192 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



others are nearl_y square. The ground has been 

 well drained, and covered with two inches of sand. 



The fences surrounding the yards are eight feet 

 in height. The posts are of steel T-bars set in 

 concrete, and the wire-work is both hand-made 

 and home-made. It was impossible to tind any 

 machine-made fences of a kind suitable for our pur- 

 pose. The fences are (or will be when fully com- 

 pleted) of meshes that measure three inches square. 

 In the faint hope of discouraging evil-minded visitors 

 from killing the silly ostriches by giving them hard- 

 ware to swallow, the guard-wires will be set five feet 

 in front of the outside fences. But what can we 

 do with foolish birds that swallow open knives, 

 or with bird-killing visitors who are sly enough to 

 escape detection ? 



The entire collection of birds to fill the Ostrich 

 House is the gift of Mr. Charles T. Barney, Chair- 

 man of the E.xecutive Committee. There are now 

 on exhibition the following: 



2 South African Ostriches, adult, Slruthio anstralis. 

 2 North " " " " cameliis. 



2 Common Rheas, young, Rhea americaim. 



1 Great-Billed Rhea, " " macrorhyncha. 



,^ Emeus, aduh, DroiiiacKs novaehoUaiidia. 



I Ceram Cassowary, " Casuarius casmirius. 



I Violet-Necked Cassowary, " " violicollis. 



Other species of the Order Ratitce are being 

 sought for, with which to make the collection truly 

 representative, all of which when procured will be 

 purchased by Mr. Barney to make his gift com- 

 plete. 



The rheas are young, and only half grown; and 

 the ostriches are yet in travel-scarred plumage. 

 Several months must elapse ere all these birds are 

 fully grown, and clothed with the immaculate 

 plumage that we presently will see. 



The construction of the walks all around the two 

 new buildings has been a task of no small magni- 

 tude, and even with the utmost efforts that could 

 be put forth by a full force of men, winter burst 

 upon us one week too soon. On account of the 

 long-continued freezing weather of December, it 

 has not yet been possible to puddle and roll the 

 surface as conditions require. This will be accom- 

 plished, however, long before any considerable 

 crowds of spring visitors surround the new col- 

 lections. 



VIEW OF THE SMALL-MAMMAL HOUSE. 



THE SMALL-MAMMAL HOUSE 



I N every zoological park or garden there accu- 

 mulates a great number of medium and 

 small-sized mammals which do not quite fit in 



any of the large houses. There are so many small 

 carnivores, it would be quite possible to fill an 

 entire building with the small members of three 



