50 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 
ereek along the eastern boundary of the park. This situation is admirably adapted 
by nature for the animals, but has the disadvantage of exposing them to the sight 
of dogs both on the outside of the park and within it, Three animals have been so 
frightened as to lose their lives from this cause, and it will be necessary to make the 
fence so tight as to entirely prevent the sight of dogs and probably it will be advisa- 
ble to exclude them from this part of the park altogether. 
The unexpected gift of an Asiatic elephant by Mr. James E. Cooper made it neces- 
sary to hastily prepare a barn. This is a temporary structure, but will be so fitted 
as to serve for shelter during the winter. It was prepared for but one animal, but 
by Mr, Cooper’s generosity a second elephant was lent to the park, and the two 
have been made comfortable within it. The situation of this barn is not wholly sat- 
isfactory. Atthe time it was built it was thought desirable to place it at aconsidera- 
ble distance from the boundaries of the park in view of the possibility of the ani- 
mals becoming unmanageable, ‘These apprehensions were fortunately not well- 
founded, and it would be much more convenient to have the elephants nearer the 
stream so that they could frequently have immediate access to the water. If funds 
for the erection of a permanent elephant house should become available this matter 
will no doubt be considered, The expense of the maintenance of the elephants is very 
ereat, and it should be remembered that the estimate for the last year’s expenditure 
ras made without the knowledge that it would be necessary to meet so heavy an 
item as the cost of erecting a special building and providing keepers and provisions 
for these two animals. 
As acolony of prairie dogs had been for some time a feature of the collection, it 
became necessary to provide suitable accommodations for them. Although a broad 
open meadow would best resemble their natural habitat it was thought best to 
place them in a little thicket of trees to the west of the main drive. Here there was 
built an inclosing wall 34 feet high, and from the footing of this, galvanized iron 
mesh-work was placed in a trench 8 feet deep. This has been found sufficient to 
completely confine them. It is believed that this iron net will not corrode when 
buried so deeply in the ground. If this proves successful for a series of years it 
will be a great advantage, as it has usually been thought in Zoological Gardens 
necessary to excayate completely the inclosures for burrowing animals and to ce- 
ment the bottom. This is very expensive, and the result is that but few colonies of 
burrowing animals are seen. It is hoped to add several colonies of this nature, in- 
eluding some of the most characteristic American rodents. 
A list of the accessions to the park during the year is given herewith. (Exhibit 
A.) Many of them could not be accommodated in the houses already erected and 
have been assigned to quarters more or less temporary or to small cages scattered 
along the main road. Many more animals could have been procured had it been 
possible to suitably accommodate them. The most important accession is the Asiatic 
elephant “Dunk,” which was presented to the park on April 30, 1891, by Mr. 
James E. Cooper, the proprietor of the Adam Forepaugh shows. The elephant is 
a fine animal, about 25 years of age, very docile and tractable, and a very valuable 
addition to the collection. Mr. Cooper not only gave this elephant, but in order 
to insure success in keeping him loaned another, “ Golddust,” to serves a a com- 
panion, it being well known that solitary elephants suffer greatly from loneliness. 
When commissioners were sent to South America to collect material forthe World’s 
Columbian Exposition of 1893 it was thoughtfully suggested by Mr. W. E. Curtis, 
chief of the Latin-American Bureau of the State Department, that they might be 
also willing to collect animals for the park. Authority was therefore given them to 
incur expenditures not to exceed $300 for each person, and several accessions have 
been made by this means. The experiment has not, however, proved as satisfactory 
as could be wished, as the animals sent are usually badly cared for on shipboard. 
Several animals have been born in the park during the year, the most noteworthy 
being a young female bison. It is believed that these animals will breed freely in 
confinement and that by this means the species may be keptindefinitely perpetuated. 
