56 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



quainted with the fact that, because of the general lack of facilities 

 for studying reptiles, the Zoological Society proposed to devote 

 early attention to animals of this class. The Society was fortu- 

 nate in securing for Assistant Curator, in charge of Reptiles, 

 Mr. Raymond L. Ditmars, a thoroughly qualified expert in the 

 care of reptiles in captivity, and also a man well versed in reptilian 

 classification and life history. Mr. Ditmars assumed the duties 

 of his position on July 17, 1899, and, in addition to caring for 

 the reptiles then in the Park, he at once began to take measures 

 for the increase of the collection, and presented to the Society his 

 own private collection of living serpents, consisting of forty-five 

 specimens, representing fifteen species. 



Pending the completion of the Reptile House, all the reptilian 

 collections were temporarily provided for in the animal yard, 

 which has previously been mentioned. One very difficult feature 

 in connection with the collections of this department is the food 

 supply, and the ingenuity of the Curator and his assistants has 

 been taxed to the utmost to supply the great variety of food which 

 the capricious appetites of captive reptiles demand. 



From the outset a fair share of attention had been bestowed 

 upon the formation of collections for this building, and the de- 

 gree of progress that had been made by the opening day seemed 

 acceptable to the public. The venomous serpents of North Amer- 

 ica were particularly well represented. A special effort was made 

 to show as many as possible of the batrachians, which resulted in 

 the exhibition of thirteen species. A good collection of turtles 

 and terrapins filled the central pools and sand-banks which had 

 been provided for them, and the alligator pool contained seven 

 alligators, varying in length from six to twelve feet. The largest 

 individual alligator was obtained for the Society in Cocoa, Florida, 

 and brought up with the two carloads of specimens received from 

 that State. 



Two very fine reticulated pythons were secured by purchase in 

 New York City, but, owing to the unexpected cold wave which 

 visited the Atlantic coast in October, before the Reptile House was 

 heated, one of these specimens died of congestion of the lungs. 

 The other survived, and is still in good condition. Purchases of 

 reptiles have been made from time to tim^, as opportunity offered. 



