SECRETARY'S REPORT 173 



Kamm, National Institutes of Health, in connection with a biochemical 

 study of snake venom. NIII was particularly interested in venom 

 from an Asiatic pit viper and arranged for 20 specimens to be sent 

 to the National Zoological Park and cared for in the reptile house. 

 The habus {T rimer esunis) of three different species arrived on Sep- 

 tember 15, and were milked by Mr. DePrato and keeper Lee D. 

 Sclmieltz. National Institutes of Health reported : "Research workers 

 made use of Trimeresurus flavoviridis venom in biochemical experi- 

 ments. The venom from this species contains an agent, still miidenti- 

 fied, which is not found in other venoms. This agent has the ability 

 to digest or solubilize the walls of submicroscopic particles [micro- 

 somes] of mammalian liver. ]\Iicrosomes contain enzyme systems 

 wliich metabolize many types of drugs, such as barbiturates, analge- 

 sics, and hypnotics, but biochemical studies on these enzyme systems 

 have been handicapped because the microsomal particles could not be 

 solubilized by other methods. Making this venom available to NIH 

 biochemists will permit them to accomplish this important step and 

 thereby learn more about how drugs are metabolized in the liver." 



The National Zoological Park arranged a large-scale shipment of 

 American mammals and birds for the new zoo of Delhi, India. The 

 general curator of the animal department accompanied the shipment 

 and safely delivered 2 coyotes, 2 porcupines, 2 coatimundis, 2 foxes, 

 1 bear, 1 paca, 1 ocelot, 2 raccoons, 2 opossums, 2 whistling swans, 3 

 Virginia deer, 2 bison, and 2 pumas, and during the absence of the 

 director of the Delhi Zoo instructed the zoo personnel there in the 

 maintenance and husbandry requirements of this collection. Arrange- 

 ments for the shipment were made by the Ambassador of the United 

 States to India, the Honorable J. Keimeth Galbraith. Fred Stark, 

 director of the San Antonio (Tex.) Zoo, contributed the pair of bison, 

 and Walter Stone, director of Franklin Park Zoo in Boston, Mass., 

 supplied the porcupines, bear, paca, ocelot, and coatimundis. The Vir- 

 ginia deer were a contribution from the West Virginia Game Commis- 

 sion. Tlie remainder of the stock came from the collection at the 

 National Zoo. 



The director of the Zoo and the general curator spent 2 days in 

 Boston as consultants for the Franklin Park Zoo and the Middlesex 

 Fells Zoo in Stoneham, Mass., both of which are plamiing new 

 construction. 



The office of forest fire prevention, U.S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture, installed a new exhibit at Smokey Bear's cage consisting of a set 

 of large photographs showing the devastation caused by forest fires 

 and the capture of a small singed bear. In a glass case are Smokey's 

 hat, belt, trousers, shovel, and a jug of honey. This was in answer to 

 the complaints frequently heard from small children who had expected 

 Smokey to be dressed as a forest ranger. 



