TWENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT 67 
The Indian elephant developed quite early in the year his 
annual fit of “‘musth,’” and while we had hoped that it might 
be less severe than usual, it proved to be more so. His bad 
temper was so pronounced and dangerous, and his rage at his 
keepers so constant, it became evident that at last old Gunda 
was suffering from the confinement that was necessary to keep 
him even measurably under control. Accordingly the Director 
advised the Executive Committee of these facts, and recom- 
mended that the life of the animal be terminated without delay. 
The Committee accepted the recommendation, and ordered that 
it be carried into effect. 
Mr. C. E. Akeley, the successful and famous hunter and 
collector of elephants in Africa, was asked to kill Gunda, by 
shooting, and accepted that painful task. On June 21, a single 
bullet from a .26 caliber elephant rifle traversed the brain of 
the great animal, produced instantaneous paralysis of the brain 
and the whole nervous system, and was as painless as chloro- 
form at its best. The skin and skeleton were presented to the 
American Museum of Natural History, and were prepared for 
mounting. 
The female gorilla, Dinah, died on July 31 of loss of ap- 
petite and malnutrition, after having been over eleven months 
on exhibition in the Zoological Park, and about two years after 
she was acquired by the Society’s agent in Africa, Mr. Garner. 
She was entirely free from tuberculosis, and although her in- 
ternal orgars seemed to be sound and healthy, her appetite 
utterly faited to sustain her. 
Among other mammal losses during the year were a harte- 
beest, a musk-ox, the pygmy African elephant, and two aged 
bison. Aside frcm the losses due directly to accidents, infirm- 
ities of temper and old age, the death toll during the year was 
by no means great. Fortunately there were no epidemics. The 
pygmy elephant, Congo, had become hopelessly afflicted with 
neuritis, and after having lived in the Park since July, 1905, 
he was destroyed on November 3, 1915. 
The foreign wild animal market has been seriously injured 
by the war, but thanks to our connection with G. Tyrwhitt- 
Drake, Esq., the owner of a large and excellent private men- 
agerie at Maidstone, England, we have received during 1915 
some excellent accessions. Our single-humped camel, from Mr. 
_Drake’s collection, is a particularly fine and handsome animal, 
