184 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1959 
awaited. In addition, three capybaras and two more old bison showed 
necropsy lesions of tuberculous infection. 
A young DeBrazza’s guenon, a 6-week-old squirrel monkey, a pig- 
tailed macaque, and a moor macaque all sickened and died rapidly 
with signs and necropsy findings consistent with a virus encephalitis. 
No definite diagnosis could be made because of lack of facilities. The 
problem of virus infections is one which needs investigation, since it 
is probable that immunization procedures would be of considerable 
value. 
Other losses during the year were animals that may have established 
a longevity record, such as the white-faced heron (Notophoyx novae- 
hollandiae), which was received September 11, 1938, and died August 
20, 1958; Anzio Boy, the hero homing pigeon, hatched in San Prisco, 
Italy, in 1943, and credited with completing 38 wartime missions in 
Italy during World War IT; the Przewalski horse, born in Philadel- 
phia in 1926; and the African civet (Civettictis civetta) 1 which was 
brought from Liberia by the Smithsonian-Firestone Expedition of 
1940. 
A long-acting ataraxic drug (Trilafon, Schering) has been used 
with very encouraging results on the following animals, all except the 
last being given by projectile syringe: 
Gaur, young male. This animal was shipped to the Philadelphia Zoological 
Gardens after receiving two doses of the drug. He was crated, loaded, and 
trucked without creating any disturbance. 
Yak, male. This very aggressive bull was given one dose of the drug which 
lasted for 4 days, during which it was possible for the men to enter his pen. 
American bison, male. This bull became aggressive when it was necessary 
to treat one of the old cows. He also began to knock the cow about and keep 
her down. After the drug had been given he became docile and easily managed. 
Brown fallow deer, buck. The animal was extremely excitable until given this 
drug for the removal of a leg cast. 
Pampas cat. This excitable individual was given a small dose of the drug to 
facilitate trapping and moving to new quarters. The move was easily accom- 
plished, and the effect of the drug lasted during the early acclimatization period 
in the new cage. 
Following are the statistics for the mortality rates during the past 
fiscal year and a table of comparison with the past 6 years: 
Mortality, fiscal year 1959 Total mortality, past 6 fiscal years 
TOE PAT WAl@ aysbe Su Be ie ee ee 648 
Mammals= 22 - = 95 DOO O Da ee oe ee a ee ee eee 735 
Birdss aes 148 DAPI OG eee eae te ee eee one ee ne een 618 
Reptiles. eet 138 APN MOD (Es ee Gls BER Oy Pe 549 
a FOB axl ot in 2 reel DEA 550 
AMON 381 ONG NSNO 5 Oa 8 oc aes Mm ee 472 
*Attrition is the term used for those losses due mainly to the trauma of shipment and handling after 
accession at the Zoo, or before an animal can adapt to cage habitation within the collection. 
1 Originally identified as Civettictis civetta, the animal was later carried on 
Zoo records as Herpestes ichneumon, but proper identification has been established 
as Civettictis civetta. 
