence that the young goldfishes will select the wrigglers for food, even in the presence of various sorts of prepared fish foods. In the fall, when the water is turned off to drain the pool, the fish may be transferred to indoor aquariums, or they may be returned to the dealer and a new supply purchased the fol- lowing spring. The lily pond and fountain should not be permitted to become a nuisance to the household and the neighbors when the addi- tion of a few common goldfishes will not only remove the mosquito larvae before they trans- form, but will at the same time render the pool much more attractive. 930 ZOOLOGICAL SPINY DOGFISH Embryo still attached to the egg; reduced one half. Photograph by R. C. Osburn. FISHES THAT PRODUCE LIVING YOUNG Tite statement that some fishes bring forth their young alive is usually a startling one to the person who is not familiar with ichthyological lore. ‘The common sorts of fishes, it is true, lay their eggs either broadcast in the water or in various makeshifts for nests, and the fertilization takes place after the eggs are laid. But in a number of groups the eggs are retained until the young are developed, and it is of interest that these viviparous fishes are often not closely related, but belong to widely separated families. The development of the life-bearing function in such unrelated groups forms one of the best examples of parallel evolution. It is an equally interesting fact that most fishes that bear living young are closely related to others that reproduce in the usual manner; they are, therefore, individual species or genera which have adopted this mode of reproduction without undergoing a sufficient change in struc- tural characteristics to separate them from the parent stock. Thus the sharks, rays and killie- fishes have representatives of both classes. The surf-perches (Embiotocidae) of the Pacific Ocean represent a single family in which all the members are live-bearing. Among the sharks, the majority of the species are vivi- parous, but the Port Jackson and bullhead sharks lay large eggs with tough, horny shells. The majority of the rays or skates lay eggs with horny shells, but certain members, as the sea- bat or sea-devil (genus Manta) and the butter- fly ray (genus Pteroplatea) bring forth living young. Among the killie-fishes, the more com- mon genera (Fundulus and Zygonectes) lay SOCIETY BULLETIN. eggs, but in the genus Gambusia, etc., living young are produced. In the viviparous sharks and rays, the eggs are very large—as large as those laid by their oviparous relatives. The eggs contain sufficient nutriment, or nearly so, to bring the young to a proper condition for birth and but little nourishment is ordinarily derived from the mother. In the live-bearing bony fishes where the eggs are small, the young receive their nourishment, or a portion of it at least, from the maternal tissues. In the surf-perches, partic- ularly, as shown years ago by Professor Eigen- mann, the eggs are reduced in size to such an extent that they contain very little yolk, the nourishment in this case being derived from the membranes of the mother. The eggs of the Viviparous fishes are always comparatively few in number for very good reasons. First, since the young at birth are larger and more highly developed than those hatched in the ordinary way and so are better able to take care of them- selves, it has not been necessary to produce such a large number in order to continue the species. Second, a larger number of young would be too great a strain upon the vitality of the parent, which must be preserved if the young are to be produced in good condition. It is as though each type of fish possesses a certain amount of energy for reproduction, which, in the case of egg-laying fishes, can be devoted to the produc- tion of a large number of eggs, but which in the live-bearing fishes is devoted to the special nourishment and protection of a much smaller number, The common little shark, known as the dog- fish, produces several young at a time. These, when born, are about eight inches in length, while the adult fish reaches not more than three feet. It will thus be evident that the younger generation is well on its way to ma- turity at the time of birth and has passed most of the dangers that surround the ordinary type of fish during its hatching and growth periods. The surf-perches again seldom reach more than a foot in length, and bring forth a small number of young, which range in length ac- cording to the species from one and a half to two and a half inches, so these young are well on the way to maturity. Among the killie-fishes, the top-minnow (Gambusia affinis) of our southern Atlantic States bears a larger number of young, but these at birth are only about one-third of an inch, while the adult mother reaches a length of about two inches. According to a recent article in Science, by Dr. Hugh M. Smith, the average number of young in families produced in June ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY is one hundred, individual cases ranging from eighty-five to one hundred and thirty-four. Dr. Smith suggests that two broods are produced in a season, since the young are known to make their appearance both in spring and late summer. The second brood is much smaller in number, consisting of about two dozen, ranging, in the fish examined by him, from eighteen to thirty. The smaller fresh-water live-bearing fishes are easily kept and reproduce readily in cap- tivity. They are, therefore, much in demand by fish fanciers and are among the most interesting of the many species of aquarium fishes. A FASTIDIOUS SPIDER-CRAB LL young spider-crabs decorate the cara- ie and legs in the attempt to render themselves less conspicuous in their en- vironment (see the Burnitetin for November, 1911). The specimen figured in the accompany- ing cut exhibited rather unusual taste in the matter of color as well as in the selection of material. When brought into the Aquarium it was covered with scraps of seaweed. It was placed in a tank in which there were few weeds, but a great many small, orange-colored ane- mones (Sagartia leucolena) attached to peb- bles. Apparently perceiving that algae were no