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The spitting cobras were of particular inter- 
est. This very dangerous snake of southern 
Africa must be handled with great caution. [ts 
tactics of defense are varied and formidable. 
It feigns death, then suddenly hurls itself at 
any one unsuspecting such habits, or rears in 
true cobra fashion and ejects fine jets of venom 
at the eyes of an intruder. Col. Roosevelt was 
much impressed with this reptile, and describes 
it in the narrative of his great African collecting 
expedition. 
Our Beavers Build a New House.—Flor some 
reason unknown to us, our beavers have decided 
to “move.” The old house has been occupied 
for a number of years and as the colony in- 
creased in numbers, additions were constructed 
to the south and east, until the structure 
appeared like a fair-sized island, with a foliage 
of high weeds. Of late years a small tree 
developed upon it. The house appeared to be 
a thoroughly established structure, satisfactory 
in every respect. 
Early this spring the beavers were observed 
digging tunnels into the shore around the pond. 
They concentrated work upon one of these, 
emerging about ten feet inward from the shcre 
line, where they dug out a circular gallery, full 
of water from the tunnel. Leaving enough of 
the ground above to form a generous living 
platform, above water, they then began exten- 
sive activities in gathering brush, sticks and 
mud. In a short time the familiar dome-like 
house rose over the skillfully planned founda- 
tion. The old house, now deserted is gradually 
sinking and disintegrating, showing that a 
beaver home needs constant attention from these 
animal engineers if it is to remain in habitable 
condition. 
A Noisy Primate House—The Primate 
House, never more crowded with specimens 
than now, has become the noisiest exhibition 
centre in the Park. The most vociferous cherus 
occurs in the morning. The first number is 
produced by three lusty gibbons—two hoolocks 
and a white-handed gibbon. Before the arrival 
of the former, with a shipment of animals pur- 
chased in London by Curator Crandall, our 
white-handed gibbon (many years on exhibition 
in the Park) gave oceasional samples of jnis 
prolonged and piercing call. It is difficult to 
describe, but in effect it is a long wail, increas- 
ing in power and ascending in tone until it 
assumes ear-splitting intensity. 
The hoolock gibbon is gifted with a call of 
shorter duration, but it is persistently repeated, 
and is even more piercing than that of the white- 
ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 
handed species. With three of these animais in 
full ery and all of them much enjoying the 
operation of producing all the noise collectively 
possible, the effect upou the ears is almost 
stunning. The writer has clearly heard this 
chorus while on the Southern Boulevard, out- 
side the Park and nearly half a mile away. The 
daily shouts and yells of Boma, the big chimpan- 
zee, are another story. 
Virgin Forest and Copperhead Snakes.—It 
occasionally happens that we discover a small 
area of country close to the city which appears 
quite undisturbed, and harbors a variety of wild 
life. The Inwood section of upper Manhattan 
Island, and an actual part of the city of New 
York, was long recognized as a spot of that 
kind, but now it is passing rapidly out of such 
standing, owing to the increasing number of 
picnic parties. Its grassy slopes now show 
numerous sears of bare earth, and the inevitable 
litter of newspapers and luncheon refuse that 
follows a fine Sunday. 
Not far north of New York City, however, 
immediately north of White Plains, and within 
the township lines of the latter, there is an 
area about three miles in diameter, that is yet 
undisturbed. In this area, barely forty minutes’ 
motor run from the northern boundary of the 
big city, are fine forests, rocky hills bearing 
mountain laurel, and brooks and lakes, although 
the latter now serve as reservoirs. In this area 
live wild foxes, skunks, raccoons, woodchucks, 
mink and weasels. 
Even more interesting, however, and rather 
serious, too, is the fact that the poisonous cop- 
perhead snake is there quite at home, and in 
fair numbers. The reason for this appears to 
be that no highways traverse the ground over 
which these reptiles would naturally wander in 
search of food. If a road had pierced the centre 
of this territory they would have disappeared 
many years ago, but all of their wanderings 
are among swampy meadows, or among vocks 
and generally under cover. The discovery of 
these poisonous snakes marks the nearest record 
of venomous reptiles to the north of New York 
City. The writer has endeavored to locate the 
hibernating “‘dens’”’ and thus gather the greater 
number of specimens. This beautiful spot 
ultimately will become a haven for picnics, 
and for future bits of real nature we must look 
northward toward the Bedford Hills. 
The Heads and Horns Building.—The writer 
is preparing a “‘trick’’ motion picture to show 
the construction of the Museum Building on 
Baird Court which will house the Society's 
