SEVENTH ANNUAL REPORT. 39 
the sides of the entrances, two pediments to be placed within the 
entrances, and a large number of heads of various felines for the 
decoration of the cornice and of the sides of the building. The 
details of the sculptured panels are also his work. The Society is 
indebted to the contractors, Thomas Cockerill & Son, for the en- 
terprising and satisfactory manner in which they have completed 
the construction of this building. Many unique features embodied 
in this building are pointed out in the Director’s report, especially 
the use of steel wire instead of bars for cage fronts, the provision 
of opalite tiling for the interior linings of the cages, and the studio 
for artists. 
The large collection of felines needed for this building was pre- 
sented by various members of the Board of Managers and other 
friends of the Society, a special subscription being made for this 
purpose; and in order to secure the finest types, the Director, ac- 
companied by Mr. W. W. Niles, took a special trip abroad to 
examine anew the Zoological gardens of Europe, and to give the 
necessary orders to various dealers. 
The Antelope House is well on the way to completion and 
should be finished during the spring of 1903. The contract was 
awarded to Thomas Dyer, for $54,900. The building will be used 
in winter for the housing of tropical deer, which are now crowded 
during the winter into the lower portion of the Buffalo House and 
elsewhere. We have been seriously embarrassed at the outset by 
our inability to house tropical animals during winter, and the pur- 
chase of many specimens has been deferred for this reason. The 
rapid destruction of many of the species of African antelopes also 
renders the completion of this building very timely, as every year 
of delay will increase the cost of these animals. Our next duty 
will be to procure a representative series of antelopes and other 
tropical ruminants for this building. It is planned in such a 
manner as to accommodate also elephants, hippopotami, zebras, 
and other African types, pending the future construction of the 
Elephant House and of a special installation for horses, asses, and 
zebras. 
The plans for the Ostrich House were advertised in March, 
1902. The lowest bid was $37,000, which far exceeded the amount 
the Society had planned to appropriate for this purpose. So the 
plans were withdrawn, and are now being re-studied; and it is 
hoped that a contract for this building will be advertised in the 
course of a month or so. 
The erection of this building and of the house for small mam- 
mals necessitated the development of the area between the Ante- 
