97 — 
received February 13, 1895, i,e. eighteen years two months 
thirteen days and still alive. 
The most valuable animal living in this collection is a 
female Gaur, or Indian Hison, Bos gaurus^ caught when a 
small calf in an elephant pit in Travancore on February 5, 
1908, and now a magnificent beast in really beautiful condi- 
tion, and so powerful that she is kept behind a fence of 
solid iron bars 1^ inches (0*038 metre) in diameter, and 
lately when frightened by a passing motor car she actually 
hent one of these stout bars ! 
Trivandrum was the only Zoological Garden in India 
where I saw representatives of the order Edentata. These 
were an Indian Pangolin, Manis and an 
American Ant-eater, Tamandua tetradactyla. 
The “ doyen ” of the parrots is a Red-and-Blue Macaw, 
Ara macac.) received September 3, 1894, i.e. eighteen years 
seven months twenty-three days here and still alive. 
After Calcutta, Trivandrum has the best collection of 
birds of prey of any Indian Zoological Garden that I visited, 
including a beautiful Crested Serpent-Eagle, Spilornis cheela. 
The Brahminy Kite, Haliastur indus., is kept in captivity 
here so that the inhabitants of Trivandrum may be certain 
of knowing where to see one, as there is a custom in 
Travancore for a man to make a vow that he will eat no 
food till he has seen a Brahminy Kite. 
The White-necked Stork, Dissura episcopus.^ which is 
represented in the collection, is, I am told, considered a 
sacred bird in the north of Travancore. 
The Ceram Cassowary, Casuarius g al e at us very well 
here ; the three birds I saw had all been bred at Trivandrum, 
hatched on the following dates : — 
May 2, 1903; May 3, 1903 ; May 22, 1904. 
In a tank in the garden are six Indian Terrapins, Mcoria 
trijuga., all said to be over twenty years in the collection. 
The oldest was obtained October 31, 1890, i.e. twenty-two 
years five months twenty -six days and still alive. 
Of the snakes the most remarkable individual is a 
Malay Python, Python reticulatus., purchased for 50 rupees 
(£ 3. 6s. 8d.) December 23, 1898, and now estimated to 
be 19 feet (5*79 metres) long. 
