REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 69 



AFRICAN ANIMALS. 



While the Smithsonian Expedition was in British East Africa Mr. W. N. 

 McMillan, of Nairobi, presented to the park a collection of East African animals 

 which he had gathered at his place, Juja farm, about 25 miles from Nairobi. 

 The collection included 5 lions, 2 cheetahs, a leopard, a Grant's gazelle, a wart- 

 hog, and several smaller mammals and birds. It was thought advisable to send 

 the assistant superintendent of the park to Nairobi to attend to the shipping 

 and come through with the animals, on account of the importance and value of 

 this collection, and the fact, stated by the Smithsonian party, that other desir- 

 able specimens, already in captivity, could be obtained in the region about 

 Nairobi, and also because of the special precautions which the Agricultural De- 

 partment required to be taken in order to prevent the introduction of con- 

 tagious diseases, either through the animals themselves or by means of food 

 or other supplies obtained for them. He left Washington toward the end of 

 July, 1909, and returned with the animals December 17. Shipment from Mom- 

 basa was made October 28 by a steamer of the Compagnie des Messageries 

 Maritimes. At Port Said the animals were transferred to a lighter and kept 

 there, without landing, for thirteen days, awaiting the arrival of a steamer going 

 directly to Philadelphia. The voyage from Port Said, by a German freight 

 steamer, occupied twenty-six days, but the weather was unusually favorable. 

 With the exception of a few animals, very recently captured or very young, 

 there was no loss between Nairobi and Philadelphia. The ruminants and wart- 

 hog were held in quarantine at Philadelphia for about six weeks to allow 

 thorough inspection and inoculation tests to be made to determine whether they 

 carried any communicable disease. It is gratifying that all proved to be free 

 from disease, since the region from which they came can furnish many im- 

 portant animals which are as yet but little represented in zoological collections. 

 Through the kindness of the Philadelphia Zoological Society the animals were 

 kept at their gardens during the time of quarantine. The two cheetahs had 

 died before shipment was made and the male Grant's gazelle had been killed by 

 accident. With these exceptions all of the animals presented by Mr. McMillan 

 reached Washington safely and are still at the park. A pair of eland, a pair of 

 Coke's hartebeest, a waterbuck, a Grant's zebra, and a bateleur eagle, which 

 were purchased, reached Philadelphia in apparently good condition, but the male 

 eland died of impaction of the intestine while in quarantine. A young male 

 eland was presented by Lord Delamere, but, being in poor condition when 

 received, lived only a few days. A pair of Thomson's gazelle and an impala, 

 all very young, and a pair of white-bearded gnu, caught just before shipping, also 

 died very soon. 



Mr. G. H. Goldfinch, assistant game ranger of British East Africa, presented 

 a hyrax and two specimens of Lophiomys, a rare and little-known rodent. 



The 21 animals which reached the United States included 15 species, of 

 which 13 were species or subspecies not at any time before represented in the 

 collection of the park. The lions are of the subspecies known as " Kilimanjaro 

 lion" (Felis leo sabakiensis) . 



In arranging for transportation it was necessary to go to London and Ham- 

 burg, and, taking advantage of the opportunity, brief visits were made to 14 

 zoological gardens in Europe, and the Giza Garden, near Cairo, was visited on 

 the return. 



The expenditures in connection with these animals were: 



Freight, hauling, and expenses of transshipping $2, 555 



Purchase of animals 728 



Cages for shipping 450 



