ZOOr.OGICAL SOCIETY UULLETIN 



41 



size ami displays ihc greatest strength of any 

 of tlie laccrtilians. In a wild state, the several 

 species of monitor are bold and voracious, 

 preying upon small mammals, birds and their 

 eggs, as well as frogs and fishes. Upon seiz- 

 ing an animal of sufficient size to show sub- 

 stantial resistance, they fiercely shake it to 

 death, in much the same manner as a terrier 

 does a rat. 



During the early part of the present year, 

 the S<KMety was fortunate in securing a s])eci- 

 men of the Cuban Crocodile (Crocodiliis 

 rlioiiibifcr). which came as a gift from Capt. 

 A. G. Hammond, of the 8th U. S. Cavalry. 

 The si)ecimcn is about 5 feet long, and very 

 hostile. It is exhibited in the central tank 

 (if the main hall, in the Re])tile House. Quite 

 recently, another crocodile arrived at the Park. 

 This is a specimen of the I'Mnrida (.'rncodile 

 I Croci'tliliis iiiitriiciiiuis uciiliis). nu'.'isuriiig 

 eight feet nine inches in length, ;uid w:is ])re- 

 sented by .Mr. Julian A. Uimock, of New 

 \'(>rk City. .\ few <lays after her arrival in 

 the I\e])tile Mouse, this specimen deposited 

 thirly-iine eggs. The eggs were i)laced in a 

 hastih' im|)r(jvised incubator, and probably 

 will yield an interesting colony of young 

 saurians. 



I'or some time past, efforts have been made 

 to secure a re])rcscntative collection of rattle- 

 >nakes. These endeavors have resulted in 

 placing the following S])ecies on exhibition: 

 South .American Rattlesnake (Cro talus tcrrif- 

 iciis) : Diamond-P.acked Rattlesnake (C. ada- 

 iiuiiitCKs) ; Texas Rattlesnake ( C. afrox) : 

 Red Rattlesnake (C. atrox nilh-y) : Timber 

 Rattlesnake [C. Iicrridiis). and the Southern 

 lirnnnd Rattlesn;iki' iSislniriis iniliariiis) . 

 This series of species comprises twenty-four 

 s]iecimens. 



The difTerent s])ecies of rat snnkes, rei)re- 

 scnting the most showy of the .\merican 

 snakes, are well represented by about one 

 hundred and thirty S]3ecimens. This may be 

 also said of the southern water snakes, which 

 constitute one of the most attractive cages 

 in the building. The latter vary in color 

 from brown, green and yellow into brilliant 

 shades of red. .\ particularly large s])eci- 

 men of the Firown \\'ater Snake (.Vatrix 

 taxis/'Hofa) . arrived recently, ^^'itll its thick 

 bodv, triangular head and sinister markings, 



this snake is more formidable in appearance 

 than the venomous " Cotton-Mouth " with 

 which it lives in the coffee-colored waters of 

 the Savannah River. 



Three large jjythons arrived recently at the 

 Park. Two are of the P.lack-Tail species 

 (I'ythoii niohinis), and one a Regal Python 

 {I'ylluiii rcticuUitiis). The latter is over 

 twenty feet long, and makes a fitting cage- 

 mate for the magnificent female python, 

 " Czarina." purchased some two years ago. 

 The larger of the Pdack-Tailed Pythons is a 

 gift from ]\Ir. William Barbour, of New York. 

 It measures eighteen feet in length, and about 

 fourteen inches in circumference. 



The Curator of Reptiles has received a let- 

 ter from a correspondent in the West Indies, 

 that a magnificent specimen of the Fer-de- 

 r.ance has been captured, and will be shi]ipcd 

 III the Park at once. 



This s])ecimen will be ]i;uiicularl\- interest- 

 ing from the fact that large numbers of these 

 dreaded snakes were destroyed during the re- 

 cent volcanic disturbance in Martinique, and 

 it was thought for a time that the portion of 

 the Island princijially infested by the reptiles, 

 had been smothered with ashes and dust. Al- 

 though this is not the exact condition of affairs, 

 the name of the Fcr-de-Lance has once again 

 come into ])rominence. In the French Islands 

 of Martini(|ue and St. Lucia, this formidable 

 snake has always been dreaded and its appear- 

 ance strikes terror to the traveller. It is one 

 of the largest of the tropical vipers, and pro- 

 vided with fangs that are .-dnuist invariably 

 fatal in their work. 



The specimen on the way to the Zoological 

 Park is over six feet long, and described as 

 esiiecially brilliant in coloration. When the 

 rejitile arrives at the Park, it will be exhibite<l 

 in the scries of cages containing the rattle- 

 snakes and other vi])erine serpents. 



Tb.e south pavilion of the Rocking Stone 

 Restaurant has been tastefullv arrangetl to ac- 

 conuiiodate the overflow from the dining-room. 

 Palms and plant-baskets arc generously scat- 

 tered about, and the surroundings of trees and 

 green sward add greatly to its beauty and 

 popularity. 



