The National Zoological Park 457 



freely, and the animals appear to endure the heat of our sum- 

 mers without serious inconvenience. A collection of domestic 

 dogs, intended to show the great variation of that species by 

 typical examples of well recognized breeds, has been com- 

 menced. 



A few valuable exotic animals have been presented to the 

 park. Besides the large elephant given by Mr. J. E. Cooper, 

 there is a fine lion brought from the Matabele country of cen- 

 tral Africa by Mr. H. C. Moore; a female leopard from the 

 headwaters of the Congo by Mr. R. Dorsey Mohun, and a 

 zebu presented by Mr. J. H. Starin. 



It is hoped that all the restrictions that impede the growth 

 of the collection will in time be removed. Purchase of animals 

 should be allowed, both because it is the only practicable way 

 of properly keeping up the collection, and because it is desir- 

 able that certain exotic species should be introduced for pur- 

 poses of comparison. Unless this is done the park must 

 necessarily be relegated to a low rank as compared with other 

 zoological collections. 



A considerable amount of material for study is derived from 

 the animals that die in the park. If suitable for museum 

 specimens their skins and skeletons are preserved by the 

 United States National Museum. It is hoped soon to estab- 

 lish a suitable laboratory for the adequate anatomical and 

 pathological investigations of this material, as is done in con- 

 nection with all European collections of living animals. This 

 promises much for the advancement of biological sciences, for 

 the anatomy of many of the rarer American animals is im- 

 perfectly known, and many of the diseases of animals in con- 

 finement are obscure and but little understood. 



The future success of the park cannot be doubted. Popu- 

 lar interest everywhere is being awakened upon the subject 

 of the preservation of game and the care of animals in cap- 



30 



