ZOOLOGICAL SOCILTV IJLLLLTLX 



species. Jl lias iml only the largest single 

 collection of living fishes, but a liner collec- 

 tion of tropical fishes than is H' he found 

 anywhere else. 



Its extensive steam plant maintains warm 

 water for tropical species in winter, and oper- 

 ates a refrigerator for northern species in 

 sunniier. 



Up to the present time it has been main- 

 tained chiefly as a fish aquarium, and it is 

 now proposed to make extensive additions of 

 both fresh and salt-water invertebrate animals. 



There are usually over 150 species of native 

 and tropical fishes on exhibition. Two pools 

 are devoted to seals, and there is also a col- 

 lection of fresh and salt-water turtles. 



The New York Aquarium was opened to the 

 public in 1896, and has since been under the 

 control of the Park Department. Dr. Tarle- 

 ton IL Bean was the first Director, remain- 

 ing in office until 1898, when he was super- 

 ceded by Colonel James E. Jones, who was 

 in charge until 1902. 



The idea of placing the Aquarium under the 

 control of the New York Zoological Society 

 originated with Air. William R. Willcox, Pres- 

 ident of the Park Board, who suggested its 

 transfer to the Society. The additional care 

 and responsiloility for the scientific and exhi- 

 bitional administration was not at first wel- 

 comed by the officers of the Society. The 

 Executive Committee, however, finally voted 

 to accept this trust from the city as an evi- 

 dence of the confidence of the municipal 

 authorities in the management of the Zoo- 

 logical Park by the Society. 



The necessary legislation was obtained in 

 Albany, and after lengthy negotiations, a con- 

 tract was entered into between the Society 

 and the City, acting through its Board of Es- 

 timate and Apportionment, for the transfer of 

 the institution in question to the New York 

 Zoological Society. 



The officers of the Society spent much time 

 in the careful consideration of various can- 

 didates for the office of Director, and the 

 choice finally fell upon JMr. Charles H. Towns- 

 end, late of the Fish Commission at Wash- 

 ington. Mr. Townsend entered the service of 

 the United States Fish Commission in iSS_v 

 and was engaged in salmon propagation in 

 California for two years. He accompanied 

 the L^nited States Steamship Concin as nat- 

 uralist on the arctic expedition of 1885. Pie 

 was appointed naturalist of the U. S. Fish 

 Commission's Steamship Albatross in 1886, 

 and was engaged in the survey of ocean fish- 

 ing banks, and in deep-sea investigations 

 with that vessel in the Atlantic and Pacific 

 oceans more or less regularly until 1896. when 

 he was appointed by President Cleveland a 



member of the Bering Sea l'"ur-Seal Commis- 

 sion 1)1 1896-97. He was chief of the Fisher- 

 ies Division of the United States Fish Com- 

 mission from 1897 to 1902, when he was sent 

 by the State Department to The Hague as 

 a fishery expert in the arbitration of sealing 

 and whaling claims against Russia. He is a 

 member of the Washington and the New 

 York Academies of Science, and of the 

 American Fisheries Society, and is the author 

 of numerous government reports on the fish- 

 eries, fur-seal industries, natural hislorv, and 

 deep-sea exploration. Taking advantj'ige of 

 JMr. Townsend's presence at The Plague arbi- 

 tration, the Society sent him on a tour of 

 inspection through the various public aqua- 

 riums of Europe, and especially to the cele- 

 brated institution at Naples. A full report of 

 his aquarium studies abroad will appear in the 

 annual report of the Society. 



The transfer of the Aquarium to the So- 

 ciety took place on the 31st dav of October, 

 1902; Air. Willcox representing' the City, and 

 Professor Henry F. Osborn representing the 

 New York Zoological Society. The Director 

 was installed and is now engaged in the per- 

 formance of his duties. 



Under the direction of the Society and with 

 an adequate maintenance from the City there 

 is no reason why the New York Aquarium 

 should not become the most important — as it 

 is already the largest — public aquarium in the 

 world. 



The Society intends not only to increase 

 the attractions of the Aquarium as a place of 

 entertainment for the people, but to develop 

 its possibilities along educational and scien- 

 tific lines as well. The beautiful invertebrates 

 to be found all along our coast will be col- 

 lected in large quantities for the double pur- 

 pose of varying the exhibits at the Aquarium, 

 and for supplying biological material for nat- 

 ure study in the public schools. The latter 

 feature is one in which meml)crs of the Board 

 of Education have already expressed a great 

 interest, and there seems no reason to doubt 

 that the New York Aquarium will soon oc- 

 cupy an important place as an educational 

 and scientific institution. The Society has re- 

 served two half days, the forenoons of Mon- 

 day and Thursday, during which the Aqua- 

 rium is closed to the public, and its facilities 

 placed at the disposal of the City schools for 

 educational purposes. Teachers with their 

 classes are already beginning to avail them- 

 selves of its collections. The members of the 

 Society are also entitled to admission on these 

 mornings, a privilege which it is hoped they 

 will appreciate. 



The Director is establishing a fish hatchery 

 in one of the large floor-pools of the build- 