longer in style, the crab in a short time dis- carded them and proceeded to adorn himself with the anemones. The polyps seemed as well contented on the crab as they did on the stones, expanding and feeding as well as though it were their natural habitat. At the time the photo- graph was made, the crab, which was a trifle over an inch long, was carrying eleven anemones about with him. THE SWORDFISHING INDUSTRY CCORDING to the Fishing Gazette the swordfishing has been better the past summer than for many years. At Boston, where nearly all of the swordfish catch is landed and marketed, seven hundred and seven were brought in in one day, and on one other day six hundred and eighty-four of these big fishes were landed at T Wharf, the fishing dock. One schooner brought in two pradeed iad two at one time. This is a profitable business when one considers that the average weight of the fish is about two hundred pounds, and that they bring usually from eight to eleven cents a pound. The total quantity Janded at Boston during the month of July, 1912, was 1,014,350 pounds, valued at $93,370, or a little over nine cents a pound. BULLETIN. 931 SPIDER-CRAB Decorated with sea-anemones ; slightly reduced. Photograph by R. C. ‘Osburn. The swordfish is the largest fish, except the great tuna, regularly taken for market. Indi- viduals weighing over four hundred pounds are rarely taken, but there is a record of one weigh- ing seven hundred and fifty pounds. They are occasionally taken on trawl lines, but the harpoon is the usual means of capture. They usually swim near the surface, above which the dorsal fin often projects. A sailor at the masthead keeps watch for these signs, and when a fish is sighted the fishing vessel ap- proaches until the harpooner on the “pulpit,” a small framework at the end of the bowsprit, is within striking distance. To the head of the harpoon is fastened a light rope with a keg made fast to the end to serve as a float. After the fish has tired himself out in his struggles to escape from the harpoon and the float, the fisherman approaches in a dory and finishes him with a lance. Not infrequently, however, the fish retaliates by attacking the boat with his sword. The strength of the in- furiated fish is such that the sword will easily pierce the bottom of a skiff, or even of a schooner, for that matter, as the records abun- dantly testify. I recall seeing a skiff which had been struck in such a manner that the sword went completely through the boat, piercing both sides. The favorite fishing grounds are the off-shore waters from Block Island to Cape Cod and northward, and it is no uncommon sight on pass- ing the region about No Man’s Land, off Mar- tha’s Vineyard, or the Nantucket Shoals, to see numbers of small fishing vessels, equipped for swordfishing, cruising Bone with a man at the masthead on the lookout for swordfish. The small schooners and sloops which engage in other fishing at other seasons of the year gener- ally carry swordfish tackle, and often when on other business are re ady for a try at the big fish. 932 ZOOLOGICAL THE BIG GROUPERS per or Jewfish (Promicrops guttatus) have lived remarkably well at the Aquarium, so it appeared probable that adults would do equally well. Consequently about a year ago a two-hundred-and-fifty-pound specimen was brought from Key West, Florida, as a gift from Mr. Danforth B. Ferguson. Up to that time this was the largest bony fish ever exhibited at the Aquarium, and the largest fish of any kind with the exception of an occasional large shark. On account of its size this specimen could not be accommodated in a wall tank with the other groupers, but was placed in the large center pool with the stur- geons, drumfishes and sand sharks. On April 13, 1912, six more large groupers, most of them considerably larger than the first, were brought from the same locality and placed in the same pool. One of these died on Sep- tember 8th, and though by no means the largest of the lot, it measured six feet three inches in length, and weighed, in a very emaciated con- dition, two hundred and thirty pounds. Though accustomed in their natural habitat to very pure sea-water of a high salinity, they have adapted themselves well to the harbor wa- ter supplied to the center pool, which has only half the salinity of pure sea-water and which is filthy beyond comparison with that of the Florida Keys. It is thus demonstrated beyond question that these giants among the finny tribes are hardy and adaptable in confinement, and we predict that they will become popular as aquarium ex- hibits in other institutions than our own. SS perct Je specimens of the Spotted Grou- OUR BLACK-SPOTTED TROUT HE trouts of western North America pre- sent an exceedingly difficult problem for the systematist, and authorities on the group are by no means agreed as to the status of many of the forms which have been variously regarded as species, varieties or merely local phases. The cut-throat or black-spotted trout, like most of its relatives, is extremely variable, and as its range is very great, extending from Alaska to California and from the head-waters of the Yellowstone to the Pacific, some widely different conditions or habitat are presented. It may be that some of these differences are due to direct effects of the environment, but prob- ably the modern students of heredity would re- SOCIETY BULLETIN. gard the species as one possessed of a great complex of characters, which, under geographi- cal isolation, have become segregated or sorted out in various ways to produce the variations in color, etc., which are observed. The trout of Yellowstone Lake and neigh- boring waters was originally described as a separate species, Salmo lenisi, in honor of Cap- tain Meriwether Lewis, the leader of the Lewis and Clark expedition. Later it was considered a variety of Salmo clarki, the cut-throat or black-spotted trout. All the tendency of recent years has been to merge it completely with clarki, and drop the varietal name. The manner in which the species has become distributed in the head-waters of the Yellow- stone from the Snake River by way of Two- Ocean Pass, has been interestingly described by Dr. B. W. Evermann. It