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ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



w 



BtpartmtntB -. 

 Mammals Aquarium 



T. HORNADAV. C. H. TOWNSEND. 



Birds 

 C. William Beebk. 

 Lee S. Crandall. 



Reptiles 

 Rayjiond L. Ditmars. 



Published bi-monthly at the Office of the Society, 

 11 Wall Street, New York City. 



Yearly by Mail, $1.00. 



MAILED FREE TO MEMBERS. 



Copyright, 19ir,, by the New York Zoological Society. 



Each author is responsible for the scientific accuracy 



and the proof reading of his contribution. 



Elwin R. Sanborn, 



Editor and Official Photographer 



Vol. XIX, No. 1. 



JANUARY, 1916 



OUR TROPICAL ZOOLOGICAL STATION. 



Early in January the New York Zoological 

 Society will embark upon a new scientific enter- 

 prise of a most interesting character. Mr. C. 

 William Beebe, Curator of Birds, accompanied 

 by three assistants, will sail for British Guiana, 

 for the purpose of establishing in Georgetown, 

 the colonial capital, a tropical zoological sta- 

 tion, on lines absolutely new, so far as we are 

 aware. The choice of a location has been made 

 chiefly with reference to the amount of animal 

 life available within a radius of 500 miles. 



The prime objects of the enterprise are two 

 in number. 



The first is to secure ample facilities for 

 studies of the evolution and life histories of 

 birds, and various problems of avian develop- 

 ment that can be studied successfully only with 

 the aid of living material fresh from the jungle. 

 This is no effort to make a catalogue of the 

 species and sub-species of the birds of the Gui- 

 anas, nor to make collections of skins. Mr. 

 Beebe proposes to go back as far as possible 

 toward the origin of the Class Aves, and throw 

 light from new investigations upon subjects 

 hitherto untouched. 



Those who have followed Mr. Beebe's re- 

 markable investigations in the Zoological Park 

 will appreciate what it means to place him, 

 with a corps of enthusiastic assistants, at the 

 edge of a great tropical wilderness teeming with 

 bird life, provided with all necessarv facilities, 

 and favored by the Government of British Gui- 

 ana. There, if anywhere on earth, may we ex- 

 pect new light on the evolution of birds, and 

 the life histories of strange species. 



Take, for example, the hoatzin, with its strong- 

 presumption of tree-climbing ancestors. Up to 



date not one living hoatzin, old or young, ever 

 has reached a zoological park, or been studied 

 alive in captivity. Mr. Beebe's laboratory will 

 be within easy reach of an indefinite number of 

 living and breeding lioatzins. Soon we will know 

 more of this strange species ; and it requires no 

 strain upon the prophetic instinct to predict 

 moving pictures of hoatzins at home. 



The second object of the Laboratoi^y and its 

 staff will be the gathering of mammals, birds, 

 reptiles, amphibians and insects for the Zoo- 

 logical Park, and fishes for the Aquarium. To 

 this end Mr. Donald Carter will be taken from 

 the Zoological Park force as Collector. In view 

 of the great difficulty that always has attended 

 the procuring in good health of mammals and 

 birds from South America, the collecting func- 

 tion of the Laboratory will by some persons be 

 regarded as its most important work. While 

 we also have great expectations from that line 

 of endeavor, and very much need the accessions, 

 we feel that the scientific work to be done is 

 of paramount importance. 



Mr. Beebe has been fortunate in enlisting, as 

 Research Associate, the interest and the self- 

 sacrificing services of Mr. G. Inness Hartley, 

 on ardent student of avian life who has gener- 

 oush^ volunteered to devote his entire time to 

 research work with the Zoological Society. 



Mr. Paul G. Howes, an expert in micro-pho- 

 tograph}^ and the intensive study of inverte- 

 brates will take a place in the Tropical Labora- 

 tory as Research Assistant. 



The Government of British Guiana has gen- 

 erously offered the use of facilities in the Bo- 

 tanical Gardens, besides the privilege of import- 

 ing apparatus and supplies free of duty. 



The Trinidad Steamship Company has joined 

 in promoting the whole enterprise by providing 

 for the transportation of collections on most 

 liberal terms, and co-operating in many matters 

 of importance to the success of the enterprise. 



Finally, five members of the Board of Man- 

 agers of the Zoological Society have subscribed, 

 on a basis of $1,000 each, the entire sum neces- 

 sary for the work of the Laboratory, during 

 its first year. These gentlemen are Cleveland 

 H. Dodge, Mortimer L. Schiff, C. Ledyard Blair, 

 James J. Hill and George Jay Gould. 



The element of novelty attaching to the So- 

 ciety's new scientific enterprise will focus upon 

 it the attention of American zoologists. Already 

 there are signs that a number of investigators 

 will seek the hospitality that our tropical station 

 will afford, and not the least of the pleasure 

 and benefit to be derived from the station by 

 our Societv will be the satisfaction that can be 



