FIFTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 67 



with very little room available for additions, many opportunities 

 to strengthen the collections were deemed too good to be lost. 



The most noteworthy accession of the year was the gift of 

 Mr. Paul J. Rainey, consisting of six white-fronted musk-ox 

 calves from Ellesmere Land, two young Atlantic walrus, two 

 polar bears and one blue fox. Of the musk-ox calves, one ar- 

 rived bearing an old wound, from which it died shortly after ar- 

 rival. The largest polar bear, called Silver King, is probably 

 the only fully-adult male bear of its species ever captured alive 

 and brought uninjured to a zoological park. The strength and 

 ferocity of this huge animal rendered its transfer, in a flimsy 

 cage, from the ship to the Park, a matter attended with consid- 

 erable danger, lest the bear should tear its way out of its cage and 

 escape. But for the liberal use of chloroform in half-way anes- 

 thetizing the bear while in transit, the troublesome captive might 

 have earned for himself a tragic end. 



For Silver King it was necessary to construct with all pos- 

 sible haste a small cage which can be cleaned wholly from with- 

 out, because neither man nor beast ever can come within that 

 bear's sphere of influence without being quickly destroyed. The 

 other new polar bear could be accommodated only in one of the 

 outside cages of the Lion House, where it will have to remain 

 until the ten new bear dens, now under contract, are erected. 



The female musk-ox from Melville Island, purchased in 1909, 

 continues to thrive, and has made excellent growth. The pres- 

 ent herd of six musk-ox is one of the greatest rarities to be found 

 on exhibition, but unfortunately in the entire lot there is only one 

 female. The five specimens presented by Mr. Rainey have been 

 maintained in perfect health, and we believe that all of them will 

 live to maturity. 



The young walrus arrived in a much emaciated condition, 

 but thanks to the judicious care bestowed upon it by its keeper, 

 it quickly began to accept food. Its regular food consists of soft- 

 shelled clams, supplemented by a small quantity of fresh cod-fish. 

 Of the former, it partakes with keen relish. For several weeks 

 the walrus consumed twenty pounds of food per day, and gained 

 in weight at the rate of three-quarters of a pound per day. Upon 

 arrival, on September 10, 1910, the animal weighed 150 pounds, 

 and on January 14, 1911, it weighed 235 pounds. 



The walrus is quartered at the north end of the Alligator 

 Pool, near the eastern end of the Reptile House, and it has sur- 

 vived the winter without any apparent discomfort. 