appears that the cut- throat trout is the only species of fish inhabiting the waters of Yellowstone Lake. Certain other species have been introduced, but according to Messrs. ‘Thompson and Leach, of the United States Bureau of Fisheries Stations at the lake, none of those introduced are ever taken, so it is presumed that they have failed to adapt them- selves to these waters. Every summer the Aquarium receives eggs of the cut-throat trout through the kindness of the United States Bureau of Fisheries, and the past season the writer had the privilege of seeing the work of taking the eggs at the lake stations. The Yellowstone trout, like most lake-dwelling trout, run into the shallow waters to breed, and where possible ascend the small streams which empty into the lake. Often the way is barred by shallows in the streamlets, but, un- dismayed by difficulties that ordinarily they would not attempt, the fishes, prompted by the breeding instinct, attempt to pass over ripples so shallow that swimming is impossible, and progress must be made, if at all, by a series of flops and struggles over the uneven gravel and stones of the stream bed. The writer observed one such shallow, where, in perhaps the space of a square yard, about a dozen trout were at- tempting to pass by this method from one pool to the next higher. The water was so shallow that the fishes were more than half exposed to the air, and were compelled to lie on one side between struggles. Occasionally a fish would flop out upon the dry gravel. However, the large number of fishes in the pool above proved that many, if not all, that made the attempt had been successful. In some pools the fish were so numerous as to render the bottom scarcely visible, and to capture them to obtain eggs meant only dipping them out with a hand-net. ZOOLOGICAL The morning before my arrival at the lake, Mr. Thompson had taken three hundred thou- sand eggs. The Yellowstone trout yield on the average not more than one thousand eggs, so to secure the above number it had been necessary to strip at least three hundred females. After fertilization, the eggs, which are orange in color and about the size of small peas, are placed two or three layers deep in wooden trays with a wire screen bottom, and the trays are set In running water. The eggs when in this condition do not stand transportation as well as they do after the em- bryos have partially developed, so they are kept at the lake until they are eyed, that is, until the eyes af the developing embryos are visible as black specks in the eggs. In this condition they may be shipped, with proper care as to tem- perature and handling, to any part of the world. For transportation from the lake the trays are packed in ice in the shipping crates and hauled by express wagons sixty-five to seventy miles to the nearest railroad station at Gardiner, Mon- tana. From here they go by rail, usually to the United States Fisheries Stations at Bozeman, Montana, and Spearfish, South Dakota, for fur- ther hatching, or they may be shipped else- where. All that is required is that the eggs be kept moist and the temperature low. The eggs received at the New York Aquarium make, first, the long drive out of Yellowstone Park, then a twenty-five hundred mile trip by rail. On their arrival the trays are again placed in running water, maintained at a proper tem- perature, and the process of development, which has been delayed by the cold during the ship- ment, goes forward again to its completion. Up to the period when the young fishes are planted in streams and lakes to look after them- selves, the work of the fish culturist, the product of modern scientific methods, is far more certain of its results than is the work of the agriculturist or horticulturist. When our visitors view the black-spotted trout hatched and reared in the Aquarium, we beg that they will recall not merely the long journey, but also the scientific studies that have made possible such results. THE ORANGE FILEFISH NE of the most unique fishes of our fauna is the Orange Filefish (Alutera schoepfi), known also by a variety of local names, such as foolfish, leather-jacket, hambag-fish, old maid, living skeleton and sunfish. The name filefish is derived from the serrated character of the dorsal spine, which is somewhat like that SOCIETY BULLETIN. 933 JAWS OF ORANGE FILEFISH Jaws, fully opened, and teeth of Orange Filefish, enlarged about one-half. Photograph by R. C. Osburn. of the trigger-fishes, to which the species is closely related. The term foolfish was un- doubtedly applied on account of the peculiar facial expression, and the actions of the fish in swimming tend to strengthen the application. The color of the adult fish is usually a light orange overlaid with irregular brown blotches, but a great amount of variation is observed, and sometimes when the brown is wanting the fish has a startling resemblance to an animated omelet. The filefish, along with the trigger- fishes, has been cited as an example of warn- ing coloration, their striking hues being supposed to signal the fact that the flesh is poisonous. The scales are very small and covered with sharp prickles which give to the skin a texture not unlike the shagreen of the shark. In form the fish is very deep and extraordi- narily thin so that the prominent features of the skeleton are often observable externally, and the common name living skeleton is rather appro- priate. The upper part of the head is remark- ably retracted so that the eye is situated almost under the dorsal spine and above and posterior to the gill opening and the pectoral fin, while the latter is anterior to the hinder end of the very oblique gill opening. The lower jaw is protruded to such an extent that its teeth are directed strongly backward. The position of the small mouth is such that the fish must assume very unusual positions in feeding. In nature they find their food about piles, rocks and in similar situations, and they feed upon corals, hydroids, bryozoa, mollusks, crustacea, seaweed, etc., which they cut up by means of the sharp, incisor-like teeth. Only when the food is above them can they take it in a horizontal position; if it is in front of them they must