ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



569 



NILE CROCODILE. 



is an agile climber, and is gifted with a par- 

 ticularly vigorous temper. This animal was 

 purchased from a London dealer, and is the 

 first of its kind to be exhibited in the Zoological 

 Park. 



Owing to the scarcity of Primates in the 

 European markets, the writer obtained but few 

 monkeys and lemurs. Among these animals his 

 most important purchases were a Coquerel's 

 Dwarf Lemur, Microcebus coquereli, and a pair 

 of Golden Marmosets, Midas rosalia. The lat- 

 ter is a beautiful species, covered with long, 

 silky hair, of a uniform golden color. Owing 

 to the hair falling in a mane over the neck and 

 shoulders, the species is sometimes called the 

 Lion Marmoset. This was another species 

 quite new to the Park collection. 



A fine series of the larger Egyptian Jerboa, 

 Dipus aegyptius, was obtained for the Small 

 Mammal House. These curious rats make a 

 lively exhibit. Two females and a male of the 

 C'oypu Rat, Myocastor coypus, were also among 

 the rodents. A pair of Vulpine Phalangers, 

 Phalangista vulpina, a pair of Sooty Phalang- 

 ers, P. canina, Mauge's Dasyure, Dasyurus 

 viverrinus maugei, the Common Dasyure, D. 

 viverrinus, Bridled Kangaroo, Onychogale 

 frenata, and a fine example of the Tasmanian 

 Devil. Sarcophilus ursinus, made up the list of 

 marsupials. The latter was included in the 

 material from the Zoological Gardens of Lon- 

 don, offered in exchange for a list of reptiles 

 taken over. 



In the series of birds brought over are tin- 

 following: Patagonian Burrowing Owl, Speoty- 

 to cunirularra, Tawny Owl, Syrnium aluco, 

 Bleeding-heart Pigeon. Phlogoenas htzonica, 

 Pied Flycatcher. Muscicapa at run pill a, Jack- 

 ass Penguin, Spheniscus demersus, Varied Hem- 

 ipode, Turnijc varia, Satin Bower-bird, Ptilon- 



orhynchus violaceus, Carrion Crow, Corvus 

 corone, Rook, Corvus frugilegus. With one or 

 two exceptions these birds formed part of the 

 exchange list from the Zoological Gardens of 

 London. 



It was among the reptiles that the most suc- 

 cessful and elaborate series of purchases were 

 made. Over fifty species new to the Park are 

 now on exhibition in the Reptile House. For 

 the first time since the opening of the Reptile 

 House, we have a highly interesting series of 

 the poisonous snakes of Australia, which we are 

 exhibiting in a specially constructed case. 

 Three species are exhibited — the Purple Death 

 Adder, or Australian Black Snake, Pseudechis 

 porphyriacus, the Gray Death Adder, Denisonia 

 superba, and the Tiger Snake, Brachyaspis 

 curtus. 



Of these the Purple Death Adder is repre- 

 sented by a young male specimen. This is a 

 handsome species, of a lustrous purplish-black, 

 with a row of scarlet scales on each side of the 

 body. There are six specimens of the Gray 

 Death Adder, all fully grown (about five feet 

 long) and looking much like our American 

 "coachwhip snake." The Tiger Snake is rep- 

 resented by two mature specimens, each about 

 twenty-four inches long. This reptile derives 

 its name from the tawny bands that encircle 

 the yellowish body. All of these snakes slight- 

 ly dilate the neck, when angry, in cobra fashion. 

 They are vicious, highly active and very poison- 

 ous. Of the three the Purple Death Adder has 

 the most extensive range, being found over a 

 great part of the Continent of Australia. The 

 Gray Death Adder inhabits Southern Australia 

 and Tasmania. Of the three species the Tiger 

 Snake is particularly interesting. It attains a 

 maximum length of two and one-half feet, is 

 very common in Western Australia and owing to 



