FOURTEENTH ANNUAL REPORT 109 



that the Executive Committee gave the Director of the Park the 

 utmost latitude that could be allowed, his part of this creative 

 task would have been much more difficult than it was. 



Living animals began to arrive on May 11, about six 

 months prior to the opening of the Park, and during that un- 

 happy interval they were stored temporarily in a hastily con- 

 structed "Animal Yard." The carpenter who built the cage 

 for our first large serpent, a very vigorous and vicious python 

 about 16 feet long, turned out a good piece of work, — in all re- 

 spects save one. It would not hold the snake. Through a fine, 

 large hole that was cunningly left high up at a point quite in- 

 visible from without, the serpent joyously slid out to freedom, 

 during its first night in the Park. 



The next morning when the fact was reported to the Di- 

 rector, he bitterly asked himself, "And is this the way to start a 

 new Zoological Park?" 



But the Fates were kind. After three hours of strenuous 

 effort, the snake was located, caught without accident, and re- 

 placed in its amended cage. The newness of the Park may be 

 judged by the fact that this really thrilling incident did not 

 reach any newspaper office for four long months ! To-day, such 

 an incident would instantly be "tipped off" to some newspaper, 

 by telephone, by the traitor somewhere skulking in our camp, to 

 whom no secret is sacred from betrayal for a piece of silver. 



The first large mammal received was a woodland caribou, 

 from Canada, which arrived in May, 1899. It was quickly fol- 

 lowed by a small herd of elk, and seven American bison pur- 

 chased for us in Oklahoma and Texas and delivered at the Park 

 by "Buffalo" Jones. We also acquired a small herd of prong- 

 horned antelope ; deer of several species, both native and foreign ; 

 bears, wolves, foxes, sea-lions, orang-utans, monkeys and quite 

 a number of miscellaneous small mammal species. From Florida 

 came a carload of southern mammals, birds and reptiles, — an 

 embarrassment of zoological riches pending the completion of 

 permanent quarters for it. 



By dint of tremendous exertion, all the installations project- 

 ed for 1899 were actually completed and occupied by November 

 7. More than this, during the month of October the first edi- 

 tion of an "Official Guide to the Zoological Park" was written by 

 the Director, printed, and made ready for distribution on the 

 opening day. It was a crude and hurried piece of work, but it 

 spoke for the Society to the visiting public, and served its pur- 

 pose. Instead of a small volume that could be sold at ten cents. 



