20 
for which go to swell the total and may explain the 
slight rise. Amongst the Primates there was an increase 
of six deaths. Four of these were executions because 
of poor condition and suspicious tuberculin reactions. 
Five were cases of degenerative bone disease in monkeys 
that have been born here or held in captivity for a long 
time. The parrots had a mortality greater than their 
average because of an outbreak of parrot-typhoid last 
summer, whilst the Columbse supplied eleven cases of 
tuberculosis with a total increase of five deaths over 
last year in this order. These figures increase the per- 
centage because of high mortality rates for their re- 
spective order and offset the reduced percentages amongst 
the Ungulata, Passeres, Picarise, and Striges. The first 
of these orders has a reduced mortality partly because 
more care has been exercised in separating pugnacious 
cage-mates and greater attention has been given to soft 
food, the latter having caused several important deaths 
in recent years. Not so many passerine birds are listed 
amongst the dead probably because fewer new ones have 
been received during the year. Examination of the 
figures for mammals shows a definite increase of death 
rate. There has been little change in the avian per- 
centage mortality. 
New aquisitions have numbered 519, 159 mammals 
and 360 birds. Ninety-three of these died within eight 
weeks of their arrival, 17.8%. It so happens that we 
had 520 autopsies, ninety-three or 17.8% being these 
animals dying shortly after arrival. If we credit the 
general mortality with this number — deaths in specimens 
not yet accustomed to their surroundings, — the death 
rate will be found to be 20%. These findings are similar 
to those of last year wherein it was found that about a 
fifth of the total mortality is amongst newly arrived 
specimens. This year however 17.8% of new animals 
died whereas last year only 11% died; the reason for 
this is not apparent from the laboratory records but 
can possibly be supplied by the Superintendent ; perhaps 
the quality of available material has been poor. 
