35° 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



])ounds, the female four feet eight inches, 

 weighing 1080 pounds. At present the tusks 

 of the male project only three inches beyond 

 the lip, and those of the female are even 

 smaller. The male is particularly well pro- 

 portioned, and has the deep chest and mus- 

 cular forelegs which mark a high-caste 

 elephant. 



Naturally, in the ears of Sudan elephants 

 we expect much ; and these are perfectly satis- 

 factory. Those of the male are particularly 

 enormous. They overlap each other on the 

 neck, they cover almost the entire shoulder, 

 they descend to a point three inches below the 

 lower line of the jaw, and both are without a 

 flaw. 



In view of the fine qualities of the male 

 specimen, and the great future that seems to 

 be in store for him, he has been named "Kar- 

 toom," while the female has been christened 

 "Sultana." 



Incidentally it may be added that they are 

 vet to be paid for, and therein lies a fine op- 

 portunity for the making of two grand gifts, 

 each in the sum of $2500, wherewith to pay 

 for these animals. To-day their cost is very 

 reasonable. 'In a few years they will be the 

 most gigantic and awe-inspiring beasts in 

 Greater New York, and eventually they will 

 be worth at least $8000 each. If no ill for- 

 tune should befall Kartoom, he should attain 

 a shoulder height of eleven feet and a weight 

 of 12,000 pounds. Such a gift would do 

 credit to any donor, and he will be accredited 

 to the first person who sends $2500 as his pur- 

 chase money. His mate costs the same 

 amount, and is equally eligible. 



AN IMPORTANT EDUCATIONAL 

 COLLECTION. 



FROM the standpoint of teaching young 

 pupils the rudiments of the classification 

 of mammals, the Small-Mammal House 

 has become the most important building in 

 the Park. In arranging the collection in this 

 building it was realized the considerable num- 

 ber of Orders of Mammals represented, and 

 at once it seemed desirable to increase the 

 number of Orders by a judicious selection of 

 characteristic species. Naturally, the next step 

 was to so label the collection as to make it 

 a helpful center for teachers and classes in 

 viewing various mammals grouped collectively. 

 With the Small-Mammal House once fully 

 stocked, a condition brought about a year ago, 

 the first step in gaining the desired result was 

 to arrange the specimens in the form of a syn- 



optic collection. New labels were prepared, 

 each having a band of color at the top, thus : 

 Gray — Primates; Red — Carnivora; Blue — Ro- 

 dciitia; Green — Edentata; etc. In conjunction 

 with the labels, a large key-label was painted 

 and hung at each end of the building, fully 

 explaining the system employed. To further 

 aid the understanding of the younger students, 

 long labels bearing the respective bands of 

 color, and the name of each order, were hung 

 in parti of the building over the living speci- 

 mens representing them. 



Our next step in increasing the educational 

 value of the Small-Mammal House will be to 

 prepare a large wall chart showing in simple 

 terms the classification of mammals. This 

 work goes hand in hand with the popular lec- 

 tures delivered to the school children. For- 

 tunately, our ideas in labeling were matured. 

 and the labels all in place, when the request to 

 deliver lectures to the children of the Public 

 Schools was finally considered. 



Not alone are these labels both striking and 

 instructive ; but they impart a well-finished 

 aspect to both the interior and exterior of the 

 building, adding an element of value to a 

 miscellaneous collection of mammals that 

 really forms one of our most important install- 

 ations — and also one of the most difficult to 

 keep in good condition. 



At the present time si.x Orders of Mammals 

 are represented in the Small-Mammal House. 

 These are the Primates. Carnivora, Rodcntia. 

 Ungulata, Marsiipialia and Edentata. During 

 the summer we shall endeavor to establish 

 cages of bats, harbor seals and hedge-hogs, 

 thus representing the Orders Chirnptera. Pin- 

 nipedia and Insectivora. From the keen in- 

 terest thus far manifested, we anticipate that 

 the contents of this building will be very help- 

 ful to teachers and students of Natural His- 

 tory, generally. R- l. d. 



THE ITALIAN GARDEN OF BAIRD 

 COURT. 



IN THE center of the north end of Baird 

 Court there is a rectangular plot of ground, 

 with an area of eighty-five hundred square 

 feet. From the broad terrace connecting the 

 first landings of the two main stairways, it 

 rises with a grade of a little over ten per cent., 

 to the level ol Baird Court. It is flanked on 

 either side by flights of steps with highly orna- 

 mental balustrades of limestone and terra- 

 cotta, and forms, with these steps, the con- 

 necting link between Baird Court and the 

 Grand Concourse, now under construction. 



