ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN. 



401 



A SHUTE FIFTY FEET IN LENGTH HAD BEEN ERECTED. 



taiice, was one of the utmost importance. 

 Experience had shown that animals, confined 

 in small crates, ride uneasily and with serious 

 results, often reaching their destination tired, 

 emaciated, and wholly off their feed, with 

 bruised flesh and sore bones, wliich neces- 

 sarily must be overcome. An inspection of 

 the various crates in which specimens had 

 been received at the Zoological Park, indicated 

 that most frequently the animals could neither 

 recline nor stand with perfect freedom, and 

 often were ill-fitted to journey hundreds, per- 

 haps thousands of miles, with tlie never fail- 

 ing delays. 



The Director planned a series of crates, 

 which would in every case be comfortable for 

 each individual, and these were constructed 

 after his ideas. Each crate was large enough 

 to permit its occupant to lie down comfort- 

 ably, and was carefully padded to relieve the 

 inevitable jolting. 



The Park herd was trained to the hour, 

 and its members were as fine and healthy as 

 human ingenuity and good food could make 

 them. The animals had been selected months 

 before their actual shipping time. 



The work of rounding-up the herd was 

 commenced in October, upon the arrival of 



Mr. Frank Rush, the Government agent, who 

 was to accompany the bison on their long 

 journey, and the work of separating the selec- 

 ted stock from the main herd proceeded with 

 precision and dispatch under Keeper McEnroe. 

 A chute, fifty feet in length, had been erected 

 between the two main corrals fronting the 

 Buffalo House, communicating with both and 

 terminating with a very ingenious sliding 

 iron gate. Against this gate the crates were 

 placed. The herd of fifteen was driven into 

 the north corral, and the animals, one at a 

 time, liberated into the chute. As soon as each 

 bison was selected, the properly marked 

 crate, designated for this particular specimen, 

 was fastened into position adjacent to the 

 sliding-door. Most of the animals were 

 rushed down and into the crate before they 

 could realize it. Occasionally one became 

 obstreperous and delayed proceedings by 

 hurdling and various other tactics, but from 

 eleven o'clock until five of Thursday, October 

 loth, thirteen were crated and loaded into the 

 cars at Fordham. On Friday, the last two 

 were disposed of, and by noon of that day the 

 last crate was placed in position in the cars. 

 The Arms Palace Horse Car Company, of 

 Chicago, furnished two fortv-four foot cars, 



