ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



289 



saging brought the desired results. The snake 

 was seen to take a Ijig breath and soon exhale it. 

 Regular breathing followed, showing the creature 

 to be in good condition. Before the reptile became 

 vigorous it was accurately measured, an altogether 

 unsatisfactory task with a large constricting snake 

 in lively condition, owing to the writhing and the 

 varied contortions assumed by the body. It re- 

 quired a period of nearly ten days for the snake to 

 regain normal vigor. Then it struck viciously at 

 whoever approached, evincing every symptom of a 

 heartv interest in life. .\ few da\s later the snake 

 began feeding and it is now in a thriving condition. 

 This boa is unusually dark for its kind, being 

 almost black, and having but obscure traces of the 

 brilliant yellow saddles to be seen on the backs of 

 most sjjecimens. Its peculiar coloration may lie 

 due to great age, or a life in an e.\ce|)tionally 

 thick and humid portion of the ecjuatorial forest. 

 .■\long the body are numerous dee]3 scars, telling a 

 mute story of battles with peccaries and agoutis 

 that have finally succumbed to the snake's con- 

 stricting ])owcrs. R. I.. D. 



The greater number of the phoIogra|ili- of fishes 

 and aquatic animals jiublishcd in the .\pril number 

 of the BiLLETi.N" were made by Mr. Sanborn, of the 

 Zoological Park, and Mr. Spencer, of the .-Vcjuarium. 

 These fish pictures are unusually satisfactory ex- 

 amples of this most difficult kind of photography. 



It has been a custom for manv vears to procure 

 certain fresh-water fishes for the Acjuarium from 

 the lakes in the various parks of New York C'itv. 

 -Among the fishes obtained from the large lake in 

 Central Park is the European Rudd (.Scurdiiiiiis 

 vrythroplhabntts), or Pearl Roach, as it is locallv 

 known. The history of its introduction is unknown 

 and it occurs nowhere else in this countrv. The 

 lake has long been overstocked with this and other 

 species, with the result that the fishes, in general, 

 have l)ecome somewhat dwarfed in size. 



With a view to giving the Pearl Roach a chance to 

 develop, and also to insure the safety of the race 

 in the event of the Central Park lake being drained 

 at any time, the Aquarium collectors transferred 

 fifty specimens to the large lake in Prosiiect Park 

 in iQoi. Some of these have just been brought to 

 the Aquarium, where their large size and handsome 

 appearance at once attracted attention. Thev are 

 more than twice as large as any received heretofore, 

 while the vermilion color of the fins is brighter. 

 From a length of about fi\e inches thev have grown 

 to an average of twelve inches and are decidedlv 

 heavier in proportion. The improvement is doubt- 

 less due to superior conditions prevailing in the 

 Prospect Park lake. C. H. T. 



.\ collection of sea-horses has just been received 

 from Atlantic City, N. J. They were captured with 

 seines in the lagoons just back of that city. 



The .\(|uariuni fish-hatchery has delivered to the 

 Xew York lM.--h Commission nearly t,ooo,ooo 

 fish-fry since January ist. About 100,000 vellow- 

 ])erch fry were placed in Cope Lakein the Zoological 

 Park, where they will be available later on as food 

 for sea-birds. The United States Fisheries Bureau 

 has, as heretofore, sup])lied the A(|uarium with fish 

 eggs from government hatcheries. 



\A'hile the California Sea Lion, which was trans- 

 ferred from the Zoological Park to the Aquarium in 

 January, is lhri\ ing, as was half-ex])ectcd its habit 

 of loud barking proved anncjying incloors and it was 

 threatened with banishment. It barked almost 

 continuously and could be silenced only by feeding. 

 Instructions were accordingly given to feed it, 

 whenever it was necessary, to keep it silent. Under 

 this treatment it ra|)idly grew fat, and instead of 

 sitting on the ])lalform and barking, it took to the 

 water and learned to amuse itself swimming. It 

 now swims all day long, ap])arently enjoying the 

 exercise, while the hahii of i)arking has been prac- 

 tically abandoned. 



Seals kept indoors do not live long unless they 

 arc actixc. The slee])y, lazy kind become tender, 

 and die after a few months of pneumonia or fatty 

 degeneration of the heart, while active seals will live 

 for years. A West-Indian seal lived in the .Aquarium 

 {i\e and a half years and a harbor seal eight and a 

 half years, both individuals being of the energetic 

 sort, swimming for hours each day, and it would be 

 fair to say that they sjjent more than half the time 

 in active e.xercise. 



The new sea lion gives promises of being of the 

 athletic, long-lived class, a comfort to his keeper 

 and a source of pleasure to the public. 



Master Edward Redfield, oi Cloister, X. J., has 

 presented five sjsecimens of Muhlenberg's turtle. 

 This species ranges from southern New York to 

 eastern Pennsylvania, but is never common in the 

 vicinity of New York City. It is of small size and 

 easily identified by the brilliant orange spots on 

 each side of the head. 



The .\quarium is indebted to this young collector 

 for annual donations of salamanders and turtles 

 from the neighborhood of Cloister, and does not 

 often get the Muhlenberg turtle elsewhere. 



The members of the Society and their friends, 

 will have an exceptional opportunity to furchase 

 specimens of the various species of deer in the 

 Zoological Park this autumn. Our herds having 

 increased to such an extent that the surplus will, 

 in all probability, be sold at auction. c. n. T. 



