ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



'97 



the lamcnlable killin;^ of the snow leopard. That 

 animal was murdered at midnight by a conjunction 

 of rattled men, when it might easily have been 

 caught if anyone present had done one thing with 

 good judgment. 



There are some newspajiers whose accounts of 

 happenings with animals, even accidents, are truth- 

 ful, dignified, and believable. Then again, there 

 are some news]iapcr men who the moment they 

 strike the trail of a ••light" or an accident go all 

 to pieces, and lose their heads, completely. 



Therefore is it well to make haste \ery slowly 

 in believing stories of fights with animals, escapes, 

 armed men, and screaming wonieii. w. r. n. 



F.XriXCTIOX OK \VOODL.\ND BITTALO 



Director Bell of the Canadian Geological Survey 

 in a conversation October 26th reports that the 

 herd of Woodlatid BulTalo back of the Salt River 

 whit h tails into the Great Slave River I'our or live 

 miles below Fort Smith, embraced four or live 

 hundred indixiduals, according to the rcporl of 

 T}Trell, some years ago. 



A year ago the Indians reported to Director Bell 

 that the herd was reduced to about si.xty, but that 

 the Indians in general had scrupulously respected 

 the law. The one exception was the killing of a 

 pair of fine bulls by an Indian who stated that he 

 was forced to kill for meat. He was, however, 

 arrested and punished. 



Director Bell beheves that the herd is gradually 

 diminishing; that the bulls are not sufficiently 

 numerous or strong to protect the calves from the 

 large packs of wolves ■which attack the herd in 

 spring. 



A SOUTHERN ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN 



Very few persons, we \'enture to say, are aware of 

 the fact that there now exists at Buenos Ayres a 

 well-planned and fully developed zoological garden, 

 which will compare favorably with many of those 

 in Europe and America. The capital city of Ar- 

 gentina has established a zoological institution of 

 which any city in the world might well be [iroud. 



The guide-book of this Jardin Zoologico Munic- 

 ipal exhibits a plan and series of illustrations of 



grounds and buildings, dens, cages, and aviaries of 

 a most interesting and ])ernianent character. But 

 for the letterpress, one might easily believe that the 

 establishment had been located and developed in 

 one of the oldest cities of Europe. The guide-book 

 itself is far in advance of tho.se of .several institu- 

 tions much more pretentious. It is well planned, 

 well written and well illustrated, and Director 

 Cleniente Onelli may be congratulated on his share 

 of the work. 



The references to the plan of the garden show a 

 total of fifty-three features, and the illustrations 

 reveal an attractive ensemble. The illustrations 

 published in the guide-book suggest the Antwerp 

 Garden, with the reservation that the buildings are, 

 as a whole, less expensive. 



Of the more substantial structures, the style of 

 architecture has been varied in a manner that is 

 both pleasing and interesting. Oriental animals 

 have been provided with oriental buildings. The 

 ostriches are quartered in a very fair imitation of 

 an African hut. The "habitation " of the elephants 

 is called a "temple," and the grand aviary suggests 

 the Taj Mehal. The most startling feature of all 

 is the great wire cage for the condors, which, 

 through its spreading base and lofty central turret, 

 immediately suggests the EilTel Tower. 



A glance at the list of animals in the collection re- 

 veals a very creditable array of mammals and birds, 

 but a scarcity of reptiles. The various orders and 

 important families of mammals are well repre- 

 sented, and, as might be inferred from the demands 

 of zoological gardens generally, the majority of 

 the species have come from the Old World. In 

 birds South America is more adequately repre- 

 sented. Of reptiles only eight species are named 

 in the list, and these are repre.sented by a total of 

 only thirteen specimens. It should be remembered, 

 however, that the zoological garden of Buenos 

 A_\Tes is not the only one which pays little atten- 

 tion to reptiles. 



The members of our Society will be interested 

 in the fact that this is a municipal Zoological Gar- 

 den, established partly by the city, and aided by in- 

 dividual effort. As may readily be inferred, the 

 Garden owes its existence to the combined interest 

 of the scientific men of Buenos Ayres, joined with 

 that of the highest officials of the city and nation. 