turn obliquely downward, while if it 934 ZOOLOGICAL it is below them they must stand on their heads to secure it. In the Aquarium they may be even seen to turn partly over backward to pick food from the bottom. Mr. W. I. DeNyse, who has observed them feeding in nature, informs me that these positions are habitual with them. The teeth of the filefish are very peculiar, but well adapted to the function of cutting. In the lower jaw there is a single series of sharp-edged incisor-like teeth. These are opposed to a double row of teeth in the upper jaw which are so arranged that they present a single cutting edge. The lower jaw closes inside of the upper in such a way that an admirable pair of shears is formed, and the trenchant function is further increased by the serrated edge. The bones forming the bases of the fins are very strong, especially the anterior ones of the dorsal and anal series, which are remarkably enlarged. The pelvic fins are entirely wanting, but the pelvic girdle is modified to form a strong brace consisting of a single bone extending from between the jaws, where it is attached, the full length of the abdomen, to which it lends support and protection. The ribs are short and very strong and are broadened posteriorly to overlap, suggesting the uncinate processes of the ribs of birds. In the Aquarium the tail is used almost en- tirely as a rudder, and progress is made in an awkward-appearing fashion by means of scull- ing with the pectoral fins and by the undulatory motion of the dorsal and anal fins. These move- ments are reversed in swimming backward. When rapid progress is desirable the tail is used in the manner usual in fishes. While the orange filefish is known from the Gulf of Mexico to Cape Cod, and even as far north as Salem, Mass., it is naturally a fish of the warmer seas and is found in this region only during the warmer months. Whether they migrate southward, or are killed by the cold at the approach of winter, is not known. The young, three inches and over, are fairly com- mon along the coast of Long Island and south- ern New England every summer, especially in September, but the adults are more rare. A few adults are usually taken each season at Gravesend Bay and at Woods Hole, Mass., but occasionally several years will pass without the capture of a single specimen. The present season has been unusual in the appearance of large numbers of adults at Gravesend Bay; as many as seventy-five or eighty being taken at a single haul of a pound net. The filefish reaches a maximum length of two feet, but the largest taken in this region meas- ured about eighteen inches. They present a SOCIETY BULLETIN. rather bizarre appearance in the Aquarium, and their peculiar and awkward movements seem to have a greater attraction than usual for our visitors. While the adults live fairly well, con- siderable difficulty has been experienced in handling the young, and it has not been possible to keep them more than a few months. Probably the difficulty lies with the character of the food, although the diet has been varied as much as possible in the attempt to rear them to maturity. The filefishes have no economic importance for the scanty flesh is bitter and offensive to the taste, and it is not improbable that it is impreg- nated with a poisonous alkaloid. Such poisons are known to exist in the nearly related trigger- fishes, some of which are so noxious as to cause a severe disease, ciguatera, which not infrequently results fatally both to man and lower animals. COMMON SEA CATFISH AQUARIUM NOTES Tarpon.—A splendid mounted specimen of the tarpon has been presented to the Aquarium by Mr. H. Casimir de Rham, Member of the Board of Managers of the New York Zoological Society. The fish, which weighed one hundred and sixty-five pounds, was taken by Mr. de Rham with rod and line at Bahia Honda, Florida. Aiding Investigators.—During the past year the Aquarium has been able to aid biological re- search in a number of ways. Owing to lack of laboratory space and proper equipment but little such work ean be carried on within the walls of the Aquarium building. Mr. George G. Scott of the College of the City of New York, how- ever, has pursued certain investigations on the blood of fishes in an improvised laboratory. Dr. Jacques Loeb, of Rockefeller Institute, has been supplied with large numbers of killie- fishes for use in the investigation of certain biological problems. Prof. C. F. W. McClure, of Princeton University, has been furnished with the eggs and embryos of salmonoid fishes for the completion of studies on the origin and development of the lymphatic vessels. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 935 RED HIND Dr. G. A. MacCallum, of New York City, has been for some months examining the diseased and dead fishes for the purpose of determining the nature of fish diseases and the cause of death, and especially to study the parasites of the fishes in the Aquarium. Porpoises and Dolphins.—Numerous attempts have been made to secure these small toothed- whales in good condition for exhibition at the Aquarium. On several occasions specimens of both have been taken in local waters and placed in the large center pool, but they have always appeared to be injured before their arrival and never have lived more than a week or so. The last such attempt was made a short time ago when a specimen of the common dolphin was captured in a pound-net at Holly Beach, N. J., and brought to the Aquarium on September 11th. It was evidently nearly dead on arrival, but it survived for two days. On two occasions we have tried to secure specimens of the porpoise through the coopera- tion of the porpoise fishery at Cape Hatteras, N. C., the only such fishery on our coast. The first time none were secured. Last winter a sec- ond attempt was made and several fine speci- mens were captured and shipped. The worst blizzard of the season was then raging on the coast and transportation was delayed at a time when it was impossible to protect the animals properly. The result was that all were chilled and none of them reached New York alive. It would seem that the Fates have decreed against us in regard to these animals. However, not being predestinationists in this respect, we have decided to renew our efforts and another trial to obtain porpoises from Hatteras will probably be made during the coming fall or winter, in the hope that persistence may be crowned with success. Stored Sea-Water Analysis.