SECOND ANNUAL REPORT. 67 
ably in old age. The pursuit of this policy yields the maximum 
of intelligent, faithful and conscientious service. 
Any American who visits the great cities of north-western 
Europe, and fails to see their zoological gardens, robs himself of a 
great amount of enjoyment. The points of difference between 
those institutions are so numerous, and the features of surpassing 
excellence are so thoroughly scattered, each garden has its own 
individuality, and it is well worth while to see them all. Ina 
picture gallery, the strain upon the eyes, the brain and the body 
is constant. In a zoological garden, the restfulness of it is equally 
constant. It is a series of charming dissolving views of foliage 
and flowers, green grass and placid water, and a constantly chang- 
ing variety of interesting and beautiful living creatures. If one 
tires of walking, there is the shady grove, or nook beside the 
water, inviting one to rest, without the endless procession of vehi- 
cles, and the beat of horses’ hoofs, which the rest-seeker in Hyde 
Park, or Central Park, seldom can escape. 
As all the world knows, New York City is over-crowded ; and 
each year the congestion of certain districts becomes more serious. 
As is always the case in cities, the poorest people are those who 
suffer most, because it is so very difficult to place within their 
reach great areas of pure air, and restful woods and waters, at a 
price which they can afford to pay. Canit be doubted, then, that 
an undertaking which proposes to make accessible, for a few cents 
in car-fare, a beautiful natural world in miniature, of forest, stream, 
lake, meadow and rock, peopled with living creatures, is a philan- 
thropic enterprise of the first magnitude, quite aside from its edu- 
cational value? We think not ; and when the New York Zoolog- 
ical Park stands as wx fazt accompli, the people of this city will 
realize that they owe much to the zoologists of London, Berlin, 
Amsterdam, Antwerp and other European capitals for having 
developed the peculiar field of scientific enterprise which has 
given the world the modern zoological garden. 
