Prefatory Comments 
When Congress founded the National Zoological Park in 1890, it gave us 
the mission of the “advancement of science, education, and recreation of 
the people” and placed the Zoo as a bureau of the Smithsonian Institution 
whose mandate is the “increase and diffusion of knowledge among men.” 
Our Zoo has a broader mission than the mere exhibition of animals. We 
are concerned with their study for a multitude of purposes: Better care 
and management, conservation and breeding of endangered species, bio- 
medical problems, behavioral patterns ; in fact, the whole gamut of inquiry 
about animals is covered by our various mandates. 
As man’s pressure on animals in the wild is increased, the role of the 
Zoo as a refuge for wild animals, as well as an institution of inquiry, 
becomes increasingly more important. We were indeed fortunate when, 
in 1972, we acquired the 3,000 acres of the former U.S. Cavalry Remount 
Station and Beef Cattle Experimental Station from the U.S. Department 
of Agriculture. This land, the Conservation and Research Center, is to be 
used primarily for the conservation and maintenance of groups of selected 
animals for breeding in captivity. To accomplish this, much intense study 
must be done on the behavior of the animals, their reproductive biology, 
and biomedical problems. 
Among the other benefits we received with the legacy from the military 
and the Department of Agriculture was a conference center. It was obvious 
to all of our staff that these facilities provided an extraordinary oppor- 
tunity for the holding of relatively small but intense conferences on 
specific subjects related to our interest that would both increase our knowl- 
edge and be beneficial to the welfare of future generations of animals. 
To date, we have had several conferences which I believe were highly 
productive for three reasons: (1) Subjects were confined to discrete areas 
of inquiry; (2) participants were invited who are knowledgeable and con- 
cerned about these areas of interest; and (3) the almost spartan exist- 
ence at the Conservation and Research Center at Front Royal, Virginia 
had none of the distractions of a busy city, university, or museum com- 
plex, and consequently, the discussions and meetings seemed to go on 
far into the night. The publications resulting from these conferences 
have been, and will continue to be, valuable references to present to 
future scientists. 
We are particularly happy to share this symposium on the Behavior 
and Neurology of Lizards with our long-time friends from the National 
Institute of Mental Health. The interest in and knowledge of lizards and 
reptiles concentrated these few days in the foothills of Virginia are 
astounding. The free exchange of information, the joyous debates, and the 
airing of viewpoints were stimulating and will produce results long 
beyond the limited time that we were gathered. 
The National Zoological Park and the Smithsonian Institution are proud 
to be associated with such a group of dedicated scientists. We extend our 
V 
