NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 61 



pair of European bison, which came from the forest of the Prince 

 of Pless, as the gift of Mr. Norman James, of Baltimore. These 

 animals were quartered at the Buffalo Entrance, and are the first 

 living specimens to be seen by visitors after entering the closed 

 grounds. Next in zoological importance was the acquisition of 

 a pair of young mountain goats, from Fort Steele, Alberta, the 

 first ever exhibited alive in New York City. Up to the end of 

 the year these strange animals had thriven satisfactorily, and it 

 is hoped the species can be acclimatized here with a fair degree 

 of success. 



A fine tusk elephant, about seven feet in height, was imported 

 direct from Assam, northern India, and was very successfully 

 broken for riding by Keeper Frank Gleason. This animal was the 

 gift of Col. Oliver H. Payne. During the latter half of the warm 

 season, "Gunda" regularly carried visitors, and besides earning 

 an income, proved a very interesting exhibit. Thus far, all efforts 

 to secure an African elephant have been unavailing, on account 

 of the scarcity of elephants throughout Africa generally, and the 

 infrequency of captures. 



From Mrs. Hugh D. Auchincloss two female snow leopards, 

 from Central Asia, were received as a gift. These animals were, 

 after due precautions, placed in the large outside cage occupied 

 by the fine male snow leopard — also the gift of Mrs. Auchin- 

 closs — and visitors to the Park enjoyed the rare opportunity of 

 seeing three snow leopards living in one cage. Unfortunately, 

 however, the trio was finally broken up by the escape of a female 

 through a skylight, and her unfortunate and uncalled-for destruc- 

 tion before any Park of^cer could reach the scene, and take steps 

 for her recapture. 



During the year, two exhibition collections required to be tem- 

 porarily broken up. The temporary Small-Mammal House was 

 removed to the Nursery, to do duty as a permanent greenhouse, 

 and the small mammals it contained were stored in the Animal 

 Yard during the erection of the permanent Small-Mammal House. 

 The Burrowing-Rodents' Quarters became infested with rats, 

 which killed most of the small rodents, and rendered it necessary 

 to construct concrete floors a few inches below the earth. It was 

 also found that the more timid of the rodents spent so many day- 

 light hours deep dow-n in their burrows, the public derived little 

 benefit from them. It was therefore decided to construct bur- 

 rows, or shelter-boxes, above ground, in the rock piles, in sucii 

 a manner that the whole interior of each burrow might easily be 

 opened and examined. At the same time, new wire wn^ plnc.^d 



