Appendix IV. 



EEPOET OF THE SUPEEINTENDENT OF THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL 



PAEK. 



Sir : I have the honor to suhmit the following report of the operations of the 

 National Zoological Park for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1895. 



The care of the collection of animals has engrossed, most of the attention of the 

 employees. Such small additions to the buildings and inclosures as the funds at the 

 disposal of the park would allow have been made. Among these there may be 

 mentioned a new inclosure for beaver, which has been established in order to give 

 opportunity for the public to watch their building operations and to found a sepa- 

 rate colony, and because the beaver inclosure built last year was found insufficient 

 for the proper confinement of the animals. 



It is evident that in order to maintain animals of this kind in security and safety, 

 more room and separate paddocks are necessary. At times they fight savagely with 

 each other, and when the inclosure is restricted even to half an acre of ground the 

 weaker one can not save himself by flight and is frequently killed. This has hap- 

 pened here. 



Combats also take place among the buffalo and the elk, and if a herd of these 

 animals of any size is maintained it will be absolutely necessary to enlarge and 

 multiply the paddocks. Great need is felt for more buffalo cows. 



Disorders due to confinement have not been absent. One interesting from a sci- 

 entific point of view was a spontaneous outbreak of rabies in one of the inclosures 

 for foxes, as these animals were apparently in perfect health and the disease could 

 not have been induced from without as far as is known. A single case at first 

 appeared and this inoculated the entire cage, seven animals in all being lost. This 

 curious phenomenon is of great interest as bearing upon the sporadic appearance of 

 hydrophobia in the dog. 



Careless feeding by visitors causes a great deal of trouble. Some animals habit- 

 ually overeat if allowed to do so, and the food which the public tender is often 

 unhealthful. A fine cassowary died during the year from gastric irritation due to 

 this cause. A valuable Diana monkey was poisoned by laurel (Kalmia latifolia) 

 which she snatched from the hand of a visitor, though the utmost watchfulness is 

 exercised to keep this noxious plant from the animals. 



Some very interesting additions to the collection have been made during the year. 

 From the Yellowstone Park 20 auimals were received, among them a. grizzly bear 

 weighing 730 pounds and of great ferocity, and 10 beaver. A beautiful sea lion was 

 obtained by exchange, as well as a fine boa constrictor. A fine young puma was 

 born, also a spotted lynx, several elk and Virginia deer, a zebu, and a llama. 



The insufficient character of the buildings used for animals has been made appar- 

 ent on several occasions during the year. The "animal house" was constructed 

 with a view to the accommodation of the large carnivora and is not adapted for the 

 proper maintenance of monkeys, tropical birds, or pachyderms. Having no other 

 quarters, it has, however, been necessary to place under the same roof with lions and 

 tigers, that endure moderate cold well, other creatures that need a constant tempera- 

 ture of 75° to 80° F. and still others (such as the rhinoceros and hippopotamus) that 

 need still different conditions. The consequence of this is that more deathsoccur than 

 would be the case were the buildings properly arranged, and it has not been possi- 

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