Appendix IV. 



REPORT ON THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 



Sib: I have the honor to present herewith a report of the operations of the 

 National Zoological Park for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1911. 



The general appropriation made by Congress for that year was $100,000, and 

 in addition to this an appropriation of $15,000 was made for roads and walks. 



The cost of maintenance was $81,325, and the amount remaining from the 

 general appropriation, $18,675, was expended in various improvements and 

 repairs. 



ACCESSIONS. 



Among the important accessions of the year were a pair of Haytian soleno- 

 dons, a rare insectivorous mammal, presented by Mr. and Mrs. Franklin Adams 

 of the Pan American Union. A pair of northern fur seals was received from 

 the United States Bureau of Fisheries, a fine female grizzly bear from Maj. 

 H. C. Benson, acting superintendent of the Yellowstone National Park, and 

 four Virginia deer from Gen. Joseph S. Smith, manager of the National Soldiers 

 Home, Bangor, Maine. By purchase, the park obtained a hippopotamus, an 

 East African buffalo, three prong-horn antelopes, a pair of reindeer, a large 

 Asiatic macaque monkey, and various other animals. Some important animals 

 were also obtained by exchange, as noted below. The accessions included about 

 twenty species not before represented in the collection. 



Early in its history the park exhibited for two years a hippopotamus which 

 had been received as a loan. Since that was withdrawn the species has not 

 been represented in the collection. The present animal, a female about 2 years 

 old, is from East Africa and weighs 850 pounds. The buffalo was captured in 

 German East Africa and is believed to be the form described as Bujfelus 

 neumanni. The African buffalo has for some time been rather difficult to 

 obtain, and the park was fortunate in being able to secure a specimen at com- 

 paratively small cost. It was also fortunate in obtaining in western Texas a 

 male and two female prong-horn antelopes, all adult, from which two vigorous 

 young have been born. Through an animal dealer on the Pacific coast the large 

 brown macaque monkey of southeastern Asia and several other species new 

 to the collection were obtained which had not been procurable elsewhere. 



EXCHANGES. 



Surplus animals were disposed of by exchange as usual, in accordance with 

 the terms of the act establishing the park. They were sent to the New York 

 Zoological Park, the London Zoological Garden, and various dealers and private 

 individuals. In return for these, the park secured a number of important ani- 

 mals, including a fine specimen each of bontebok, blessbok, and springbok, a 

 small anteater, a pair of tenrecs (insectivorous mammals of Madagascar), and 

 other mammals and birds. The bontebok and blessbok, which are very beautiful 

 African antelopes, are especially valued, as the former now exists only in a few 



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