FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 41 



ANIMAL COLLECTIONS 



During the j'ear the animal collections made a notable in- 

 crease in extent and zoological value over their condition at the 

 beginning of the year. The principal effort of the Society has 

 been directed toward strengthening the collections throughout, 

 rather than in the obtaining of a few costly rarities. By reason 

 of this, it is only fair to state that the collections as a whole are 

 the strongest and the richest, zoologically, that they ever have 

 been. 



A noteworthy feature was the formation, under the direc- 

 tion of Curator Ditmars, of an economic collection of insects, and 

 another of reptiles and rodents exhibited together. The former 

 was installed and exhibited in the pavilion between the Ostrich 

 and Small-Mammal Houses and attracted much attention 

 throughout the months of mild weather that it was possible to 

 maintain it at that point. The economic exhibit of reptiles and 

 rodents was permanently installed along the southern side of the 

 main hall of the Reptile House, and aside from greatly increasing 

 the species on exhibition, both of reptiles and of rodents, the 

 collection is calculated to serve the useful purpose of informing 

 the public concerning the relations existing in nature between 

 rodents and the reptiles that destroy them, and certain species 

 of carnivores that especially prey upon reptiles. 



Aside from the usual annual loss of small and short-lived 

 animals, the deaths during the year were quite insignificant. 

 The only losses worthy of note consisted of a male tiger, a kiang 

 of mature years, and a Baker roan antelope. 



The census of the mammals, birds and reptiles living in the 

 Park on January 1, 1911, is as follows: 



Species Specimens 



Mammals 240 815 



Birds 772 3,013 



Reptiles 148 1,335 



1,160 5,163 



These figures show an increase over 1909, of 44 species and 

 163 specimens. 



With the balance on hand in the Animal Fund, the Society 

 proposes to organize expeditions to secure some of the larger 

 animals. Arrangements have been made with a firm in Nairobi, 

 British East Africa, to capture for the Society, a pair of living 



