ZOOI.OfiK AI. SOCIK'I'Y Hri.I.KI'lN 



THt: WOMBAT 

 larsupiiil mnmniMl 



SOMK RAHK MAMMALS. 



Bll RaViMOND L. DiTiMARS. 



WK liflievf tliat many of our visitors do 

 not fully appreciate the iniportanee of the 

 collection in the Small Mammal House. 

 Many visitors quickly pass through this build- 

 ing in the searcli to find the installations where 

 the big animals are exhibited. Yet the Small 

 Mammal House has long been a congregating 

 center for students who visit the Park for the 

 specific purpose of making systematic studies of 

 mammals. 



This installation is important from the num- 

 ber of orders of mammals represented there. 

 Representatives of from seven to eight orders 

 are at all times exhibited under the one roof, 

 with a large key label sliowing bands of the 

 different colors that are employed to indicate 

 the respective orders. Kach cage label has a 

 band of color that immediately designates the 

 order of the inmates, the accepted scheme of 

 classification. 



The Small Mannnal House has .always been 

 particularlv rich in rodents ,ind the smaller car- 

 nivora. Among the jiarticularly interesting ro- 

 dents are the gigantic and gaudy Malabar 

 squirrel — the largest known species of the squir- 

 rel genus. The largest rodent in the collection, 



however, is the c.ii)yl);ir.i. whicli from gross 

 examination looks more like one of the mem- 

 bers of the wild swine group. This somewhat 

 sluggish animal of tropical America is semi- 

 aquatic with markedly webbed feet. Its coat 

 is harsh and bristling, and through the sparse 

 hair may be seen the blackish, greasy skin. A 

 medium-sized capyhara will weigh forty-five 

 ])ounds. This is the Largest kiu)wn species 

 among the gn.iwing .-uiim.als. 



Another of the big rodents is the tree rat of 

 t'uba. which att.iins ,a weight of eight pounds. 

 Rarer among the rodents, though of smaller 

 size, are the beautiful squirrels of the tropics 

 of both the New and Old Worlds. The prevost 

 squirrel is particularly beautiful, with bands of 

 pale cream and rusty red upon a coat of lus- 

 trous blue-black. This is a Malayan squirrel, 

 and is rivalled by several species of the Amer- 

 ican tro))ics. One of these is a small animal 

 of Central America with a coat that may be 

 likened to shining bronze: and another is dull 

 grey above, but as he dashes about his cage the 

 observer will be startled as the creature flashes 

 ;in underside of fiery red. These sm.iller sjie- 

 cies are closely rel.ated to the small red s(inirrel 

 of the United" States. 



In the canine series of the smaller carnivores 

 the foxes and their dog-like allies are well rep 



