THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK 



The Park's bear collection is a large one, including, in 

 the main cages, the American black bear, the grizzly bear, 

 the Syrian bear, the hairy-eared bear, the great Yezzo bear 

 of Japan, several species of Alaskan brown bear and the 

 Kadiak bear. Two fine polar bears are in a large den 

 down the steps north of the main bear dens, and still other 

 species are found facing the main dens on the northwest. 

 The northern compartments of these smaller bear dens 

 accommodate also the laughing hyena and the South Afri- 

 can hyena dog. The path beside these latter dens affords 

 a fine view of the Beaver Pond and Dam and brings the 

 visitor to the back of the Reptile House. 



The open-air Tortoise Yards flanking the east wall of 

 this building may be examined first; here, in summer, the 

 tortoise and large tropical lizards may be seen taking air 

 and exercise. These yards are connected with indoor quar- 

 ters for use when the weather is cool. The giant tortoises 

 are especially interesting, growing to enormous size and 

 living to a great age. The largest specimen, from the Gala- 

 pagos Islands, weighs 225 pounds. These creatures are 

 now to be found only on isolated groups of islands in the 

 Pacific and Indian Oceans, but from fossil remains found 

 elsewhere they appear once to have inhabited all the conti- 

 nents. Among large lizards, the Australian monitor, the 

 powerful tegu of South America and the iguanas should be 

 mentioned. The lizards here and in the Reptile House 

 form a comprehensive collection. 



The Reptile House, the first large building to be erected 



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