160 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 195 6 



STATUS OF THE COLLECTION 



Class 



Species or 

 subspecies 



Individuals 



Mammals 



Birds 



Reptiles 



Amphibians, 



Fish 



Arachnids. _ 



Insects 



Mollusks 



246 



300 



148 



21 



22 



2 



2 



1 



786 



1,212 



625 



107 



123 



2 



100 



10 



Total. 



742 



2,965 



Animals on hand July 1, 1955 3, 140 



Accessions during the year 1, 710 



Total number of animals in collection during the year 5, 120 



Removals for various reasons such as death, exchanges, return of animals 

 on deposit, etc. 2 2, 155 



In collection on June 30, 1956 2, 965 



2 The Zoo is given many small creatures that have been pets in homes where 

 they are no longer welcome, or where circumstances necessitate giving them up. 

 These include ducks, chickens, and rabbits given to children at Easter time, 

 parakeets, alligators, caimans, guinea-pigs, etc. Also many of the common local 

 wild things that are found by children or adults who think the creatures need 

 help are brought to the Zoo. This includes a wide array, but particularly gray 

 squirrels, cottontail rabbits, opossums, skunks, raccoons, foxes, woodchucks, 

 blue jays, robins, sparrows, box turtles, as well as other less plentiful forms. 

 The quantity of these received far exceeds the need for exhibition animals and 

 facilities to care for them ; therefore, some are used in exchange for other 

 animals that are needed, and some are liberated. During the past year there 

 were 215 individuals of 19 different kinds of such unneeded animals brought in. 

 These were accessioned and therefore are recorded, which accounts in part for 

 the large number of removals listed. 



Eespectf ully submitted. 



Dr. Leonard Carmichael, 



Secretary, Smithsonian Institution. 



W. M. Mann, Director. 



