ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1303 



number, and in them the specimens are at all 

 times in view. We have also established sur- 

 prising records of the longevity of certain 

 species as captives. 



The principal difficulty encountered with the 

 rodents was the tendency to make nests in cor- 

 ners ; and thus hide from observation. This was 

 met by cutting up the hay bedding. It was put 

 through a cutting machine, and reduced to sec- 

 tions about three-quarters of an inch long. With 

 this chopped medium the animals were unable 

 to make a nest, although they would scoop up 

 a mound of it in a corner, using the concave 

 center of this as a base to which they returned 

 after all trips about the cage. The temperature 

 of the exhibition hall (75° F.) was such that 

 warmth in bedding was not really necessary. 

 This is a condition that never should be over- 

 looked in jjroviding for the comfort of small 

 mammals in captivity. 



Real shelter having been thus eliminated, the 

 writer was doubtful as to whether or not the 

 more timid species would fare well. After a 

 number of weeks that anxiety ceased. In the 

 changes that were observable, the condition of 

 the specimens was improved by the ventilation 

 brought about through the removal of long fibre 

 nesting materials. The pelage of all the speci- 

 mens appeared fuller, and of better lustre. 



The ventilation of the cage was then improved 

 by removing the back panel of glass, and sub- 

 stituting fine wire netting. A sliding panel was 

 then attached to the mesh cover of the cage ; 

 and through this the keeper in charge could 

 reach any joortion of the interior in placing feed 

 and cleaning glass without fear of the animals 

 escaping, as the man's sleeve closed the orifice. 

 The writer believes these studies of the needs 

 of small rodents, and the practicability of really 

 showing them to our visitors, have resulted in 

 the best possible cage for the exhibition of such 

 animals. 



As the rodent collection now stands, the 

 animals are kept in cases twenty-two inches 

 long, twelve inches wide and twelve inches in 

 height. We have also found that these dimen- 

 sions are in many cases sufficient to enable us 

 to insert glass partitions, thus increasing the 

 number of compartments. We use shelter boxes 

 only in those cages where litters of young are 

 being reared. Several illustrations accompany- 

 ing this article demonstrate the cage arrange- 

 ment and construction, and the method of label- 

 ling the collection. 



It is not always the largest animals that are 

 of most marked interest or economic importance. 

 If the smaller species can be shown in a manner 



that quickly engages the visitor's attention, 

 something worth while has been accomplished. 

 It is among the rodents that we find animals of 

 great importance to man, both from the econ- 

 omic point of view in the damage they do, from 

 the spread in infectious disease, and because of 

 the commercial use of a few. 



To add to the value of the collection of 

 rodents we have arranged in close proximity a 

 series of glass-fronted cases containing those 

 species of snakes, principally North American, 

 that are of real value as destroyers of the nox- 

 ious gnawing animals. 



From the interest evinced by our visitors we 

 would say that the collection described is very 

 desirable in a collection of living zoological 

 specimens. The expense in cage construction is 

 very small, averaging slightly over two dollars 

 per cage; there is a great variety of animals, 

 and the specimens themselves, involve but slight 

 cost in purchase. To obtain the necessary 

 specimens is, however, no easy matter. The 

 greater number of these come from collectors 

 and trajDpers who make a specialty of capturing 

 small specimens. Through eight or ten years' 

 correspondence we have located various parties 

 engaged in this work, and now we are able to 

 keep the collection at a uniform standard of 

 interest and importance. Fortunately, the ship- 

 ping of specimens is not a difficult matter. 

 Rodents travel safest in tin cases, properly ven- 

 tilated, of course, and when supplied with a 

 variety and abundance of food they require no 

 attention for a week or more of travel. 



Owing to the ability of rodents to live for 

 lengthy periods without water (if supplied with 

 vegetable food), their safe transportation is 

 greatly facilitated. Some of our most valuable 

 specimens have been eight or ten days en tran- 

 sit in tin pails with perforated covers wired on 

 to their tops. 



Among the particularly interesting species 

 now on exhibition are the Indian Jeroboa 

 (Alactaga indica), Egyptian Jerboa (Dipus 

 aegyptius), Egyptian Desert Mouse {Meriones 

 crassiis), Porcupine ]\Iouse (^Acomys cahirinus), 

 and the European Marmot (Citellus citellus). 

 Among the New World species are the Bushy- 

 tailed Wood Rat, often called the Pack Rat 

 [Netoma cinerea^, Arizona Wood Rat (Netoma 

 pinetorum^, Western Gopher Rat (Thojnomy's 

 fnlznis), Gila Chi])munk (Tnmias dorsalis). 

 Western Chipmunk (Eutamias quadrivittatus), 

 and the Fl3-ing Squirrel (^Sciiiropteriis volans). 



Owing to our system of regularly feeding all 

 of these rodents during the middle of the day, 

 and limiting the amount of food so that it will 



