NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARR. 11 



The floor levels of some of the important buildings are as 

 follows : 



Above Sea Level. 



Of the Antelope House 88 feet 



Of the Reptile House 78 ' 



Of the Lion House 64 ' 



Of the Aquatic Bird House 57 ' 



Soil. The soil varies from rich black muck in the valleys, 

 to light and very dry soil, full of mica and sand, on the 

 ridges and meadows. Where not packed hard, the latter is 

 very porous, and the heaviest rainfall is quickly absorbed, 

 or carried away on the surface. As a result, the valleys are 

 always moist and rich in grass, and the slopes arid ridges 

 are always dry and warm. 



Streams and Ponds. The Zoological Park contains about 

 34 acres of still water, of which Bronx Lake comprises 25 

 acres, Lake Agassiz 5y 2 acres, Cope Lake, the Wild-Fowl 

 Pond, and Beaver Pond together, about 3% acres. The 

 two larger lakes are fed by the Bronx River, which drains 

 a valley about 15 miles long. Even in the driest seasons the 

 volume of water carried down by the Bronx River is suffi- 

 cient to keep the lakes well filled. The areas of still water 

 available for animal collections are very generous for an 

 institution like this, and are highly prized. 



The Waterfall. At the lower end of Lake Agassiz, and 

 about 300 feet above the Boston Road Bridge, is a natural 

 waterfall nearly 12 feet in height, where the Bronx River 

 falls over a rugged ledge of pink granite. In times of high 

 water the foaming flood that thunders over the rocks makes 

 an imposing spectacle, and it constitutes a most unusual 

 feature to be found in a city park. During the year 1901, 

 an improvement was made which added very greatly to the 

 beauty of this feature by extending the rock ledge about 

 200 feet farther, to the rocky side of Wilson Hill, thereby 

 greatly increasing the water area of Lake Agassiz, and at the 

 same time forming a beautiful island. 



Forests. The crowning glory of the Zoological Park is 

 the magnificent forest growth which covers, thickly or 

 sparsely, about two-thirds of its land area. It consists chiefly 

 of white, scarlet, black, red and pin oaks, tulip, sweet gum, 

 hickory, beech, sassafras, maple, wild cherry, hornbeam, dog- 

 wood, tupelo, hemlock and cedar; but there are at least 

 thirty other species of trees and shrubs. Thanks to the 

 wise foresight and broad views of David and Philip Lydig, 