—There is in the storage reservoir at the Aquarium a supply of water varying from sixty thousand to seventy thousand gallons brought in from the open sea for the benefit of our tropical fishes, since these forms, as a rule, do not live well in the brackish and filthy harbor water. The reservoir was filled in July, 1908, and since that time the wa- ter has not been entirely renewed, although twenty thousand to twenty-five thousand gallons are added yearly to make up for losses due to waste. It is a fact forcibly impressed upon the management of the Aquarium that corrosion is constantly taking place in the lead-lined and galvanized piping and the bronze pumps through which this sea-water is circulated. Fear- ing that there might have been an accumulation of lead, zine or copper salts in solution to a degree that would be poisonous to the fishes, it was determined to have the water analyzed. ZOOLOGICAL 936 COWFISH The vertical fins often assume very unusual positions in sculling slowly about the aquarium tank. Dr. Otto Kress, of the Department of Chemis- try of Columbia University, undertook the analysis, and his results showed that in spite of the corrosion there has been no increase in such poisonous salts in the water. There is thus no reason to fear that the very considerable chemi- cal action of the warm sea-water upon our piping and pumps can prove a source of danger to the fishes. The thanks of the New York Zoological Society are due Dr. Kress for his kind- ness in making the analysis. The Large Turtles.— Both the green and logger- head turtles live well in cap- tivity, no matter what their age, provided, of course, that they have sustained no in- juries in capture or during transportation. There are at _ present twelve green turtles of vari- ous sizes in the New York Aquarium. The smallest weighs not more than ten pounds, the largest about four hundred. One specimen from the South Pacific Ocean was brought around Cape Horn in a sailing vessel and presented to the Aquarium in 1898. It is in excellent condition after fourteen years of confinement. One loggerhead was re- ceived on August 29, 1900, SOCIETY BULLETIN. and is still on exhibition. This specimen weighs about four hundred and fifty pounds, the largest loggerhead ever seen at the Aquarium. Several others weigh in the neighborhood of two hun- dred pounds, and the smallest one weighs about fifty. The smaller hawk’s-bills live well, but larger ones, seventy-five to one hundred pounds, appear to be unable to adapt themselves to the condi- tions of life in captivity and can seldom be induced to take food. Leatherbacks have been tried on several occa- sions, but the attempt to keep them has always resulted in failure. They swim continually, will take no food and soon weaken and die. Pos- sibly very young individuals might give different results, but these we have not been able to ob- tain. All the larger turtles are kept in the harbor water, though in nature they live in the purest sea-water of the open ocean. Other Aquariums.—American cities have been slow to perceive the importance of the public aquarium as a means of entertainment and TRUNKFISHES The humpbacked Buffalo Trunkfish, the common Trunkfish and the horned Cowfish are all represented in the same tank. ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 937 TRUNKFISH The body is encased in an armor of bony plates. and instruction, but recently the idea seems to have taken hold in a number of centers. For many years New York City stood alone in this respect among the cities of the United States, although its aquarium has continually demon- strated the great popularity of such institutions from its opening day in December, 1896. The Detroit Aquarium was opened to the public in 1904, and although it is rather inac- cessibly situated on Belle Isle, several miles from the city, the attendance for the past year exceeded the million mark. This aquarium, located nearly eight hundred miles from the sea, nevertheless maintains a fine collection of marine fishes by means of a storage system and has thoroughly demonstrated the practicability of the inland salt-water exhibition. In Philadelphia a temporary aquarium was opened in Fairmount Park on November 25th, 1911, in one of the old water-works buildings. Although possessing but nineteen tanks, in which only fresh-water fishes are exhibited. this aqua- rium has thoroughly justified its existence, and in the ten months from the time of its opening to October Ist, 1912, two hundred and sixty-six thousand three hundred and thirty-eight visitors viewed the exhibitions. A salt-water aquarium one hundred feet by fifty feet is in process of construction, with provision for thirty tanks, and will be occupied before the end of the year. Mr. W. E. Meehan, formerly State Commis- sioner of Fisheries of Pennsylvania, is the superintendent. At Boston a new city aquarium has just been completed and will be opened to the public within a few weeks. Provision has been made for both salt and fresh-water exhibitions. Mr. L. L. Mowbray, formerly in charge of the Bermuda Aquarium, has been made superin- tendent of the Boston Aquarium, and Mr. A. O. Featherstone, for more than eleven years an employee of the New York Aquarium, has accepted an advanced position in the Boston institution. Key West Fishes—An unusually fine lot of fishes arrived at the Aquarium on October 9th from Key West. Altogether there were three hundred and fourteen specimens of fishes, repre- senting forty-three species, besides conches and starfish. The following list will show the great variety of forms represented in the collection: Nassau, red, yellow-fin and black groupers; mutton-fish; snook; margate; black, blue and queen angel-fishes; spadefish; spot and gray 938 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. SPADEFISHES IN THE NEW YORK AQUARIUM These cross-barred beauties are graceful swimmers. snappers; common and salmon rockfish; common and buffalo trunkfish; cowfish; butterfly-fish; rock and red hinds; trigger-fish; porgy; white, gray, yellow and blue-striped grunts; squirrel- fish; schoolmaster; rainbow parrot-fish; red and Spanish hogfishes; porkfish; brown and green morays; filefish; yellowtail; Bermuda chub; scorpion-fish; surgeon-fish; remora or shark- sucker; southern puffer or swellfish, and sea catfish. All of these except the buffalo trunkfish and the queen angel-fish have been exhibited before in the Aquarium. Some of these will eventually be placed in the new Boston Aquarium, when the salt-water tanks there are completed. In the meantime, they are all being cared for in the New York Aquarium and a large proportion will remain on exhibition here. The collection was made and cared for during transportation by Mr. L. L. Mowbray, Superintendent of the Boston Aquarium. Burietin No. 6.