REPORT OF THE 

 DIRECTOR OF THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK 



TO THE BOARD OF MANAGERS. 



THE year 1913 has been marked by the greatest attendance 

 of visitors, the greatest number of arrivals of particularly 

 rare mammals and birds, and the greatest number of serious 

 deaths among the larger mammalia. It has also been character- 

 ized by the low-water mark in police protection, which up to 

 December 31 was deplorably inadequate. 



The collections of the Park have been fully maintained at 

 the high standard reached in 1912, and at the close of the year 

 the total number of species shows a substantial augmentation. 

 Our former policy of increasing the number of species and di- 

 minishing the representation of each, has been steadily followed, 

 with the result that we now exhibit 1290 distinct forms. 



Two features of the past year's developments have been 

 to us particularly gratifying. The first was an increase in our 

 annual attendance of 235,228, which brought the total number 

 of visitors up to 1,943,683. The second was the increase in 

 our annual maintenance appropriation to $200,000, a sum with 

 which it is possible to maintain the Zoological Park collections, 

 keep the buildings in repair, and properly care for the grounds. 

 For the first time in five years we are able to feel that our in- 

 come is reasonably adequate for our legitimate needs. 



THE POLICE SITUATION. 



The contract between the City and the Zoological Society 

 provides that the City shall furnish for the Zoological Park "ad- 

 equate police protection." There have been periods when this 

 agreement has been faithfully observed ; but there have been 

 others wherein it has been almost a dead letter. Heretofore we 

 have made no public complaint regarding this matter, but now the 

 time has arrived wherein a full statement of the case is both 

 necessary and desirable. 



About one year ago, the police situation in the Zoological 

 Park became desperate. It was improved, not through any ac- 

 tion or effort of the Police Department, but through the creation 

 of a service of our own, at the expense of the membership of 

 the Zoological Society. 



