ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



895 



increased by the addition of a liamadryas 

 baboon, two long-armed baboons, two golden 

 baboons, six rhesus monkeys, six common maca- 

 ques and two mangabeys. A new type of spring 

 board has been constructed and placed in this 

 cage. This spring board is about twenty feet 

 long, very elastic and supported on studs at both 

 ends. On it the monkeys take much vigorous 

 exercise, some of them bounding about six feet 

 into the air, to the great amusement of our 

 young visitors. R. L. D. 



A Strange Xestling. — One of the white call- 

 ducks established her nest in one of the mule 

 deer shelter houses. There are four deer 

 quartered there that make use of the house at 

 night; but in spite of this, the duck bravely 

 held to her post. A few days before she left 

 the nest. Keeper Quinn observed a small, furry 

 ball peeping out from under her wing, and upon 

 close inspection was astonished to see — not a 

 duckling — but a very small kitten ! The duck 

 resented any attempt on his part to approach 

 closely, but gave no heed whatever to the little 

 tramp. The kitten was thriving as best it could 

 without food, but its pitiful attempts to nurse 

 were so pathetic that we took it from the nest 

 and carried it to the Reptile House, where it 

 was fed and cared for. How it ever found the 

 nest is a mystery. If it had been thrown into 

 the range, there was yet a long distance for it 

 to travel to reach the house, and it was so small 

 and feeble that even this was a Herculean task. 



Flip. — Our walrus, "Flip," is thriving and 

 growing. In the last few months he has gained 

 fifty pounds in weight and is apparently de- 

 termined to join the class of animals that have 

 lived and are going to live out the limit of their 

 natural longevity in the Park. Keeper Snyder 

 has devoted a great deal of care to maintaining 

 Flip in fine condition, and the j'oung walrus re- 

 pays it, both by being healthy and having an 

 abnormal fondness for his keeper. Some mem- 

 bers of the Pinnipedia are well known for their 

 remarkable intelligence, and Flip is bright be- 

 yond the ordinary range of pinniped wisdom. 



If his food is not forthcoming according to 

 the fixed schedules, he makes known his wants by 

 tumbling his food-pan end over end along the 

 rocks, making a continuous racket until some 

 one comes. If irritated he barks like a sea- 

 lion, but expresses pleasure with a number of 

 softly modulated grunts. When the hood seals 

 are fed, he is always a curious observer, and 

 then uses his softest voice to attract the atten- 

 tion of the keeper. Should the man leave with- 

 out noticing him, he barks lustily and dashes 

 into the pool to show his great displeasure. He 

 follows the keeper about like a dog, readily 



climbs a flight of stairs, and descends with the 

 greatest ease, without the slightest uncertainty. 



The water in his pool is artificially maintained 

 at the same salinity as the sea, and is evidently 

 a potent factor in the general good health of the 

 animal. 



Young Hood Seals. — I\Ir. Harry Whitney, 

 who has just returned from a trip into Arctic 

 waters on a sealer, has presented to the Park 

 five hood seal pups. One end of the crocodile's 

 summer pool has been filled with salt water and 

 the youngsters installed there. Although but 

 a trifle over two feet long, they possess tiny, 

 sharp teeth, and an entire willingness to use 

 them if any familiarity is attempted. In pulling 

 themselves up on the rocks, the front flippers are 

 bent so that the seal really walks on the ends 

 as they curve under. When annoyed, they ex- 

 press their irritation by growling very much 

 like a dog. Onl}' three are feeding regularly. 



Moving the Bears. — The new Bear Dens are 

 at last ready, and are being occupied as rapidly 

 as the intended inmates can be moved. The dens 

 fill a long-felt want. All the bears can now be 

 brought together, and the cages that they have 

 occupied in various other buildings can be de- 

 voted to the specimens for which they were in- 

 tended. Inasmuch as many of the tropical bears 

 require heat in the cold months, an ingenious 

 electrical heating plant has been installed in this 

 new series. The compartments requiring heat 

 have been covered over, and the cage fronts 

 fitted with glass. Each sleeping den for the 

 South American and ]\Ialay sun bears is pro- 

 vided with an electric plate warmer, fastened 

 against the outer wall. 



Gavial from the Ganges. — For the second time 

 in the history of the Park, we have a gavial. 

 This time the specimen is of good size. The 

 gavial is interesting because of its habitat — the 

 Ganges and Jumna rivers of India, and its 

 striking form. The very long, thin snout is like 

 the handle of a frying pan. The time was when 

 the gavial sometimes played a part in some of 

 the religious rites of the Hindus. It is recorded 

 that in times past the Hindu mothers did not 

 hesitate to throw their tiny babies into the 

 Ganges, as an offering to the God of the river. 

 It is a fact, however, that the inhabitants of 

 the Ganges-Sumna region do not hold the gavial 

 as sacred, for it is a matter of record that in 

 1877 Director Hornaday collected twenty-five 

 specimens, great and small, without precipitating 

 any trouble with the natives. 



A Lizard Fli/ing Cage. — A big yard with sand 

 and grass, a pool of water, and the privilege of 

 basking in the warm sun should warrant a con- 



