SECRETARY'S REPORT 105 



or return of those on deposit. Although depositors are at liberty to 

 remove their specimens, many leave them permanently. 



As in any colony of living things, there is a steady turnover, and the 

 exhibits are constantly changing. Thus, the inventory of specimens 

 in the collection on Jmie 30 of each year doe.s not show all the kinds 

 of animals that were exhibited during the year, for sometimes crea- 

 tures of outstanding interest at the time they were shown are no 

 longer in the collection at the time the inventory is made. 



The United States National Museum is given first choice of all 

 animals that die in the Zoo. If they are not desired for the Museum 

 they are then made available to other institutions or scientific workers. 

 Thus the value of the specimen continues long after it is dead. 



ACCESSIONS 



The Zoo has been particularly fortunate in having friends who 

 show their sincere interest by bringing in specunens or arranging for 

 acquisitions from foreign countries. 



FIRSTS 



"Firsts" that are desirable are welcomed in almost every organi- 

 zation, and the fiscal year covered by this report had a gratifying 

 number of "firsts" for the Zoo. These are listed below. 



The greatest rarities obtained during the year were two Goeldi's 

 marmosets {Gallimico goeldii) which until recently had been known 

 from only half a dozen specimens from habitats in widely scattered 

 localities far up the tributaries of the Amazon Kiver. The Zoo's 

 examples are black throughout, with brown tips to the hairs on the 

 back of the head and portions of the back which are conspicuous 

 when back-lighted. They also have what looks like a crew cut of 

 two different lengths, that on the front of the head being fairly 

 short and that on the back of the head somewhat longer. 



Also acquired were two of the little-known dinomys paca {Dinomys 

 hraiiickii) , a rather large rodent that is apparently rare in the wild 

 as well as in captivity. 



Another outstanding accession was a rare and little-known foussa 

 {Gryptopr^octa ferox) of Madagascar, obtained by purchase. This 

 is a relative of the civets that looks somewhat like a large, slender- 

 bodied, short-haired brown cat. 



Two young southern sea lions {Otaria flavescens) were purchased. 

 When received they were about 3 and 4 feet long. 



An interesting accession was a pair of rat kangaroos {Hypsiprym- 

 nodon moschatus) ^ which produced a baby that was observed in the 

 pouch of the mother on June 30, 1955. These are not conspicuous as 

 exliibition animals but help to round out the collection, giving the 

 visitors a glimpse of the remarkable variation of the marsupials. 