—Wanted, one copy. The Giant Salamander.—After the lapse of several years, the largest species of amphibian known to the modern world is again represented in the collections of the New York Aquarium. The species, Megalobatrachus japonicus, is a native of Japan, and is a veritable giant among recent amphibians, reaching a length of about three feet. Some of the early ancestors of the group were as large as alligators, but with the exception of this one all the modern species are small, most of them reaching a length of only a few inches. Aside from the mere fact of size, the species is interesting to the student of geographical distribution because its only near relative is the common hellbender (Cryptobranchus alleghe- niensis) of the Ohio River drainage. Evidently these two species are the last representatives of a group which once had a world-wide distribution. The specimen at present in the Aquarium is about two feet long. The giant salamander lives well and has even been known to breed in captivity. GENERAL INFORMATION MEMBERSHIP IN THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY Membership in the Zoological Society is open to all interested in the objects of the organi- zation, who desire to contribute toward its support. The cost of Annual Membership is $10 per year, which entitles the holder to admission to the Zoological Park on all pay days, when he may see the collections to the best advantage. Members are entitled to the Annual Reports, bi-monthly Bulletins, Zoologica, privileges of the Administration Building, all lectures and special exhibitions, and ten complimentary tickets to the Zoological Park for distribution. Any Annual Member may become a Life Member by the payment of $200. A subscriber of $1,000 becomes a Patron; $2,500, an Associate Founder; $5,000, a Founder; $10,000, a Founder in Perpetuity, and $25,000, a Benefactor. Applications for membership may be handed to the Chief Clerk, in the Zoological Park, Dr. C. H. Townsend, N. Y. Aquarium, Battery Park, New York City, or forwarded to the Gen- eral Secretary, No. 11 Wall Street, New York City. ZOOLOGICAL PARK The Zoological Park is open every day in the year, free. except Monday and Thursday of each week, when admission is charged. Should either of these days fall on a holiday no admis- sion fee is charged. From May 1 to November 1, the opening and closing hours are from 9 o'clock A. M. until one-half hour before sunset. From November 1 to May 1, the opening and closing hours are from 10 o’clock A. M. until one-half hour before sunset. NEW YORK AQUARIUM The Aquarium is open every day in the year: April 15 to October 15, from 9 o’clock A. M. to 5 o'clock P. M.; October 16 to April 14, from 10 o’clock A. M. to 4 o’clock P. M. No admission is charged. PUBLICATIONS The publications of the Society are for. sale at the prices affixed below. Address H. R. Mitchell, Chief Clerk, New York Zoological Park. First AA s REPOLE: Go ieeis fees soe ? i s Published “pina Musee i in ll THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY ri DOLLA CTTASNOASTUA ELAN NOTOCONONN 1001 NCTA pi WAM ll Terme ANANTH Te TOT TT EE LTA ULL Eee Sa Lk ne eT ea ARTHUR FREUND 1952 Officers of the New York Zoological Society Jiresident Henry Farrrietp Osgorn. Hirst Wire-President Second Vice-President SaMueL THorne. Joun L. CapwaLaDER. Secretary Oreasurer Mapison Grant, 11 Wall Street. Percy R. Pyne, 30 Pine Street. Board of Managers Ex Officio 2 The Mayor of the City of New York. The Preswent of the Department of Parks. Class of 1913 F. Aucusrus ScHERMERHORN, CieveLanp H. Doper, Emerson McMIttrn, s . Percy R. Pyne, C. Lepyarp Buair, AntHony R. Kuser, Grorce B. GrinneELL, Freperick G. Bourne, Watson B. DickeRMAN, Grorce C. Criark, W. Austin WapsworrTnH, Mortimer L. Scuirr. Class of 1914 Henry Fairriztp Osporn, Hueu D. Aucuinc toss, Grant B. Scutey, Witiiam C. Cuurcn, Cuartes F, Dierericu, Wo. Pirrson Hamitron, LisPENARD STEWART, James J. Hitt, - Rozgert S. Brewster, H. Casimir pe Ruan, Grorce F. Baker, Epwarp S. Harkness. Glass of 1915 Levi P. Morton, WituraMm Wuirte Nites, Groree J. Goutp, ANDREW CARNEGIE, SaMvueL THORNE, Ocpen Mitts, Joun L. Capwaraprer, Henry A. C. Taytor, Lewis RutHerrorp Morais, Maprson Grant, Frank K. Srurais, Arcuer M. HuntinerTon. - Executive Committee Mapison Grant, Chairman. Percy R. Pyne, SamMvueEL THorNE, Levi P. Morton, LisPENARD STEWART, Witiiam Waite NItes, Wm. Pierson Hamitron, Frank K. Srurais, Henry Famrietp Oszorn, Ex Officio. General Officers Wituiam. T. Hornapay, Director of the Park. Cuartes H, Townsenp, Director of the Aquarium. La Farce & Morais, Architects. H. Dz B. Parsons, Consulting Engineer. Officers of the Zoologiral Park Wituiam T. Hornapay, Director. H. R. Mircuett, C. Witt1aM Breese, H. W. Merxket, Exwin R. Sanzorn, Raymonp L. Dirmars, L. S. Cranpatu, W. Rew Buair, G. M. Berersower, ; are. Grorae A. Dorn. Officers of the Aquarium Cuartes H. Townsenpn, Director. Raymonp C. Ossurn, Assistant. Wasuineton I. DeNysz. Rozert SuTcLirFe. 2 MOLOTOV G Caw: ~~ SsO Clr Y BULL LE YIN CONTENTS FOR JANUARY, 1913. PAGE Witp Eguines IN THE ZooLoGicaL ParK........ Henry Fairfield Osborn. 941 iim) MiassasauGayin New YorK:... 220.022 022 5000. Edwin T. Whiffen. 949 SrasonaL CHANGES IN THE ForM oF THE Rocky Mountain SHEEP Carl Rungius. 950 C. William Beebe. 