234 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIKTV BULLETIN 



CALIKOKNIA TRKK TOAD. 

 A species of variable color ami pattern. 



llat l)()dies anil hut^c ])art)ticl glands impart a gni- 

 tesque appearance. Besides these creatures, our 

 common toads, of which there are always several 

 hundred specimens on exhil)ition, ajiiiear r|uite in- 

 significant. 



The collection of the Urodela, or tailed Batrach- 

 ians, in the Reptile House is of considerable interest 

 to the student. Among the aquatic forms e.xhibited 

 are the Amphiuma, or Congo "Snake," {Amphi- 

 iima means), of the southern United States; the 

 Hellljender (Cryplohranchits allegheniensis), of the 

 Lake Region, and tlie Japanese Giant Salamander 

 {CryplobraiK liii'' DiiLyiiiiits). The latter species is 

 as uglv in dispositicui as it is re])ulsive in appear- 

 ance. Adjoining the aquaria containing these spe- 

 cies are the newts, among which are species from 

 the eastern and western LTnited States, and from 

 FAirope. Among these the most .showy are the 

 large Californian Newts {Dicmyctyhis torosus), 

 which are cannibalistic, and necessarily occupy a 

 tank bv themselves. R. l. d. 



THE WHITE GYRFALCON. 



The beautiful white gyrfakon — the spectral 

 hunter of the Arctic regions — is now represented in 

 the collection of the New- York Zoological Park. 

 This bird is one of the only two living specimens of 

 its kind known to be in captivity. 



As the falcons are the noblest of the hawks, so 

 the gyrfalcon is the king among falcons. The 

 specimen which may now be seen in the Zoological 

 Park was picked up at sea, 800 miles off the coast 

 of Newfoundland. 



Where " the northern lights come down o' 

 nights" the gyrfalcon makes its home, never wan- 

 dering southward, save when driven in the teeth of 

 a raging storm, too terrible for even its courageous 

 spirit to resist. Living as it does far north of the 

 tree line, the gyrfalcon places its nest of sticks on a 

 high rocky cliff — perhaps overlooking the Norwe- 

 gian Sea, or facing the boisterous w-aves which roll 

 in tow-ard the Iceland coast. Here, too, innumer- 

 able specimens of water-fowl come to breed; and 

 many a gull, guillemot, duck or plover gives up its 

 life that the young gyrfalcons may grow bigger and 

 stronger. The Arctic hare shrieks as it is snatched 

 from where its shadow betrayed it — snatched hy a 

 winged terror, so white and so swift of flight that 

 it seems to have no shadow. Thus the gyrfalcon 

 seeks its prey — even the cubs of the snarling Arctic 

 fox mother not being safe from this feathered death. 



In the case of the ptarmigan — it is white matched 

 against white, keenness of eye against cunning. 

 As the gyrfalcon is snow-white, that it may the 

 more surely rise in air, hover a moment and droj) 

 with unerring aim upon its prey — so the ptarmigan, 



that it may the better escape the ever vigilant eye 

 of its archenemy, the falcon — has taken on the 

 white (if the surroundirg srow. c. w. w. 



UVKKAl.CON. 

 jboaicl the S.S. Citti de Milano, 

 off the coast uf Xewfouml 



