ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



. 6j/ Elvrin R. Sanborn 



VETERAN PARK ALLIGATORS 



The 'gators enjoy buskins in the warm light of the afternoo 



sun as it filters through the skylights above 



Among the records of our deer we can cite 

 the history of an axis deer, which was born 

 in the Park and apparently passed through the 

 normal duration of life for this medium-sized, 

 tropical species. This deer inhabits India and 

 is characteristic in being vividly marked with 

 white spots. Our herd has always flourished 

 and bred well. The tiled record-card of the 

 male deer in question shows this animal to have 

 been born on April 15, 1901. We saved the 

 complete series of its shed antlers, until its 

 death, on October 6. 1914. Each pair of antlers 

 markedly increased in size up to the seventh 

 year, although between the age of three and 

 four years the animal was mature for breeding. 

 The antlers of the seventh, eighth and ninth 



years, when the animal was in its prime, were 

 of uniform size. The antlers of the tenth 

 year were imperfectly developed on the right 

 side, and on the eleventh year, this condition 

 was more strongly indicated, but on the left 

 side. The successive growths were corre- 

 spondingly stunted, with both sides involved. 

 The illustration of this condition under care- 

 ful observation was of particular interest as 

 there lias been much dispute as to whether or 

 not the antlers of a deer "go back" with age. 

 This animal was badly afflicted with rheuma- 

 tism in l!'l 1 and was then mercifully chloro- 

 formed. It would possibly have survived 

 two years longer. An accompanying photo- 

 graph shows the series of antlers. The minia- 

 ture spike antlers (at the bottom) are shed 

 when the animal is about two years old. This 

 record would indicate that the normal life of 

 the Axis Deer is about fifteen years. 



Another male deer — under observation — 



an American wapiti — was born in June, 1906. 



The first antlers were shed in April. 1908. 



There was a steady increase in size of each 



new pair of antlers up to 1912. when the only 



increase was a slight thickening toward the 



base until 191(5. when the successive growth of 



antlers continued of uniform size to date. The 



pair of antlers shed this spring, on April 3, 



weigh seventeen and a quarter pounds. 



A male Florida deer, (Odocoilus virginianus 

 osceola), was born in the Park sixteen years 

 ago and shows no indications of "dropping 

 back" at this date. 



A particularly interesting series of observa- 

 tions were made and noted in relation to our 

 largest specimen of the Galapagos tortoise, now 

 on exhibition twelve years. There has been a 

 common allegation that the species of giant 

 tortoises from the Gallapagos and Aldabra Is- 

 lands live to a great age — supposedly three to 



