590.7(7) 36 [JuLY 



III 



The Proposed Zoological Park of New York 



TN the great city of New York, at the present time, the only place 

 -*- where living animals are kept for the edification and amuse- 

 ment of the public is what is called the ' Central Park Menagerie,' 

 under the control, we believe, of the Commissioners of the Public 

 Parks, which, though well kept and arranged, so far as it goes, is 

 utterly unworthy of one of the largest cities in the world, which is 

 adorned by so many and so various institutions. Several attempts 

 have been made at different periods to start a zoological garden on 

 a proper scale in New York, but it is only within the last few years 

 that the subject has been taken up seriously, and in a manner 

 which seems likely to produce definite results. So far, however, has 

 the matter now progressed, that we have before us the first Annual 

 Eeport of the New York Zoological Society, which received its 

 charter in 1885, with the worthy objects of "establishing a free 

 zoological park to contain collections of native and exotic animals,'" 

 of " preserving the native animals " of the U.S. from further de- 

 struction, and generally of promotiug the interests of zoological 

 science. 



Let us now see what the first Annual Eeport of the New York 

 Zoological Society tells us about its progress and future prospects. 

 Its Executive Committee appear to be mostly business men of New 

 York, who are interested in the subject, but amongst them we note 

 the name (as chairman) of Mr Henry F. Osborn, who is well known 

 to all the scientific world as one of our leading authorities on 

 mammals, and amongst the ' Scientific Council ' we recognize the 

 names of Prof. Allen, Mr F. M. Chapman, Dr T. H. Bean, and other 

 gentlemen well known in scientific zoology. In Mr W. T. Hornaday 

 the Council have made a choice as director for their Park, of another 

 gentleman also well known in Europe, who possesses many excellent 

 qualifications for the post. One of the first steps taken by the Com- 

 mittee — and a very wise one — was to send Mr Hornaday off to 

 Europe for the purpose of inspecting and studying in detail the best 

 zoological gardens of England and the Continent, Mr Hornaday's 

 account of his tour of inspection, in the course of which he 

 visited fifteen zoological gardens, will be read with interest, and 

 we think we may say not without profit, by all those who wish 



