SECRETARY'S REPORT 119 



public, and are valuable as additions to the group, or for exchange. 

 Outstanding among the births at the Zoo were the following : 



A female gaur (Bibos gaurus). These magnificent wild cattle are 

 of such rarity in collections that very advantageous terms can be ob- 

 tained in exchange for those in excess of the Zoo's needs. 



A female Grant's zebra {Equus burchelli bohmi). It is an attrac- 

 tive youngster and a valuable addition to the wild horse group. 



A DeBrazza's guenon {Cercopithecus iieglectus), a moustache mon- 

 key {Cercopithecus cephus)^ and two Barbary apes {Macaca sylva- 

 nus), all of them thriving. 



The pygmy hippopotamus {Choeropsis liberiensis) produced one 

 young during tlie year. The baby (female), bom January 30, 1955, 

 to Matilda, weighed 15 pounds and was the mother's ninth child. This 

 is the sixteenth produced in the National Zoological Park. 



Three more bear cubs (2 females and 1 male) were born on January 

 1, 1955, to one of the pairs of hybrids. These are a cross between an 

 Alaskan brown bear mother {Ursus middendorfji) and a polar bear 

 father {Thalarcios maritimus). They regularly produce young, but 

 so far only one, now 5^^ years old, has survived. 



The herd of Chinese water deer {Hydropotes iTiermis) continues to 

 multiply in a gratifying manner, sometimes producing as many as four 

 at a time. The mortality of the young is rather high, but in spite of 

 this the herd increases rapidly. 



One of the group of pygmy marmosets {Cebuella pygmaed) gave 

 birth to two young which have grown rapidly. Until the past year 

 or two, these marmosets have been rare in captivity and have generally 

 not done well, but this group is doing well. 



A water civet {Atilax paludinosus) was born February 28, 1955, to 

 the pair obtained August 19, 1953. It is thriving and growing rapidly. 



Three crested screamers ( Ghauna torquata) were hatched. They are 

 South American birds about the size of a large chicken but are related 

 to the ducks. 



Following is a complete list of the births and hatchings: 



MAMMALS 



Scientific name Common name Number 



Ammntragus lervia Aoudad, or Barbary sheep 6 



Atilax paludinosus Water civet 1 



Bibos gaurus Gaur 2 



D , [British Park cattle 2 



Bos iaurus 1^^^^ Highland cattle.. 2 



Bubalus bubalis Water buffalo 1 



Capra hircus Common goat 7 



Cebuella pygmaea Pygmy marmosets 2 



Cercopithecus cephus Moustache monkey 1 



Cercopithecus neglectus DeBrazza's guenon 1 



370930—66 



