670 ANNUAL REPORTS OF DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 



ji broad, where they are raised in captivity and are now being reim- 

 ported. 



Among the miscellaneous nongame birds was one Imperial Amazon 

 parrot {Amazona imvcrialis) imported from Dominica for the New 

 York Zoological ParK. This very rare parrot is almost extinct, and 

 the specimen which arrived on February 19, 1912, is apparently the 

 first that has been imported alive into the United States. The 

 shama thrush continues in popularity as a substitute for the mocking 

 bird, as shown by the fact tnat more than 200 were brought in during 

 the year. Rare birds imported for the first time included several 

 East Indian species, most of which were consigned to the New York 

 Zoological Park. Among the rarer mammals was a female gorilla, 

 received by the park on September 2o, 1911, which only lived until 

 October 5. By far the larger number of mammals were guinea pigs 

 and monkeys, imported for laboratory and pathological experiments. 

 About half the squirrels imported are the European red squirrel, and 

 the remainder are chiefly Alexican species. There were also about 

 1,300 white mice, intended chiefly for research purposes, a few silver 

 and cross foxes, several beavers, and a number of ferrets. The foxes 

 and beavers come from Canada, the former imported for breeding 

 purposes, the latter for exhibition, while the ferrets are imported 

 chiefly for killing rats. 



No prohibited species, so far as known, have gained entry during 

 the year. Under date of July 10, 1911, the director of the New York 

 Zoological Park ordered the destruction of the female mongooses 

 belonging to the park, leaving 3 males. One of the latter died in 

 March, and on June 2, 1912, the other two Avere still on exhibition. 



Work on the consolidated index of importations was continued as 

 far as possible, and the index is now complete down to the end of the 

 year 1909. 



PENGUIN EGGS. 



Attempts are made from time to time to import eggs of certain 

 birds, especiall}^ those of lapwings, for market purposes. This year 

 an effort was made to open up a new source of supply by importing 

 the eggs of penguins from South Africa. Under paragraph 560 of 

 the tariff act, which prohibits the entry of eggs of wild birds not 

 intended for propagation, the Secretar\^ of the Treasury on March 

 29, 1912, instructed the collector of customs at the port of New York 

 to refuse entry to a shipment of penguin eggs from Cape Town. 

 Doubtless the close supervision exercised at ports of entry will tend 

 to discourage similar shipments in future. Advantage was taken 

 of this incident to obtain from the department of agriculture of 

 the Union of South Africa information regarding the traffic in these 

 eggs. It appears that the jackass penguin {Spheniscus demersus) 

 breeds in large numbers on certain small islands on the west coast 

 of Cape Province, in the vicinity of St. Helena and Saldanha Bays, 

 and also on the islands off the coast of German southwest Africa. 

 All of these islands are British possessions, and the birds are care- 

 fully preserved on account of their economic value. Large quantities 

 of guano, aggregating some 6,000 tons per annum, are collected b}' 

 the department of agriculture and sold to the farmers, and the col- 

 lection of eggs is regulated under contract. 



