ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



377 



fully preserved, and extensive additions to the 

 tree flora have been made by judicious plant- 

 ing, exclusively of native species of trees and 

 shrubs. The rock ledges have been preserved, 

 and in many ways rendered more beautiful 

 and interesting than before. Every building, 

 outdoor den. cage, range and road has been 

 located and developed to fit into the hamli- 

 work of nature. The outdoor animals have 

 been located in the spots they would naturally 

 have chosen for their haunts. 



Adiiiiiiistraflon. In maintenance and ad- 

 ministration the park represents the idea, 

 which has been developed only in the City of 

 New York/' of the municipality standing the 

 cost of annual maintenance and of the erec- 

 tion of the larger number of the buildings, 

 while the society as proof of its own financial 

 support erects a considerable number of the 

 buildings and presents all the animal collec- 

 tions. In short, the park is the result of a 

 joint effort on the part of the New York Zoo- 

 logical Society and the City of New York. 

 The burden of design, construction and man- 

 agement devolves entirely upon the society, 

 while the financial burden is shared by both. 

 As gifts to the City the society has expended 

 up to date about $446,000, erecting the Rep- 

 tile House, the Aquatic Bird House, the Bear 

 Dens, the Flying Cage and many smaller in- 

 stallations. Since 1901 the municipality has 

 expended $1,875,000. 



Attendance. In 1906 the visitors to the park 

 numbered 1,321,917, a number greater than 

 the entire population of any city in all America 

 except New York, Philadelphia and Chicago, 

 and more than double the total population of 

 the City of Boston. On two days of each 

 week. ^londay and Thursday, an admission 

 fee of twenty-five cents is charged, the income 

 from this source being devoted to the pur- 

 chase of collections. 



Collections. On May ist, 1907, the animal 

 collections included 638 mammals, 2.218 birds, 

 900 reptiles and amphibians, making a total 

 of 3,756 living vertebrates, representing 844 

 species. Of mammals there were 196 species, 

 of birds 510. of reptiles and amphibians 138. 

 At the present date the totals are larger, es- 

 pecially in the bird department. 



Health of Animals. A'isitors to the park 

 will especially notice the generally healthy 

 condition of the animals. This is due in the 

 first place to the space, sunlight and pure air 



*In Washington the United States Government 

 supports the National Museum and the Zoological 

 Park entirely, including buildings, maintenance and 

 collections. In Boston, Philadelphia, Chicago, and 

 Pittsburg the museums are .supported by private 

 contributions and by admission fees. 



provided in the installations, to constant at- 

 tention to hygienic details, to a quarantine 

 system of admission, and to the very care- 

 ful scientific treatment of sick or injured ani- 

 mals by a staff of trained experts. The death 

 rate has been reduced materially through the 

 application of scientific methods of treatment 

 and through the scientific investigation of the 

 causes of death. A work is in preparation 

 describing the results already obtained. A 

 biological, chemical and pathological labora- 

 tory building, to cost $22,000, is completely 

 planned and soon will be"constructed. 



Labeling. A second point to which visitors' 

 attention is called is the system of descriptive 

 picture labels and maps of distribution with 

 which the park collections are liberally fur- 

 nished. They represent a great amount of 

 eft'ort. and many difficulties overcome. Of all 

 educational collections the most difficult to 

 label profusely and successfully are the col- 

 lections at a zoological park, particularly be- 

 cause very many of the labels are exposed to 

 the weather. 



Completion of the Park. The Zoological 

 Park is now nearing the point of completion, 

 and it is expected that the original plan of 

 1896 will be carried out in the course of the 

 next two years. At the present time the park 

 contains 20 buildings for animals, 10 large 

 groups of outdoor dens, aviaries and corrals, 

 2 restaurants. 6 public comfort buildings, 8 

 entrances, 7J4 miles of walks and 10,' 2 miles 

 of fence. When the Elephant House is com- 

 pleted there will remain to be erected the Ad- 

 ministration Building, the Zebra House, and 

 the Eagle Aviary, plans for which have been 

 completed. 



Education. As an institution for the educa- 

 tion of the public, and especially the pupils of 

 the public schools, the park is already doing 

 its full share ; but in the near future, with new 

 construction work out of the way, far more 

 will be done. The present temporary lecture 

 pavilion will be replaced by a permanent struc- 

 ture with a seating capacitv of 1,000. and all 

 the calls of the Board of Education for lec- 

 tures in the regular school course of study 

 will be met. 



Staff. The maintenance force is composed 

 of 117 persons, and the total annual cost of 

 maintaining the park and its collections is ( for 

 1907 only) $141,558. The exectitive head is 

 Dr. William T. Hornaday, who is Director 

 and General Curator ; Air. Raymond L. Dit- 

 mars is Curator of Reptiles and Assistant Cur- 

 ator of Mammals; ]\Ir. C. William Beebe is 

 Curator of Birds, and Dr. W. Reid Blair is 

 V^eterinarv Surgeon and Prosector. 



