NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 63 



most species the hair is coarse and valueless. The seal has 

 a very short neck and by reason of the weakness of its 

 front flippers, it is not nearly so active nor so interesting 

 as the Sea-Lion. 



The Harbor Seal, (Phoca vitulina], is the species common 

 along our Atlantic coast, and since it serves so well as a 

 type of the hair seals, or true seals, it will occasionally be 

 shown in the Park. In comparison with the active and 

 vivacious sea-lion, it is a tame and rather uninteresting 

 creature ; but neither has any commercial value, save for the 

 purposes of exhibition when alive. 



THE PRIMATE HOUSE, No. 17. 



The Primates are the four-handed animals belonging to 

 the zoological order called by that name, which includes the 

 apes, both great and small, the baboons, monkeys and le- 

 murs. The word "monkey" is by no means sufficiently 

 comprehensive to embrace all these forms. Were it other- 

 wise, this building would be called, officially, the Monkey 

 House. 



The Primates are the creatures which stand nearest to 

 man in the zoological scale, and in interest to all classes of 

 humanity they stand above all others. There is no intelli- 

 gent person, civilized or savage, to whom the humanlikeness 

 of apes and monkeys does not appeal. On the other hand, 

 some of the baboons are in feature and temper so thoroughly 

 beast-like, their diabolism is almost as fascinating as the 

 man-like character of the great apes. The variety of forms 

 in the Order Primates, and the wide differences between the 

 various groups, imperatively demand, for the proper rep- 

 resentation of this Order, a large collection. 



The Primate House was erected in 1901, at a cost of 

 $65,000, and opened to the public on December 22d, of that 

 year. It is 162 feet in length, 74 feet in width, contains 

 16 large interior cages, 22 small cages, and 11 exterior cages, 

 two of which are of great size. The points of special ex- 

 cellence in this building are as follows: An abundance of 

 room for the animals, an abundance of sunlight, perfect 

 ventilation, an extensive series of open-air cages, freedom 

 of communication between outside and inside cages, floors 

 and walls impervious to moisture and disease germs, and the 

 absence of iron bars from all cages save three. 



