REPORT ON THE DEPARTMENT OF LIVING ANIMALS 

 IN THE U. SANATION AL MUSEUM, L889. 



By W. T. Hoknaday, Honorary Curator. 



The collection of living animals lias increased during the year to the 

 to the utmost limit under the circumstances which now regulate its ex- 

 istence. The building in which the animals are exhibited, has for months 

 been tilled to its utmost capacity, and the crowds of visitors which daily 

 visited the collection were often so great as to cause general discomfort. 

 The open yards were so completely filled with large animals that it was 

 only by the greatest difficulty that all the specimens were finally accom- 

 modated. 



Under such conditions, when the accommodations for the collections 

 had been expanded to their utmost limits, it was found necessary to 

 check the increase of the number of specimens, both by declining gifts 

 when possible to do so, and by discontinuing entirely the purchase of 

 specimens. 



Although the collection of living animals lias attracted its full share 

 of attention from visitors to the Museum, everything else accomplished 

 by the department during the year becomes of small importance in com- 

 parison with the work accomplished in connection with the establish- 

 ment by Congress of the National Zoological Park. In the belief that in 

 no other way could the < urator render more valuable service to the pub- 

 lic, he devoted much of his time, during both sessions of the Fiftieth 

 Congress, to efforts calculated to induce Congress to establish at once 

 i national zoological .garden on a liberal scale. In this, the codec 

 tion of living animals played an important part. The crowds of visi- 

 tors which daily thronged a small, illy ventilated and highly uncom- 

 fortable temporary building, furnished abundant testimony to the eager- 

 ness of American people generally to learn more about our American 

 fauna. 



The valuable gifts of living creatures which came in from all parts of 

 the United States, even faster than accommodations could be provided 

 for them, proved conclusively the readiness of the public to contribute 

 liberally and generally to ;i national collection of living animals. The 

 demand for ample room and for the ''est facilities for the care and (lis 

 H. Mia. 224, pt, 2 417 



