NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 



115 



SECTION II. BIRDS. 

 THE DUCK AVIARY, No. 3. 



There are no birds, which take more kindly to captivity, 

 or which better repay their keep and their keepers, than the 

 ducks, geese, swans and pelicans. The only drawback to 

 the maintenance of large collections of these birds in this 

 latitude is the annual struggle with our arctic winter. On 

 account of the fierce winter storms to which we must pay 

 tribute, many species of swimming birds require to be taken 

 out of their aviary, and housed in sheltered buildings, with 

 moderate warmth. For this reason the pelicans, tree-ducks 

 of all species, and all species from the tropics, must neces- 

 sarily be absent in winter from their aviary. 



For the accommodation of a large, systematic collection of 

 swimming birds, an aviary two hundred and fifty feet long 

 by one hundred and forty-three feet in width has been coil- 



