34 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



Hudson-Fulton Committee made no appropriations for our ex- 

 penses, and the Society had to expend its own funds for decora- 

 tions on that occasion. 



Several important gifts have been received for special pur- 

 poses, the most notable being that of Colonel Anthony R. Kuser 

 for $60,000, for research into the life history of the pheasants, 

 and the publication of an illustrated monograph on this subject, 

 all of which will be referred to later. 



The chief work for game protection during the past year, 

 took the form of the special Wild Life Preservation Number of 

 the Zoological Society Bulletin, published in June, 1909. This 

 Bulletin has been given wide circulation, and we believe has 

 tended to materially strengthen public opinion on the question of 

 conservation of wild life. No other work along these lines was 

 attempted, owing to lack of funds, but our Director of the Zoo- 

 logical Park, as President of the Am.erican Bison Society, has 

 been instrumental in establishing a new national bison range 

 and herd on the Flathead Indian Reservation in Montana. This 

 range and herd are now accomplished facts. The latter in- 

 cludes thirty-seven head of bison, all of pure blood, and in fine 

 condition. They were presented by the American Bison Society 

 to the Federal Government. This herd, with that of the Wichita 

 Bison Range, which was presented to the Government by this 

 Society, and the bison herd in the Yellowstone National Park is 

 sufficient to insure the continued existence of this noble animal, 

 indefinitely. Dr. Hornaday and Mr. John M. Phillips, of Pitts- 

 burgh, are entitled to the credit of the establishment in British 

 Columbia of the Goat Mountain Park game preserve, 450 square 

 miles in extent. 



Our zoological researches have suff'ered severely from insuf- 

 ficient resources ; and the remarkable studies of Mr. M. E. Hag- 

 gerty on "Imitation in Monkeys" were reluctantly discontinued 

 owing to the lack of funds. 



Mr. Beebe's expedition to South America resulted in five 

 numbers of Zoologica, as follows: — "Ecology of the Hoatzin," 

 "Ornithological Reconnaissance of North Eastern Venezuela," 

 "New Species of Insects," "Racket Formation in the Tail-feath- 

 ers of the Motmot," and "Three Cases of Supernumerary Toes 

 Among Hawks." All these reflect great credit on the Society, 

 and on the author. Scientific work of this character will here- 

 after receive more attention and support. 



Both the Zoological Park and the Aquarium have continued 

 to develop in popularity. During the year 1909, 1,614,953 have 



