178 PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. vol.53. 



The wild-killed material was collected chiefly by Dr. W. L. Abbott, 

 John Jay White, Col. Theodore Roosevelt, Kermit Roosevelt, Paul 

 J. Rainey, and Edmund Heller. 



The histories of the five Zoological Park specimens of Feiis leo 

 massaica have been given me by Mr. A. B. Baker, assistant super- 

 intendent of the National Zoological Park. It seems important to 

 give his account in complete detail. 



The history of the five lions from East Africa, .so far as we know it, is as 

 follows : 



In May, 1909, while the Smithsonian expedition was at Nairobi, Mr. W. N. 

 McMillan offered the lions and several other animals to the National Zoo- 

 logical Park, through Dr. E. A. Mearns, who reported the offer here by letter. 

 He was authorized by cable to accept the animals on behalf of the park. 



I first saw the lions September 19, 1909. They were then at Mr. McMillan's 

 •' Juja Farm," some 23 miles northeast from Nairobi. There were two males, 

 said to be then about 20 months old, and three females, one of which was said 

 to be about 19 months old and the other two about 27 months. All were said 

 to be fioni the region about the Nairobi, but I was able to get the exact 

 locality of only one — a male which was captured by Mr. G. L. Langridge in 

 the Mua Hills, out some 25 miles from Machakos station. When captured it 

 was a little larger than a house cat. I was told that all of the others were 

 caught while small cubs. The lions were put into shipping boxes October 15 

 and 16, left .luja Farm on a big freighting wagon at noon October 18, and ar- 

 rived at Nairobi late on the 19th. The boxes were put under a shed in the 

 railroad freight yard there until the morning of October 26, when they were 

 shipped by rail, and should have reached Mombasa early in the morning of 

 the 27th, but did not arrive there until noon of the 28th, because of the 

 derailing of the train, which made it necessary to transfer all the boxes to 

 other cars. They were transferred to the steamship Melbourne shortly after 

 noon on the 2Sth and arrived at Port Said at 8 p. m. November 8. They 

 were kept on a lighter in the harbor there until November 21, when they were 

 transferred to the " tramp " steamer MoltkefeU sailing that day. The ship 

 spent the night of November 25-26 at Malta, and arrived at Philadelphia 

 December 17. The lions were forwarded from Philadelphia December IS, 

 reached Washington early on the 19th, and were transferred to cages in the 

 lion house at the park about noon of that day. 



At Juja Farm the five lions were kept together in a stone building, perhaps 

 25 feet long, 15 feet from front to back, and 8 feet high. This was divided by 

 a partition running from front to back, into two compartments, perhaps 15 

 and 10 feet wide. The roof was of galvanized iron. The floor was of con- 

 crete, with good drainage so that it could be washed out with a hose. All sides 

 were tight, except the front, which was closed with an iron grating. The 

 place was poorly lighted and the animals had little chance to get into the direct 

 sunlight. There were low wooden shelves in the corners, which the animals 

 seemed to occupy most of the time when not walking. The three younger lions 

 were good tempered, but the two older females were quite savage, probably 

 from having been teased. The shipping crates were about 3 feet wide, 5 feet 

 long from front to back, and 3 feet 6 inches high, Inside measurements. There 

 was a steel grating in the front, with stout wire netting over it, so that a paw 

 could not be put out. A space was left at the bottom wide enough to admit 

 food and pan for water. This space was closed except when food or water 

 was given. There was a ventilating opening, about 8 inches square, in the 



