388 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
Calmette’s anti-venomous serum. We were fortunate soon after 
in obtaining tubes of the specific rattlesnake serum, produced 
by Dr. Vital Brazil, at the Instituto Serum-Therapico, in Sao 
Paulo, Brazil. Keeper Toomey was removed to the German Hos- 
pital, where under the skillful treatment of Doctors Semken and 
Van der Smissen he entirely recovered. He has now completely 
regained the use of his hand. A detailed account of the treat- 
ment in this case appears in the May number of the Society’s 
Bulletin. 
During the year the department suffered a number of minor 
losses from an epidemic of parasites that attacked the smaller 
snakes, causing fatal skin eruptions. Much cleansing, fumigat- 
ing and disinfecting were necessary in eliminating the pests. A 
serious loss occurred during the past December, in the death of 
one of the two large pythons that had been occupying the largest 
central cage for a period of ten years. By special request, the 
body of this fine specimen was presented to the Buffalo Society 
of Natural Sciences, for exhibition in their Museum at Lafayette 
Square, Buffalo, New York. 
The department has contributed much material during the 
year to the American Museum of Natural History. Living mate- 
rial was sent to the Museum for study and final casting for a 
Florida habitat group. All of this material came from our south- 
ern collecting trip. 
The year’s scientific and general work of the department, 
aside from the care of the collections, embraced the preparation 
of various articles in the Bulletin, lectures to school children, 
both at public schools and in the Park, and motion picture prep- 
aration and exhibition before the Children’s Auxiliary of the 
New York Zoological Society, and other occasions. Parts of the 
Society’s forthcoming book on the care of captive animals were 
brought up to date, and much work was done in tabulating and 
perfecting the system of card indexes relating to the longevity 
and disposition of specimens. 
During March, the series of panoramic backgrounds in the 
large snake cages was completed. This work was done by Mr. 
E. A. Costain, in charge of the Park nurseries. 
The most important accession was the series of reptiles col- 
lected in South Carolina. The year’s purchases included but few 
costly specimens. The more important were as follows: 48 tor- 
