38 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



construct a connecting Boulevard between Pelham Parkway 

 and West Farms, thus lessening the traffic on Boston Road, 

 so that the latter may be reserved for park use only. This 

 extension of Bronx Park comprises ninety-nine acres, and the 

 map on page 30 shows clearly the former outlines of Bronx 

 Park and the recent additions. 



It is the intention of your Committee, as far as possible, to care- 

 fully preserve that portion of the old Boston Post Road lying 

 within the present boundaries of the Zoological Park. This inter- 

 esting bit of old road formed part of the highway which, begin- 

 ning at the City Hall traversed the Bowery, formed what is now 

 Third Avenue, and crossed the Bronx River in the territory of the 

 Zoological Park, running thence northeast to Boston. Its histor- 

 ical interest is great, and it has remained essentially unchanged. 

 It can be widened some ten feet without injury to its present 

 irregular course or the destruction of a single tree. 



At the urgent request of the Society the Park Department suc- 

 ceeded, after several years' effort, in having the unsightly tele- 

 graph poles removed from Boston Road, much to the improve- 

 ment of its appearance. 



ANIMAL COLLECTIONS. 



The animal collections at the Park have been greatly increased 

 in numbers and in the value of their component parts, especially 

 in the Department of Birds. This has been made possible by the 

 completion of the Bird House and the Pheasants' Aviary. The 

 last report of your Committee showed 643 birds, representing 14 

 orders and 165 species. To-day there are 1,560 birds, represent- 

 ing 26 orders and 354 species. The completion of a few more 

 small installations will equip the Park with probably the most ex- 

 tensive bird collection in the world. 



Owing to the fact that the existing buildings are full to reple- 

 tion the collections of Mammals and Reptiles have not increased 

 in like proportion. A number of small mammals and also of the 

 smaller carnivora have been added, "and the reptile collections 

 have been enlarged by some new rarities. At present there are 

 in the Park 624 Mammals, 687 Reptiles, 1,560 Birds, making a 

 total of 2,871 specimens, representing 656 species. 



