58 NEW “YORK: ZOOLOGICAL S@GCEAIN. 
consisted of five young frigate birds from Mexico, weka rails from 
New Zealand, several rufous tinamous, brush turkeys from Aus- 
tralia, quail doves, Wonga-Wonga pigeons, thicknees, maribou 
storks, red kites, a bataleur eagle, chattering lory, alpine chough 
and Himalayan finch. 
The most serious loss of the year was the old California condor, 
which died from swallowing a rubber band, administered by 
some visitor. By great good fortune, a second specimen had been 
purchased and received in the collection a few days previous to the 
tragedy. The new bird, “General,” which, from the egg up, was 
studied and photographed by Mr. W. L. Finley, is now protected 
from the treacherous public by two screens of wire mesh. 
In September, First-Keeper Stacey arrived from London with 
a very fine consignment of birds, chiefly in exchange from the 
London Zoological Society’s Gardens, and it is hoped that other 
exchanges with that institution may be effected. 
Among the gifts received during the year, special mention 
should be made of five flamingoes from Mr. James McLaughlin, 
ten Curacoa birds from Captain Edgar A. Holmes, a white gyr- 
falcon from the captain of the steamer “Furnessia,” and a Euro- 
pean curlew from the captain of the steamer “Oscar II.” 
The Curator of Birds has greatly advanced the labeling of the 
bird collection as a whole, by the production of many descriptive 
labels of large size, and maps of distribution. For some of the 
latter, a special copper frame has been designed and made by 
our workmen, with very satisfactory results. A series of twenty- 
two large descriptive labels of important avian [amilies has 
been printed and framed, the majority of which have been placed 
in the Glass Court. 
The health of the birds generally has been excellently main- 
tained. It is well understood that, in every vivarium which con- 
tains hundreds of smali and delicate birds, many deaths must 
occur each year. As with the mammals, however, the largest and 
most important specimens are the ones which live longest; and 
the deaths among the tiny species are not noticed by the public. 
The general extent and richness of our bird collection is well 
shown in the following summary : 
