ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



were brought to New York by the Roosevelt 

 Expedition. These animals have the reputation 

 of being delieate in eaptivity, and therefore re- 

 quire special eare. 



Srcimming Frof/s. — A rare Swimming Frog 

 has been added to the collection in the Rej)- 

 tile House. There are two dozen specimens, 

 collected in South Africa. These belong to a 

 small family of frogs, the members of which 

 never leave the water. They have a curious 

 habit of croaking under water, making sounds 

 like the jingling of small bells. 



Coscoroba Cicese. — Among the birds which 

 reached the Zoological Park shortly after its 

 inauguration, were four Coseoroba Geese, which 

 came on October 2, 1899. Two of these speci- 

 mens survived until 1901. but since that time 

 the species has not been represented in the col- 

 lection, nor has it appeared in the American 

 market. 



In .Tune of this year two birds were offered 

 for sale and we were able to secure them. They 

 are curious creatures, and their status has 

 caused much discussion. They have been com- 

 pared at different time to the swans, the ducks 



•uid the gee.se, , but that the latter are their 

 closest relatives is now generally conceded. 



Their plumage is entirely white, with the ex- 

 ception of the primaries, which are tipped with 

 black. They are about the size of the White 

 fronted Goose, but the neck is considerably 

 longer, and even swan-like, which led to their 

 inclusion with these birds. The beak is light 

 |)ink, and in shape suggestively like those of 

 the sheldrakes. 



They are inclined to be delicate when first 

 imported, but once established, like most of the 

 geese, they are hardy and long-lived. 



Jbi/sshiian Lion. — Quartered in the center 

 cage of the Lion House is one of tlie finest 

 Abyssinian lions that has reached America in 

 many years. Menelik is of the tyjic in which 

 the mane ends at the fore portion of the 

 shoulders, thus disclosing the great muscles 

 that sculptors are so fond of delineating. He 

 is of great size and of a particularly striking 

 tawnv hue. Because of the age of Sultan, he 

 at once ranks as the star of the collection. No 

 lion that we have ever exhibited has shown more 

 docility and good sense than this new ar- 



