1006 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



an 

 the 



Our scries of alligators varies from 

 eleven-foot giant, whose roar shakes 

 Reptile House to tiny eight-inch specimens, 

 brought north by tourists. Midway between 

 these two extremes are a number of speci- 

 mens of all sizes. The most valuable ones 

 are those hatched in the Park in 1 !)()(), and 

 in relation to which a table of growth is 

 given in a preceding paragraph. 



Three representatives of the Central and 

 South American genus Caiman, are in the 

 Reptile House. They are young examples of 

 the Spectacled Caiman (('. sclerops), receiv- 

 ing its name because the eyelids are so rough 

 and protruding that they suggest the frame 

 of a pair of spectacles. Most of the caimans 

 have rather a sharp snout, like the crocodiles, 

 but from a structural point of view they are 

 more nearly related to the alligator as the 

 long teeth, the fourth on each side of the 

 lower jaw — the pair of canine teeth — fit into 

 a pit in the upper jaw and are thus concealed 

 when the jaws are closed. With the crocodiles, 

 this pair of teeth fit into a notch of the upper 

 jaw when the mouth is closed and thus are 

 visible like the smaller members of the 

 animal's dentition. 



THE FIGHT FOR THE BIRDS OF THE 

 WORLD 



THE clause proposed by the New York 

 Zoological Society for the total suppres- 

 sion of all importations of wild birds' 

 plumage (except ostrich plumes) for millinery 



ALLIGATOR AND CROCODILE 

 Both examples are from Florida. 



purposes is in the new tariff bill, and is now 

 before the United States Senate. Naturally, 

 "the feather trade "is fighting it very vigorous- 

 ly. We hear that 30,000 copies of an appeal to 

 the millinery trade and dry-goods houses have 

 been sent out, asking for help to defeat our 

 measure. In response to that effort, members 

 of Congress are receiving many letters demand- 

 ing the elimination of our clause and a con- 

 tinuance of the shameless and cruel practice 

 of bird-slaughter for the feather trade. 



.1 very dangerous amendment to our clause 

 has been introduced by Senator Clapp, of 

 Minnesota. Its exact wording is as follows: 



"On page 89, line 15, strike out the period 

 and insert the following: 'or to the feathers 

 or plumes of game birds usually killed for food 

 purposes and birds which are killed as pests.' " 



If this were to be adopted, it would throw 

 two doors wide open to the slaughter of 

 many hundred species of birds that we 

 are striving to protect. It would mean the 

 extermination of such beautiful pheasants as 

 the impeyan, argus, Reeves, Amherst, and the 

 tragopans; and the condor, all eagles, hawks, 

 owls, crows, jays, herons, egrets, and dozens 

 of other species could easily be killed and im- 

 ported as "pests"! 



The amendment should not be pressed, and 

 it should not be adopted. Acting for the birds 

 that cannot speak for themselves, we are 

 totally opposed to it! We hope that all friends 

 of the birds will oppose that amendment, and 



