NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 99 



The Three-Toed Sloth, (Brady pus tridactylus) , is the one 

 with a brown ''saddle-mark" of short hair in the middle of 

 its back. The remainder of its pelage is coarse and long, 

 and its greenish tint renders it a close imitation of algae- 

 covered tree-bark. The Two-Toed Sloth, (Choloepus hoff- 

 mani), is much larger than the preceding, and lives longer 

 in captivity. Until recently a fine female specimen, with 

 her young, was exhibited in the Primate House, where it 

 lived about eighteen months. Unlike most captive sloths, 

 it was fond of climbing about the tree-branches which 

 were placed in its cage. 



The Egg-Laying Mammals. For several months recently 

 there were exhibited here two Echidnas of all small mam- 

 mals ever seen alive in New York the most wonderful. The 

 Echidna conies from Australia, the home of most ancient 

 types of mammals, and belongs to the lowest Order of Mam- 

 mals, (Monotremata). Like its distant relative, the duck- 

 billed platypus, it reproduces by laying eggs! Its back 

 is covered with short but very thick spines, and its nose is 

 a long, slender beak, absolutely unique. Other examples of 

 this species will be exhibited whenever possible. 



THE PUMA AND LYNX HOUSE, No. 33A. 



Near the Small-Mammal House (No. 35) will be found 

 a log cabin with its entire front opening into two wire- 

 covered yards. The interior of the building is provided 

 with sleeping-dens in which the occupants of the two enclo- 

 sures can keep dry and warm. This installation is for 

 lynxes, but half of it is occupied by pumas. Already it 

 has fully proven the desirability of keeping lynxes and 

 pumas constantly in the open air, and without artificial 

 heat. To lynxes especially there is nothing more deadly 

 than a well-heated room, indoors. 



The Puma, (Felis concolor], is described in the section 

 relating to the Lion House, where other Pumas are exhib- 

 ited, (page 60). 



Of the Lynxes, we have two well-defined species, and 

 one subspecies. The Canada Lynx, (Lynx canadensis), is 

 well represented in the southern compartment of the Puma 

 House, where a fine adult pair has become acclimatized. 

 This is the Loup Cervier of the French Canadians, and it is 



