SECRETARY'S REPORT 



165 



Parasitological identifications were conducted by Mrs, Mabelle 

 Chitwood and Allen INIcIntosh of the U.S. Department of Agricul- 

 ture's Animal Disease and Parasite Research Division. A. P. Can- 

 non of the University of Kansas, currently at the University of 

 Maryland, made blood smears from 55 snakes revealing 12 individuals 

 of 8 species harboring hemogregarine blood parasites. The subject 

 of these blood parasites in snakes would support a full-time research 

 project for investigation. 



A cooperative investigation was originated with Dr. William L. 

 Straus, W. J. Young, and T. Merz, of Johns Hopkins University to 

 study chromosomes in primates by obtaining blood samples from the 

 available subjects. Mr. Young is also interested in studying tlie gen- 

 etic structure of the hybrid bears, F^ and F^, by working with blood 

 samples wliich can now be easily obtained by immobilizing the ani- 

 mals. 



Several alligators, both small and medium sized, were provided to 

 Dr. A. G. Morrow and Dr. L. J. Greenfield of the National Heart 

 Institute, for anatomical and physiological studies on the cardiac 

 system, since these reptiles have normal hearts which are similar in 

 construction to the hearts of children with congenital heart defects. 



Two Indian pythons and two American alligators were taken to 

 the Department of Biophysics at Walter Eeed Army Medical Cen- 

 ter to assist Maj. K. T. Woodward in determining the muscle mass 

 of various animals by the use of a scintillating counter which meas- 

 ures muscle potassimn. 



Following are the statistics for the mortality rates during the past 

 fiscal year and a table of comparison with the past six fiscal years: 



Mortality, fiscal year 1960 



Attri- 

 Death tion* 



Mammals 114 39 



Birds 140 35 



Reptiles 112 92 



Total mortality, past 6 fiscal years 



1055 735 



1956 618 



1957 549 



1958 .550 



1959 472 



1960 532 



366 166 



•Attrition Is the term used for those losses due mainly to the trauma of shipment and 

 handling after accession at the Zoo, or before an animal can adapt to cage habitation 

 within the collection. 



Animals that had been in the collection for a relatively long time 

 and died this year were: A Swinhoe's pheasant {Gennaeus swinhoii) 

 received August 11, 1931, died August 10, 1959, after 28 years; an 

 Indian crow {Gorvus wjiolens), received September 28, 1937, from the 

 National Geographic Society-Smithsonian Institution Expedition to 

 the Netherlands East Indies, died November 4, 1959, after 22 years 



