36 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



ATTENDANCE. 



The attendance at the Park and the Aquarium for 1915, as 

 compared with 1914, has been as follows: 



Park Aquarium 



1914 2,020,433 2,029,707 



1915 1,780,077 1,538,831 



There appears to be no specific reason for the decrease in 

 the attendance at both institutions as noted above, other than 

 the war in Europe. 



The total annual cost to the City for the maintenance of 

 these two institutions for the year 1915 is .074 cents per visitor. 



COLLECTIONS AT THE PARK. 



A census of the animals in the Zoological Park, taken Janu- 

 ary 1, 1916, is as follows: 



January 1, 1915 January 1, 1916 



Species Specimens Species Specimens 

 Mammals 204 586 211 636 



Birds 811 2,753 813 2,773 



Reptiles 164 1,014 157 791 



1,179 4,353 1,181 4,200 



Gunda. — In June, upon the recommendation of Dr. Horna- 

 day, and after full consideration by your committee, the death 

 of the large male Indian elephant Gunda was authorized. In- 

 stead of improving, as was hoped, the elephant's state of erotic 

 frenzy had become worse. For the first time in his life, Gunda re- 

 fused to take food, and his desire to kill a keeper became a mania. 

 On Tuesday morning, June 22, 1915, Mr. Carl E. Akeley of 

 the American Museum of Natural History shot Gunda through 

 the head, producing instantaneous paralysis of the brain. 



The skeleton and the skin have been presented to the 

 Museum, and the soft anatomy to the College of Physicians and 

 Surgeons for use in research work. Certain available portions 

 of the carcass were used as food for the animals. 



Gunda arrived at the Zoological Park in May, 1904, as the 

 gift of Col. Oliver H. Payne. For a short time he was used as 

 a riding animal, under careful supervision, but his temper in- 



