REPORT OF THE SECRETARY 23 



The Italian Office of International Exchanges, formerly under 

 direction of the Victor Emanuel National Library in Home, was 

 placed under the ministry of public instruction. The Dutch Central 

 Scientific Bureau, exchange agency for the Netherlands, is now under 

 the direction of the Royal Library at The Hague. 



NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK 



Although there was no important increase in the collection of ani- 

 mals during the year, nevertheless a number of interesting species 

 new to the collection was added. 



The total number of animals added was 336, while 459 were lost 

 through death, return of animals, and exchange, leaving the collec- 

 tion at 2,273 individuals of 582 different species. A considerable 

 number of animals was born in the park, as usual. Among the more 

 serious losses by death were the two giraffes, Dot and Hi-boy, secured 

 by the Chrysler expedition, a Kadiak bear which had lived in the 

 Park for over 23 years, the last cheetah in the collection, a jaguar, 

 and an anaconda which had been at the Park for just 28 years, a 

 notable record of longevity for this snake. 



The attendance for the year, although somewhat smaller than last 

 year when the animals brought back by the Smithsonian-Chrysler 

 African expedition attracted great crowds of visitors, was neverthe- 

 less higher than for any other year in the history of the park. The 

 total number of visitors was 2,298,449. Classes from 445 different 

 schools visited the park, comprising 27,959 students. A number of 

 scientific societies officially visited the park, including the American 

 Society of Mammalogists, the American Ornithologists' Union, and 

 the Society of Icthyologists and Herpetologists ; the Vivarium 

 Society held monthly meetings at the Park. 



The new bird house, mentioned in last year's report, was com- 

 pleted in June, 1928, and the installation of the birds was com- 

 menced, so that the building will be opened to the public during the 

 summer. The structure has been highly praised by officials of other 

 zoological parks and by the public. It is divided into four rooms, 

 together containing 145 indoor cages, and in the center is a great 

 flight cage 58 feet long, 22 feet wide, and 32 feet high, containing 

 rocks, a large tree, a pool, and running water. 



This new bird liouse is a great improvement to the park, but the 

 director calls attention to the fact that after 20 years of earnest 

 appeal for more adequate buildings to house the splendid collection 

 of animals, the bird house is practically the only entirely satisfactory 

 building in the National Zoological Park, the others being a con- 

 tinual source of unfavorable comment by visitors. He lists seven 



