58 ^'E^V YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



consisted of five young frigate birds from Mexico, weka rails from 

 New Zealand, several rufous tinamous, brush turkeys from Aus- 

 tralia, quail doves, Wonga-Wonga pigeons, thicknees, maribou 

 storks, red kites, a bataleur eagle, chattering lory, alpine chough 

 and Himalayan finch. 



The most serious loss of the year was the old California condor, 

 which died from swallowing a rubber band, administered by 

 some visitor. By great good fortune, a second specimen had been 

 purchased and received in the collection a few days previous to the 

 tragedy. The new bird, "General." which, from the egg up, was 

 studied and photographed by Mr. W. L. Finley, is now protected 

 from the treacherous public by two screens of wire mesh. 



In September, First-Keeper Stacey arrived from London with 

 a verv fine consignment of birds, chiefly in exchange from the 

 London Zoological Society's Gardens, and it is hoped that other 

 exchanges with that institution may be eflr'ected. 



Among the gifts received during the year, special mention 

 should be made of five flamingoes from Air. James McLaughlin, 

 ten Curacoa birds from Captain Edgar A. Holmes, a white gyr- 

 falcon from the captain of the steamer "Furnessia,'' and a Euro- 

 pean curlew from the captain of the steamer "Oscar II." 



The Curator of Birds has greatly advanced the labeling of the 

 bird collection as a whole, by the production of many descriptive 

 labels of large ^ize, and maps of distribution. For some of the 

 latter, a special copper frame has been designed and made by 

 our workmen, with very satisfactory results. A series of twenty- 

 two large descriptive labels of important avian Families has 

 been printed and framed, the majority of which have been placed 

 in the Glass Court. 



The health of the birds generally has been excellently main- 

 tained. It is well understood that, in every vivarium which con- 

 tains hundreds of small and delicate birds, many deaths must 

 occur each year. As with the mammals, however, the largest and 

 most important specimens are the ones which live longest ; and 

 the deaths among the tiny species are not noticed by the public. 



The general extent and richness of our bird collection is well 

 shown in the following summary : 



