434 THE POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY 



THE XATIOXAL ZOOLOGICAL GAEDEX 



By Dr. R. W. SHUFELDT 

 washington, d. c. 



MY home at the present time is within ten minutes' walk of the 

 Xational Zoological Park at Washington, and, as a matter of 

 fact, when my study window is open, and outside conditions are favor- 

 able, the howling of the coyotes and wolves, the barking of the seals, 

 and the calls of the big birds of prey are, each and all, heard with 

 delightful distinctness. 



Zoological gardens and parks have interested me most keenly as far 

 back as I can remember, and in years gone by I have published, in one 

 place or another, a number of articles about them, in which I have 

 attempted to point out what extremely valuable institutions they are to 

 any civilized community of people. 



"Within the past few weeks I have made quite a number of photo- 

 graphs in the Xational " Zoo," including some of the principal build- 

 ings, the animals and views. Some of these were taken for a definite 

 purpose, to which they have already been applied. Others were taken 

 to help illustrate a book I am writing on animals; while a few have a 

 special interest for me on other accounts, and some of these I am using 

 to illustrate the present article, as, for example, the superb specimen of 

 the Kadiak bear shown in Fig. 1. This is the largest carnivore exist- 

 ing on this planet to-day, and is, as in the case of so many o^ our 

 famous mammals, gradually, but very surely, being exterminated. 



There are a number of different species of bears in the collection of 

 the National Zoological Park, as for example the brown bear of Europe, 

 the black bear, grizzly, polar bears and others. They are placed upon 

 exhibition by being confined in a series of cages, here shown in Fig. 1, 

 with " dens " built in solid masonry and stone-work at their farther 

 ends. Although well and regularly fed, and the general surroundings 

 very beautiful, these poor fellows are by no means happy or contented. 

 Bears are extremely active in nature, and delight in climbing trees and 

 in cutting up all sorts of antics in the forests. These cages are doubt- 

 less the best that the limited funds at the disposal of the management 

 will purchase ; but any one who Imows anything of a bear's needs, knows 

 full well that it is a cruelty to keep them in such quarters as those in 

 which they are now confined. These cages should be five or six times 

 their present size, and running water should pass through them. There 

 should be areas enclosed of soft ground for the bears to scratcli and roll 

 upon ; and, above all, a number of trees, as large as possible, should be 

 enclosed, in that they could climb to their heart's content. It is a 

 truly pitiable sight to see these poor creatures try to " kill time " in 



