ZOOI.OCilCAI. SOCIETY BULLETIN 



BANDED OPOSSUM 

 m from Soti 



tie known. Existint:; londition-. 

 will add much to our knowledge 

 of the Central and South Amer- 

 ican mammals, birds, reptiles, 

 ami)hibians and insects. 

 In two buildinos in the Park— the Reptile 

 House and Bird House— the arrival of a varied 

 aggregation of tro])ical American sjiecimens has 

 resulted in the grouping of the new arrivals into 

 exhibits that already occupy considerable space. 

 This condition will soon be "followed in the Small 

 Mammal House and the Primate House. With 

 the early summer we already find a considerable 

 number of New World tropical species never 

 before exhibited in the Park — and a few of them 

 never previously exhibited alive either in the 

 United States or Europe. 



The mammal and bird collections were recent- 

 ly much strengthened with the return of Curator 

 C. William Beebe, and his assistant. Herbert At- 

 kin, from a purchasing trip to Para. Among 

 the noteworthy mammals brouglit north by this 

 (■x))edition was a series of rodents. One of these 

 is jjarticularly rare. This is a mature specimen 

 of ,1 large rat-like creature, with rather short 

 tail, a photograph of which is herewith shown. 

 Its coloration is dull gray with rows of whitish 

 sjiots. In disposition it is calm and docile and 

 it will permit the keepers to carry it about like 

 a small dog. From various zoological records 

 it appears that this species never before has 

 been exhibited alive, unless in some collection 

 in the immediate vicinity of its habitat — Peru. 

 It is known as Branick's Rat. which title is 

 |)artlv a misnomer, as the animal is not a true 

 rat, but forms a t'ainily by itself, consisting of 

 a single genus and sp.-ciis. This family is tech- 

 nicallv recognized as llic D'liiomiiidac, and in 

 classification it stands between the Dnsiipracti- 



dac — the agoutis and pacas — and the Cai'iidac 

 — the common cavy, Patagonian cavy, capybara 

 an<l allied forms. Other rodents in the new se- 

 ries .-ire the handsome red .-igouli. the pac;i and 

 the .South American squirrel. Six specimens of 

 the latter arrived. Among the Hesh-eaters is a 

 lively and attractive grison. Tiiis animal is not 

 unlike the North American otter, though of more 

 terrestrial habits. Tlie back of this animal is a 

 silvery gray, which hue abru|)tly gives way to 

 black upon the sides. The grison's feet .ire dis- 

 tinctly webbed, but it does well without w.-itcr. 

 It is a bold, exceedingly quick and savage ani- 

 mal, and in a wild state preys upon small mam- 

 mals, birds, rejitiles and fishes. Mr. Beebc's 

 trip also resulted in the addition of a variety of 

 the ocelot or tiger cat that has not previously 

 been exhibited here. This is a banded variety 

 of rather elongated body. Its scientific n.ime is 

 Felix pardalis chibic/ouasou. 



The South American reptile and amphibian 

 collections have assumed really elaborate pro- 

 portions. Of the highly dangerous poisonous 

 serpents we now have on exhibition a large spec- 

 imen of the bushmaster. three specimens of the 

 fer-de-lance, two vividly marked rattlesnakes 

 and two coral snakes. Of the mildly venomous 

 tree snakes we are exhibiting about a dozen 

 specimens, representing five species. Among 

 these the most spectacular is the sharp-nosed 

 tree snake, which illustrates a remarkable case 

 of mimicry. These reptiles are about two and 

 a half feet long, with very slender body. The 

 head is much elongated and terminates in a very 

 sharp snout. Form and coloration causes these 

 snakes to look precisely like the stems and ten- 

 drils of vines. When disturbed they heighten 

 the dece])tion by swaying the neck and head like 

 a branch or tendril that is vibrated by the move- 

 ment of a bough or a breeze. Their food con- 



niiANICKS KAT 

 Illy a nii-ii(inioi-. llu- :in 



