216 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1888. 



It is worthy of note that of all the specimens not bred in the me- 

 nagerie more than three times as many were received by gift as it was 

 necessary to purchase. Furthermore, of the one liundred and twenty- 

 three specimens received by presentation, about three-fourths were 

 oflered voluntarily, and without either suggestion or personal solicita- 

 tion from the curator. The actual cash value of all the gifts is at least 

 six times that of nil the specimens purchased. 



In addition to the gifts mentioned in the list already given, the 

 most noteworthy mammals are the following : A fine pair of American 

 bison from Mr. B. G. Blackford, New York ; a very large male jaguar 

 from Mr. J. W. Eiddle; Eagle Pass, Texas ; two black bears from Mr. 

 J. J. E. Liudberg, El Paso, Texas ; a male Yirginia deer from Captain 

 E. L. Hoxie, Montgomery, Alabama, and a female of the same species 

 from Dr. P. Glennan, Washington, District of Columbia; two black 

 bear cubs from Mr. J. S. Miller, Commissioner of Internal Revenue, 

 Washington ; a coyote from Mr. F. D. Nowell, Korth Platte, Nebraska ; 

 a gray wolf from Mr. C. A. Dole, Glendive, Montana; a grivet monkey 

 from Mr. L. Moxley, Washington, and an exceedingly interesting Mexi- 

 can spider monkey {Ateles vellerosus) from Mr. C. H. Townseud, U. 

 S. Fish Commission stesimer Albatross ; a gray fox from Mr. George 

 E. Brown, Alexandria, Virginia. 



Of the many rare and interesting birds presented, it is impossible to 

 mention here the names of even the most valuable objects, but a com- 

 plete list of all the gifts will be found appended to this report. 



Among the specimens purchased the most interesting were a puma 

 from Fort Keogh, and a " silver-tip" grizzly bear cub from Billings, 

 Montana; a fine black bear from South Carolina, received from Dr. G. 

 E. Manigault in exchange, and the deer and spotted lynxes mentioned 

 in the list of specimens which were procured on the trip to the Pacific 

 coast. During the month of June a beginning was made toward the 

 formation of a collection of living reptiles, but since nothing worthy 

 of mention was accomplished until after June 30, the record Of the 

 work done properly belongs to the next report. 



Among the small and more common species of mammals and birds 

 there have been several deaths, but the only loss of any importance 

 during the eight months was that of the two spotted lynxes (Lynx 

 maculatus), obtained in Salt Lake City. During the early part of the 

 winter, before the heating apparatus was in satisfactory order, the 

 female of the pair died of pneumonia, and the male succumbed a few 

 days later to uraemic poisoning. Owing to the flimsy nature of some 

 of our temporary cages several opossums and two woodchucks escaped, 

 and, still more to be regretted, six quails and a pair of gambels part- 

 ridges were killed in one night by rats, with which the menagerie 

 building is still completely infested, in spite of the great numbers that 

 have been caught, killed, and fed to the birds of prey. 