952 Sees ramet ray eNe Ga LvTSNIUER ctrl «iat suctins 5) 41 <7 stat eNter 2) crus Hie cel at sbGyerenesen iaae v— Awe TING -SIGSIELORN \SEUBE P'efcaehsyen sueleuencroseuecatiletieveser ous ie then sks W. T. A. 954 (Catnin JE UNODISIPOTERS 5 6 Bictota te olor O OGIO CNCICIE NE OROR REC Deu EERE Ee Eu Cat aEe ee 954 OG ee ANSE CAINE EY XOPUR DUELING he siesy er eT Syelley cvie nsec yeicacshay shore Neyo sk ore ty en uteuetie aye saith Sveueye 955 By. (Grae IRATE iiniee SS oe arte arco dice olbsn clo coc OIE CRE SECIS acre lone eer eieae tet 955 (isis) Ninny (AEN ECCI os egaacuenods ab eeb ooo Raymond L. Ditmars. 958 Zootocicat Park Noves: Experiments with Serpents ...-- 102.2222 eee ee ee ee cn ete he cee 952 iviginy Isijgie) Eeoocce dono gasaucunq ne bocuccusanaescoocoaonuennCcaopaqomaD 954 CEAGiny Gi MONKS copcoepoupucue acoso noe osbonasanedantadesopad deasoure 956 Valk Sar ppodeanbabe conc aunt enue Cre CREDO Oc R ane oD tra oa dodar coon nse 957 (ATEN TRG ER me Abend ance Subir: GUO RO OA CUED DOs@HIaAnH: DEE Ape Oape SOD ON REDS 957 EX Jains Git tie IES 55 55onecoodcddo cue ede o coc Ono coOC Hoo ocd oCOodaooGenenos 957 nai IRGGGIS LdeconsonaconeoconseeOnD coun booooUDD OUOonODCoNpOdNOneGCUUpO COO 956 Sane Ow \WiliGe ceccus: chommogooanoucon esoeHporeeuc opse550eU0GOpOde 9000 oun 956 Restaurant Improvememts: 2.22.52 ci. eee ee ee se cinema sine 957 Scr sem BT RECE Sh Ohio ETL C 1 SAM CO) foyer eect cial to teeti ter oa mie taiaiafwietayeoe ngetk = =| aistelatieuslacefeniershelnle 957 Ferocity of the King Cobra .......---...-se- eee tee cee eee eee teeters 957 Pano neite IARI (CEES on cadoous opp soodsoubod de sou paDancaooonodoeos ado 958 Naw MyNME COR Goncescntonsoodoanmaceooogd cddnopondcsboUsddbe ep oodouEnO 958 IN DECEMBER SOUTH, FROM THE iz DL =< wi =) = = < aa) THE ZOOLOGICAL SOC TET Y BULLETIN Published by the New York Zoological Society VoL. XVI JANUARY, 1918 NUMBER 55 THE WILD EQUINES OF THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK By Henry Fatrrrerp Osporn. OTWITHSTANDING the fact that the domestic horse has been the familiar servant of man ever since the earliest historic times, several of the most interesting forms of the wild equidae have remained, until Fic. 1. The original stallion and mare to the left. only yesterday as it were, absolutely unknown to science. That the finest of all zebra species, the Grevy, should have thus remained wholly unknown until near the end of the nineteenth century, seems almost incredible; and it may ” ons “ HERD OF PRZEWALSKY WILD HORSES IN THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK The small colt, born June 8, 1912, is of uniform buff color with a woolly coat. Photographed June 20, 1912. 942 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. Fics. 2 AND 3. THE PRZEWALSKY STALLION Showing the light buff muzzle, deep dun coloring, erect black mane. short ears and small, inexpressive eyes similar to those depicted by the artists of the Old Stone Age of France. The back view shows the dark brown dorsal stripe carried down on the upper portion of the,tail, whichgis covered with short, dun-colored hair. well stand as a warning that even now other species may remain to be discovered. The living wild equines of the world are con- fined to Africa and Asia. The area inhabited by them extends from the Cape of Good Hope throughout the eastern half of Africa, and from Egypt northeastwardly to the geographical center of Asia, at Lake Baikal. In Africa the range of the zebras and asses is practically con- tinuous from Cape Colony to Suakin, on the Red Sea, but in Asia, the wild equines now occur in isolated areas, sometimes rather widely separated. Viewed from any point that may be chosen, the wild equines of the world form a zoologi- eal group of paramount interest to mankind. and well worthy of the great effort that has been made in the Zoological Park adequately to set it forth for the benefit of the public. After two years of careful study and con- struction, the new Zebra House was opened to the public on November 15, 1912, with a really remarkable collection of wild horses and zebras, and one species of Asiatic ass. All the animals are in fine physical condition and the Przewal- sky wild horse and the Grant zebra are breed- ing regularly. The wild horse is accustomed to the rigorous climate of northern Asia, to much greater extremes of temperature than those which it experiences in the Park. On the other hand, the Grant zebra has been taken from the plateau country of Africa, directly under the Equator, and its acclimatization and fertility in the Zoological Park are matters of great interest. A complete list of the wild equines now or very recently shown in the Park, and the prin- cipal geographic range of each, is as follows: Przewalsky Horses, Equus przewal- skit. Desert of Gobi, Central Asia. WILp Horses. } Persian Wild Ass, Equus hemippus. WiLp Deserts of S. Persia, and Arabia. AssEs. Kiang, Equus hemionus. N. Asia; Trans-Baikal Region. Grevy Zebra, Equus grevyi. Abys- sinia and Br. E. Africa. Grant's Zebra, Equus granti. Brit- A ish East Africa. ZEBRAS. Chapman Zebra, Equus burchelli chapmani. Central South Africa. Mountain Zebra, Equus zebra. Cape Colony, S. Africa. The Przewalsky Wild Horse, otherwise known as the Steppe horse, and nearest relative of the domestic horse, is readily distinguished from all modern domesticated breeds by the entire absence of the forelock and by the fact that the mane rises along the neck like a crest exactly as in the zebras and asses, and does not fall over on one side, as in the domestic horse. The large head, rather short and truly horse- like ears, small and inexpressive eyes, and light buff-colored muzzle are well shown in Fig. 2. The body is uniformly colored, with a dark brown dorsal stripe. Sometimes there are faint horizontal stripings on the legs. Another very distinctive feature, well shown in Fig. 8, is the short, stiff hair on the upper ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY Fic. 4. THE KIANG, OF TIBET From photograph by the Duchess of Bedford, made in Woburn Park portion of the tail, of butt or dun color, tra- versed by the vertical stripe. There is a vast difference between the short, smooth and rather