138 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1962 



PURCHASES 



Among important purchases of the year were a female African 

 rliinoceros obtained as a mate for the male acquired last year, two 

 female Masai giraffes {Girajfa camelopardalis tippelskirchi) ^ the rare 

 (in captivity) East African golden cat (Felis (Profelis) aurata pal- 

 lida), a magnificent specimen of honey badger or ratel {MeUivora 

 capensis), four saiga antelopes, and a trio of African jumping hares 

 well adjusted to captivity and very rarely exhibited in zoos. 



A shipment from Thailand yielded two open-billed storks (Anasto- 

 mas lamelligerus) and one Feilden's falconet {Neohyrax cinereiceps), 

 believed to be the only one at present in captivity in the United 

 States. 



The reptile collection was increased by two magnificent specunens 

 of king cobra, the larger of which measures a good 16 feet. When 

 word was received that these snakes had arrived at Idlewild Airport 

 on a cold February day, senior keeper Mario DePrato made a quick 

 trip to New York to receive them and bring them back to the Zoo. 

 They were put in a safe place for the night and unpacked the follow- 

 ing day. 



Dr. W. T. Roth, general curator, while in India purchased an in- 

 teresting collection of small birds; and J. Lear Grimmer, associate 

 director, during his field trip in British Guiana purchased four white- 

 faced saki monkeys and an assortment of small mammals, birds, and 

 reptiles. 



Other purchases of interest were: 



Clouded leopard. Hoopoe 



Martial eagle 2 Gaboon vipers 



Hooded vulture 4 African clawed frogs 



White-backed vulture 2 Blumberg's toads 



Long-crested hawk eagle 18 Tokay geckos 



3 pygmy cormorants 2 Kori's bustards 



4 African gray parrots 



EXCHANGES 



An arrangement with the British Guiana Zoo, Georgetown, B.G., 

 resulted in an exchange in which a surplus lion cub belonging to the 

 National Zoological Park was offered for 56 birds indigenous to South 

 America, 14 mammals, and 2 snakes. 



During the course of his studies of the hoatzin in British Guiana 

 Mr. Grinmaer collected 63 birds and 34 reptiles for the Zoo. Among 

 the birds was a small parrot {Conurus solstitialis) . There are no rec- 

 ords of this species ever having previously been in captivity in zoos 

 of the United States. 



Other animals obtained through exchange were: 



Barcelona Zoo. Barcelona, Spain, 2 Goliath frogs. 

 Catskill Game Farm, Catskill, N.Y., llama. 



