40 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



The return of the Tropical Research Expedition to British 

 Guiana under Mr. William Beebe increased our collections by the 

 following : 



Specimens 



Mammals 31 



Reptiles 117 



Birds 154 



Fishes 13 



Mr. Raymond L. Ditmars, Curator of Reptiles at the Zoo- 

 logical Park, returned from an expedition to South Carolina, 

 during the latter part of May with 560 specimens, representing 

 40 species of reptiles and amphibians. 



COLLECTIONS AT THE AQUARIUM. 



A census of the exhibits at the Aquarium taken January 1, 

 1917, shows the following results : 



January 1, 1916 January 1, 1917 



Species Specimens Species Specimens 



Fishes 140 3,186 149 4,196 



Reptiles 23 95 19 123 



Amphibians 14 166 8 365 



Invertebrates 21 2,238 21 1,306 



Mammals 2 3 2 2 



200 5,688 199 5,992 



The collections have continued in excellent condition and all 

 exhibition space is filled to its utmost capacity. The construc- 

 tion of a large number of new tanks with increased depth has 

 added greatly to the capacity of the building and to the interest 

 of the exhibits. 



The principal additions during the year were about 1,000 

 tropical fishes from Florida, five porpoises, an eight-foot shark, 

 and a manatee from the Amazon. The porpoises and shark died 

 during the year, but the manatee is living and is in excellent 

 condition. The collection of tropical fishes is an unusually fine 

 one. 



The only serious loss during the year w^as a collection of 

 fishes secured in the Bahama Islands, which was destroyed dur- 

 ing a hurricane in July. 