handsome coat of these animals in summer and the rough, shaggy coat of the winter, when a long beard appears beneath the jaws. These animals were formerly widely spread over Europe, between twenty and twenty-five thousand years ago. During the Ice Age, they were among the favorite subjects of the cave men, who represented them with extraordinary fidelity as to all the features we have men- tioned, on the walls of the caves of the Pyre- nees, and of Dordogne and northwestern Spain. Not one of these drawings shows a forelock, and it is remarkable how those prehistoric artists portrayed the rather dull eyes in con- trast with the fierce expression they gave the- eyes of the bison. The general dun or light-brownish color of the Przewalsky horses conforms to their semi- desert environment, rendering them less con- spicuous. like the now extinct quagga of the Zebra family, which formerly roamed the open plains south of the Limpopo River in the Trans- vaal, South Africz But the closest imitation of the wild horse is in the wild ass (Fig. 4) from the Trans- Baikal of Asia, known as the Kiang, a specimen of which was presented to the Society by His Grace the Duke of Bedford. The light under- color of the belly of the wild horse is also seen in the wild ass of Southern Asia (Fig. 6) which has a much lighter color scheme than that of the Przewalsky. Its limbs are also light instead of being dark. It shows, too, the dark, erect mane and black stripe down the back. In fact, this BULLETIN. Fic. 5. PRZEWALSKY STALLION IN HIS WINTER COAT The heavy beard, and the thick, hairy covering of the body, tail and feet, are well adapted to the rigors of the north Asiatic climate. black stripe down the back so well shown also in the back view of the Grevy Zebra (Vig. 8), is the most universal of all the color markings in the family of horses. THE PERSIAN WILD ASS, Equus hemippus Fic. 6. Uniform Isabella, or faun-color, with dark dorsal stripe, light colored and slender limbs, light under color and dark, erect mane. This animal differs from the Abyssinian ass, the progenitor of the domesticated asses, in the absence of the shoulder stripes. It is difficult to conjecture what advantage this dark brown or black line brings to the ani- mal. In all the accompanying photographs it appears to shade off into the background. 94:4 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. .7. THE PRINCE OF THE ZEBRA FAMILY, Equus grevyi THE GREVY ZEBRA, FROM ABYSSINIA Fic. 8. Distinguished by sharply defined and very numer- ous narrow white and dark chocolate stripes, and by a very heavy dorsal stripe which is continued down the center of the tail. The very brilliant dark-brown stripes of the Grevy zebra, shown in Fig. 7, certainly tend to make the animal very conspicuous as seen in its yard; but from certain points of view, such as that of Fig 7, where the sunshine glances off the glistening hair, the white and brown stripes on certain regions of the body entirely disappear. Those who strongly believe in the color protection theory truly point out that in certain surroundings this most brilliantly marked of all the mammalia almost disappears from human vision. I myself have seen a small herd of Grevy Zebras standing under a tree in the Duke of Bedford's Park, Woburn Abbey, with the sunshine glistening down on them light background, The vanishing effect is only tran- against a become almost invisible. sitory, however, and from other points of view they again become conspicuous. The Grevy is readily distinguished as the largest of the zebras. It is characterized by delicate stripmg, a very long head, and very large, rounded ears, like those of many other forest-loving animals. Its narrow striping con- trasts very strongly with the broad and brilliant ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 945 Fic. 9. THE ACCLIMATIZATION OF THE GRANT ZEBRA, Equus granti. Mare, and foal born July 17,1911. The mare shows the black muzzle, diamond-shaped _ pattern of the star on the forehead, black, erect mane. which extends back into the thin dorsal stripe and broad gridiron over the hips. The slender limbs of the zebra colt have nearly the same length as the limbs of the mother, although the body is very much shorter. This enables the colt to keep pace with its mother in escaping the attacks of the lion, the chief enemy of the Grant zebra stripes of the Grant zebra, which, as shown in Figs. 9 and 10, so completely surround the body that they unite with a black line extending along the under surface of the belly. Grant's zebra, like the Grevy, has a very conspicuous set of horizontal stripes extending down the legs to the hoofs, and is thus readily distin- guished from the Chapman zebra in which the lower portion of the leg is quite pale. The Grant is typical of a very large group entirely distinct from the Grevy and Mountain zebras. It is broadly known as the Burchell group. the type of which was the zebra found and described by the English explorer Burchell north of the Orange River, which roamed north of that stream as the Quagga roamed to the south. In the typical Burchell zebra (EF. bur- chelli, now believed to be quite extinct) the entire legs are devoid of stripes, so that the zebras of the Burchell group from the Grant zebra on the extreme north of British East Africa to the extinct Quagga of the Cape of Good Hope region, once presented a complete color transition from the universal striping in aE Fic. 10. GRANT'S ZEBRA, Equus burchelli granti. Showing the broad striping, and the thoroughness with which the striping of the legs is carried down to the hoofs. SUSSV GNV SUSUOH AIM UHL “ssV PIM ‘SSV PITAL WRI “uvpoy ot .— 0 “suRLY 10 ‘1Ry}05070— "70 PSASSY QTL AA ce : ~sS A. = \ ; wie SNS Ate ee j / } V4 COUNTRY / - \ ) Dim en D \ 4 L Rude/p. B AY! T I S/H ee 7 AGG RCA Gr ~ > ( Ba ana . F ({zAnziBAR K q fuera & : Ww) , gS a Mossameck: = MOZAMBIQUE, H cae ® ZEBRAS: 4 Z Ch Poe Gr.—Grevy’s Zebra. DAMARA LAND LAND Tr Fo.—Foa’s Zebra. y \ eA \ hn = Wallis Bey Tay KALAHAR| DESERT ip S B.—Burchell’s Zebra. CREA aw Wie Sree RANS= Gt.—Grant’s Zebra. NAIM AQUA \ Ch wT, Crw.—Crawshay’s Zebra. oak 5 S ioe “inpopo R. Sel.—Selous’ Zebra. PNY 5 “3B Ss -£ Zm.—Zambesi Zebra.