55i 



HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION 



C. Ledyard Blair, Hugh J. Cliisholni. George 

 Crocker, Cleveland H. Dodge, E. H. Harriman, 

 Mrs. Philip Schuyler, Lispenard Stewart, Miss 

 Caroline Phelps Stokes, Mrs. Frank K. Sturgis, 

 Tiffany and Company, Charles H. Senff, Cor- 

 nelius V^anderbilt, Samuel D. Babcock, James C. 

 Carter and Morris K. Jesup. 



In addition to the above there are 38 Patrons, 

 189 Life Members and 1397 Annual Members 

 whose constant and liberal support fairly en- 

 titles each one to honorable mention. 



In mentioning the men who have made the 

 Zoological Park, the public owes more than it 

 ever is likely to know — or to fully repaj' — to the 

 intelligence, the judgment, the constant devotion 

 and the tireless energy of these officers of the 

 Zoological Park: 



H. Raymond Mitchell. Chief Clerk and .Man- 

 ager of Privileges. 



Hermann W. Merkel, Chief Constructor and 

 Forester. 



C. William Beebe, Curator of Birds. 



Raymond L. Ditmars, Curator of Reptiles. 



George M. Beerbower, Civil Engineer. 



E. R. Sanborn, Photographer and Editor. 



William I. Mitchell, Office Assistant. 



E. H. Costain, Captain-of-the-Watch and As- 

 sistant Forester. 



One phase of the business relations between 

 the city government and the Zoological Society 

 merits especial notice ; and it may well be con- 

 sidered outside of New York as a lesson in 

 material progress. 



In nearly every city of the world, the up- 

 building of important institutions either wholly 

 or partly paid for from public funds, is so 

 hedged about with safeguards and checks upon 

 possible dishonesty that oftentimes the rate of 

 progress is distressingly slow. 



During the administration of Mayor Van 

 WVck. Comptroller Coler and Park Commis- 

 sioner ]\Ioebus, it was decided that in the mak- 

 ing of "miscellaneous ground improvements," — 

 a heading which has embraced a-thousand-and- 

 one undertakings of a nature almost impossible 

 to "specify" in advance, and put into contracts, 

 — it was decided that the Zoological Society 

 should have the utmost liberty permissible under 

 the law. As a result, we have been enabled to 

 make double the progress with far less expendi- 

 ture of money, and with 50% better results, 

 than would have been possible under a rigid 

 adherence to the contract system. The work 

 done by men selected solely on their ability and 

 merits, and directed day by day by our own 

 officers, has been the salvation of the Zoological 

 Park ; but it was possible only because the city 

 government had faith in the business ability and 



integrity of the Board of Managers of the 

 Societ}-. 



All the animals of the Zoological Park are 

 the property of the Zoological Society, either 

 having been presented by its members, or pur- 

 chased out of the profits of the pri\-ilege business 

 created by the Society through Mr. ^Mitchell, 

 under our contract with the City. The statis- 

 tics of the collection have been published else- 

 where in this Bulletin. 



Now that the Zoological Park is practically 

 complete, the Society must take up more vigor- 

 ous and extensive work in the field of wild-life 

 protection, and the promotion of zoology. Much 

 important work lies in sight, demanding atten- 

 tion. Nothing short of an endowment fund of 

 $1,000,000 will enable the Society to do its 

 whole duty in the two fields that it has as yet 

 been unable to enter vigorously. The duty of 

 all zoologists and nature-lovers to the cause of 

 ^vild-life protection is conceded by all intelli- 

 gent men, and requires no demonstration save 

 practical work in the vineyard. The Society 

 desires to devote six thousand dollars a year to 

 wild-life protection ; and it is well known that 

 our fast vanishing wild life needs the effort. 



But let it not be supposed that during the 

 past twelve years the Society has ignored this 

 cause. On the contrary, ever since 1897 the 

 Secretary and the Director of the Park have 

 put forth a continuous series of efforts, covering 

 game fields in need of work in Newfoundland, 

 Alaska, British Columbia, ^lexico, Montana, 

 Wyoming and New York, It would be possible 

 to enumerate several important results achieved 

 in those fields through the efforts of the Society 

 and its officers. 



Because of the Zoological Society's satisfac- 

 tory business methods in connection with the 

 Zoological Park, the City Department of Parks, 

 in 1902, requested the Society to assume control 

 of the New York Aquarium, and place it upon 

 a permanent scientific basis. The growth and 

 the character of that institution today are tes- 

 timonials to the wisdom of the actions which 

 placed it upon a permanent basis, and selected 

 Charles H. Townsend as its Director. 



On November 9th. the Zoological Society will 

 enter upon a new period of its history. The 

 completion of the Administration Building, just 

 ten years to a day from the opening of the Park, 

 practically ends the period of strenuous con- 

 struction, and opens up new fields of labor. 

 With the aid of the endo^vment fund that the 

 Society has a right to expect, important results 

 may be achieved in the protection of wild life 

 and the diffusion of useful zoological knowledge. 



