68 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
On the whole, our attendance figures afford, without a word 
of support, the best answer to the occasional printed denuncia- 
tions of zoological gardens and parks in which an extra sensitive 
humanitarian occasionally indulges. 
The attendance by months was as follows: 
1920 1919 
PANUATY ea ees ete een ne 47,024 69,298 
PeDruary © Sons sae ee Oe 37,485 84,221 
Marlin etc ee ee 112,658 118,798 
AO Yellin ooo ee erin ee 187,748 192,839 
IY Ee gen aie aM Ba ee sh er are 366,024 255,597 
SUNOS = aie eee eta cee ence ee 241,995 297,285 
Siuliyon cs se. eae era a er eee 299,409 220,004 
PUI US Tes ne Ree ek Ae 299-85) 263,135 
September. rakn cs. claret eens 288,666 226,015 
October ie ven C er ere 239,941 133,742 
INOVEMbDEE== eine ete ote ee 92,096 131,650 
December. ot eaee on eee 77,300 43,275 
2,250,177 2,035,859 
OUR COLLECTIONS. 
The first, the last and the greatest business of every zoologi- 
cal park is to collect and exhibit fine and rare wild animals, in 
healthy and happy conditions. Next comes the duty of enabling 
the greatest possible number of people to see them with comfort 
and satisfaction. 
In comparison with these objects, all others are of secondary 
or tertiary or quaternary importance. The breeding of wild 
animals is extremely interesting, and the systematic study of 
them is fascinating, but both those ends must be subordinated 
to the main objects. We must not forget that the millions of 
visitors expect us to bring within their reach, and keep them 
constantly in view, choice representatives of the most beautiful 
and most interesting wild creatures of this vast earth. The 
metropolitan zoological park that fails in the accomplishment of 
that only partially fulfills the main purpose for which it exists. 
