478 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BLTLLETIN. 



TAMANDUA: PREHENSIIE-TAIIED ANTEATER. 



iiii; qu;irttrtd in an adjoining cage to the pair 

 of l)lack-))Iiast' coyotes from Wyoming, liis a})- 

 pearance is ))artienlarly impressive. The milk- 

 wiiite gray sqnirrel ])resented by Mr. G. O. 

 Shields nearly five jears ago is yet living in the 

 Small-Mammal House in good health. 



R. L. D. 



ITEMS OF INTEREST. 



Zoological Pari-. 



The jSiighthawh. — Members of the Order 

 .MACROCHIRES, including the chimney swifts. 

 Iiunnnings and nighthawks, are among the most 

 difficult of birds to keep alive in captivity. This 

 is primarily because of the extreme specializa- 

 tion of their feeding habits, all except the hum- 

 mingbirds being exclusively fiycatchers, seizing 

 tlieir prey while in full flight. 



A niglithawk was recently received at the 

 Park, being slightly injured by flying against 

 a telegra))li wire. The injury soon healed and 

 the bird, after being forcibly fed for a week, 

 learned to take food from the keeper's liand. 

 [t has now been in captivity over a month and 

 has adapted itself to its unusual surroundings 

 in a way which ))romises long life. 



Its favorite position, true to the custom of its 

 family, is lengthwise upon a small prostrate 

 tree-trunk. At the approach of a keeper with 

 food, the bird flies down to the door and greets 



the man with its great mouth wide open and 

 wings quivering with eagerness. Pellet after 

 pellet of meat, egg and meal-worms is caught 

 and swallowed, until the bird signifies its satietj' 

 by flying back to its perch. Few people have 

 seen a niglithawk or a whippoorwill alive, and 

 this bird .attracts a great deal of attention. 



Weight of the Elephant House Collection. — 

 '{"lie aggregate of the specimens now in tlie Ele- 

 ph/int Hou.se, not including the Tapirs, is 20282 

 |)ounds; the weiglits of the individuals being as 

 follows: — Indian Rhinoceros, 1010 pounds; 

 .Male African Rhinoceros, 602 pounds, Female 

 African Hliinoceros, 1080 pounds; West Af- 

 ric.in F.lephant, 1170 pounds; Male Sudan Af- 

 rican Elephant, 1 t60 pounds; Female, 1290 

 jjounds; Male Indian F.lephant, 6800 pounds; 

 and the Female Indian Elephant, 1500 pounds. 



In four years "Gunda" has increased in 

 stature from six feet and seven inches to eight 

 feet, two and one-half inches, and his increase 

 in weight amounts to 3060 poimds. 



E. R. S. 



The Sea Lions. — The Sea-Lions have been re- 

 moved from their summer pool on Baird Court 

 to the large enclosure just vacated by the Hip- 

 po])otamus in the Antelope House. Thus far 

 the Sea-Lions have had rather a trying time 

 during the winter season, chiefly on account of 



TREE PORCUPINE, 

 ng little porcupine, caught by Curator 



