ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



1411 



hillocks near the southwestern portion of the 

 enclosure. There is much popping in and out 

 of heads, shaking of black-tipped tails, shrill 

 calls of squatting sentries and like manoeuvers. 

 Owing to the sharp cold of the morning hours, 

 the fighting does not begin until well along to- 

 ward noon, — and then it occurs chiefly on sun- 

 ny days. Then the clans issue from their 

 respective strongholds. The method of at- 

 tack consists in rushing at an adversary that 

 has been sitting up, chatterinr; taunts, and 

 knocking him over backwards. A retreat by 

 any one of the combatants is considered a de- 

 cisive defeat. If a "dog" dives into a burrow, 

 the victor joyously fills up the mouth of the 

 hole with loose earth, and vigorously packs it 

 down by butting the ground with the top of his 

 head. The entombed and intimidated animal 

 seems too ashamed to dig his way out for at 

 least an hour or more. 



Tropical Specimens. — Curator Beebe re- 

 cently shipped a collection of specimens from 

 the Society's Tropical Research Station in 

 South America. The most important mammals 

 were a young specimen of the yaguarundi cat, 

 and a spotted cavy or paca. Among the reptiles 

 was an excessively slender snake, related to our 

 northern black-snake, which was captured 

 while it was endeavoring to swallow a toad of 

 considerable size. It happened that the toad 

 thus rescued was of a particularly interesting 

 type, and of considerably more value than the 

 snake. A four-foot electric eel was in the ship- 

 ment, but this animal received injuries during 

 the voyage, and died shortly after its arrival. 

 Among the specimens was a toad of large size 

 tliat so puffs its body with air when disturbed, 

 that it attains the diameter of a fair-sized plate. 



Some Huge Frogs. — The largest frogs that 

 we ever have observed are now on exhibition 

 in the Reptile House. They are bull frogs of 

 the species known technically as Rana cates- 

 hiana. A common idea prevails that the largest 

 specimens of this species come from Canada, 

 and while it is true that the Canadian bull frogs 

 attain a great size, the largest examples come 

 from the extreme southerly states. The 

 Curator of Reptiles brought north from his 

 southern collecting trip, a specimen of Rana 

 cateshiana weighing two and a half pounds. 

 The measurements of this frog are as follows : 

 Total length, 1 8 inches ; snout to vent, 8 inches ; 

 hind limbs, 10 inches; head, 2% inches long 

 and 3^/4 inches wide. 



A friend of Senior Keeper Charles Snyder 

 sent about a dozen specimens of R. cateshiana 

 to him from Louisiana, now on exhibition, all 



weighing over two pounds. The voice of these 

 frogs is like a prolonged deep, bass chord from 

 a heavy organ. The writer observed a number 

 of specimens of the true southern bull frog, 

 Rana grylio, while collecting in the Savannah 

 River low grounds, but none appeared to weigh 

 over a half-pound. They are exceedingly shy 

 and difficult to capture. The species is easily 

 recognized by its much pointed head. 



A New Horned Snake. — Visitors to the 

 Reptile House have been puzzled by a remark- 

 able looking rattlesnake that recently arrived 

 from Texas. This specimen is about six feet 

 long and has a stout horn about an inch in 

 lieight, apparently growing from the top of its 

 head. A small species of rattlesnake inhabit- 

 ing the arid regions of our southwest has en- 

 larged scales over the eyes that resemble horns, 

 but the Texas reptile is a manufactured 

 monstrosity. A snake fancier living near the 

 Texas-Mexico boundary line, conceived the idea 

 of thus ornamenting rattlers for sale, and this 

 is one of his first specimens, which he sent north 

 as a gift. 



The operation of attaching the horn, which is 

 a rooster's spur, is a really ingenious surgical 

 feat. By slitting the skin of the snake's head 

 and leaving a certain amount of skin around 

 the base of the spur, the latter appears to be 

 grafted and to receive nourishment. We are 

 awaiting the period of the shedding of the 

 snake's epidermis, in expectation that a certain 

 amount of sloughing will involve the horn dur- 

 ing the process. 



Great Ant-Eaters. — At the outbreak of the 

 war we purchased animals so diligently that few 

 additions have been necessary since that event. 

 As we anticipated, but few new animals have 

 arrived in New York during the past eighteen 

 months. This has been wholly due to the war. 

 Our most recent arrival of importance is a young 

 specimen of the great ant-eater or ant-"bear." 

 It is one of the few specimens exhibited here 

 that can really be handled. The claws of these 

 animals, used in tearing open decaying logs in 

 search of ants, are long and formidable. A 

 large adult example of the great ant-eater that 

 has been in the Park for a number of years is 

 savage and dangerous ! When cleaning his cage, 

 the keepers threaten him with a broom, but at 

 times he sallies forward to attack. Grasping 

 the broom, he rolls upon his back, and with a 

 motion of his claws comparable to the sweep 

 of a sickle, he quickly cuts and tears the broom 

 to pieces. Owing to their temperature require- 

 ments, as warm jungle animals, the ant-eaters 

 are kept in the Primate House. 



