126 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
On the evening of December 27, the various Zoological So- 
cieties attending the New York meeting of the American Asso- 
ciation for the Advancement of Science were entertained at the 
Aquarium, 520 men being present. 
The entertainment took the form of a smoker, which was 
very emphatically pronounced the most satisfactory feature of 
the whole week as it gave the delegates an unusual opportunity 
for an evening of informal talk. The Director and the Aqua- 
rium Committee acted as a reception committee. 
The annual reception at the Aquarium to members of the 
Zoological Society was held on the evening of May 1, when 355 
guests were present. 
On July 30, an explosion occurred on the New Jersey side 
of the Bay, which resulted in the breaking of 64 roof skylights 
and a large number of the ceiling skylights in the Aquarium. 
The roof skylights were repaired without delay, and the bill 
presented to the Commissioner of Parks, to be paid from Park 
Department funds. An estimate was made for the repair of 
the ceiling skvlights and submitted to the Commissioner of 
Parks, who applied for special revenue bonds. The latter re- 
pairs have not yet been made, and if longer delayed there will 
result a considerable loss of heat during the winter. 
THE EXHIBITS. 
The living exhibits of the Aquarium are at the present time 
in excellent condition, and all available exhibition space is fully 
occupied. The total number of specimens in the building is 
5,992, and the number of species 199. Of fishes there are 4,196 
specimens; invertebrates, 1,306; amphibians, 365; reptiles, 128, 
and mammals, only 2—a sea lion and a manatee. 
The manatee, (Manatus inunguis), is the first specimen of 
the Amazon River species to be exhibited in this country. It 
was secured through the help of Captain Torrible of the 
Booth Line Steamer Stephen. This manatee, which is five feet 
long, was received on July 3, and is apparently in the best of 
health at the close of the year. 
During the summer there was much public interest in 
sharks as the result of accidents on the coast of New Jersey, 
where three bathers lost their lives. The Aquarium secured sev- 
