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ZOOLOGICAL 

 SOCIETY BULLETIN 



Number 47 



Publixhed by the New York Zoological Society September, 1911 



NOTES ON THE S:MALL MA^NIMAL COLLECTION. 



5EVERAL noteworthy additions have recent- 

 ly been made to the collection of small 

 mammals. Among the most important is 

 a pair of Wombats. A Panda is for the first 

 time exhibited in the Park, two species of the 

 small East Indian cats have been added, the col- 

 lection of wild canines has been strengthened, 

 and the series of rodents has been materially in- 

 creased. We are also able to report the accli- 

 matization of a colony of ^link. 



The ]5ossibility of exhibiting representative 

 species of a considerable number of zoological 

 orders renders the Small-Mammal House of par- 

 ticular value to students, and has prompted us 

 to strengthen the educational value of this series 

 by means of key labels. We have been anxious 

 to show representative forms of the most im- 

 portant zoological groups of small mammals. 



Our latest and rarest acquisition is a fine 

 specimen of the Panda, {Aelurus fulgens), from 

 the southeastern Himalayas, via Calcutta. The 

 zoological position of this strange creature has 

 long been a puzzle to systematists, some rank- 

 ing it near the bears, and others next to the 

 raccoons. At present it seems to stand undis- 

 turbed near the latter. In size and form it sug- 

 gests the American marten. 



Although this strange animal is frequently 

 seen in the larger zoological gardens of India, 

 and has been bred in the Calcutta Gardens, 

 none seem to find their way to America in the 

 dealers' shipments. For our specimen we are 

 wholly indebted to Dr. P. Chalmers Mitchell, 

 Secretary of the Zoological Society of London. 

 wlio ])urcliased it for us in London. 



