NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK HOLLISTER 333 



In some of the larger cages of the bird house numerous species of 

 this order of birds are shown. There will be seen many of the more 

 familiar native species as well as rare and beautiful exotics. In 

 near-by cages are some of the larger representatives of the order, 

 including ravens, crows, magpies, and starlings from various cor- 

 ners of the earth. Among the most attractive of the smaller birds 

 are the numerous species of the finch or sparrow family, of which 

 the common canary {Serinus canarius) is a familiar member. 



The weaver birds, native to Australia, India, and Africa, attract 

 a great deal of attention ; this is especially true of the species known 

 as the paradise weaver (Steganura paradisea), which grows tail 

 feathers of great length in the breeding season. 



The satin bower-bird (Ptilonorhynchus violaceus) and the Aus- 

 tralian catbird {Ailurcedus viridis) are interesting forms belonging 

 to the family of birds-of-paradise, which is not distantly related 

 to the crows. One of the most showy of all the perching birds ex- 

 hibited in the park is the cock-ojf-the-rock (Rupicola rupicola), a 

 bright orange species of tropical South America. 



REPTILES 



Reptiles (class Reptilia), as distinguished from mammals and 

 birds, are " cold blooded." The temperature of the animal is greatly 

 influenced or even regulated by that of the surrounding air, or of 

 the water in which it lives. 



Three orders of reptiles are represented in the park collections. 

 These are the turtles and tortoises (Testudinata), alligators and 

 crocodiles (Loricata), and the lizards and snakes (Squamata). 

 One of the urgent requirements of the National Zoological Park is 

 a suitable reptile house, where larger collections of these interesting 

 creatures may be exhibited. At present the reptiles are kept in 

 quarters in the lion house. 



turtles 



Those turtles living entirely on land are often arbitrarily distin- 

 guished from the aquatic species (true turtles) and the semiaquatic 

 forms (terrapins) under the name tortoise. Some of the tortoises 

 are small in size, like our common box turtle of the Eastern States ; 

 while others, particularly some of the island species, grow to an 

 immense size and are supposed to live to a greater age than any other 

 animals. These giant tortoises are now known only from a few 

 islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans, on some of which they were 

 excessively abundant up to comparatively recent years. Visiting 

 ships have now so greatly reduced their numbers that on most of 

 the islands they are completely or almost exterminated. On certain 



