44 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



i.s pr<)l)al)ly tho most Ix'aiitiful in its diversified natural features of any 

 similar park in any capital of the world. The objects of the park 

 have been abundantly set forth at other times. Though essentially 

 national and not local, it is intended to ha^'e, in connection with other 

 and remote national parks in ,the West, a representation of all our 

 North American animals which can be safely transported here, and it 

 is situated in the national capital to serve as a constant object lesson 

 of what Congress may do. 



In addition to this, its primary function, the park receives animals 

 which are sent from various parts of the world by the officers of the 

 Anii}^ and Navy and other agents of the Government, and an extremely 

 limited number is added to its collection by purchase. 



The present Secretary, who was instrumental in asking the interest 

 of Congress in originall^^ securing the fine tract of land embraced 

 within the park, has taken a continued interest in personally superin- 

 tending the details of its embellishment, always having it as a guiding 

 principle in his treatment of its features to leave nature largely to 

 herself, and not to attempt to beautify what is already Ijeautiful, but 

 to expend the means at his command in providing the necessary build- 

 ings for holding the collections and in making good roads which shall 

 make every part of this beautiful region accessible. 



The extremely limited appropriations allowed by Congress have 

 made it almost impossible to carry out the original programme of pro- 

 curing a large collection of specimens of our native animals. Even 

 as it is, however, the collection is believed to ])e an extremely interest- 

 ing one, notwithstanding the limited means. 



The present value of l)uildings, roadways, and other improvements 

 is estimated at about $150,000, and there are 839 animals, small and 

 great, in the collection. The Superintendent's report, on another page, 

 mentions a number of improvements made during the year, including 

 the completion of the antelope house, new paddocks and sheds for 

 moose, caribou, fallow deer, and arctic foxes, fence for buffalo pad- 

 docks, temporar}^ house for birds, and the contimiation of the drive- 

 way along Rock Creek. 



The western boundary of the park, for some years past unsettled 

 owing to the provisions of the highway act, has been finally deter- 

 mined during the 3^ear. The terms of the legislation concerning this 

 boundary will be found in the superintendent's report, accompanied 

 b}^ an illustrative map. Its effect maybe stated brieffy as running an 

 avenue 90 feet wide through the highest portion of the land of the 

 park, where it is objectionable as disfiguring the landscape. It takes 

 away for this purpose about 46,000 square feet, and the change in- 

 volves the addition of 66,600 feet of lower lying and less desirable 

 land. So far, it is not in the interest of the park that this change 

 should have been made, but the legislation was not opposed, for i"ea- 

 sons of general public interest, and also because, if any avenue was to 



