Junes, 1898.] 



SCIENCE. 



763 



The 261 acres assigned to the Park is an 

 especially beautiful and diversified area, 

 combining open glades with thickets, heavy 

 forest, natural streams and waterfalls, long 

 areas of rocky cliffs, and traversed by the 

 beautiful waters of the Bronx. It seems to 

 the visitor hardly credible that such an 

 area should have been preserved so close to 

 a large city. It is evident that it should be 

 developed with the very greatest care, and 

 it is believed that the final plan of the Zo- 

 ological Park will preserve all the natural 

 beauty of this tract, and greatly enhance 

 its interest to the people of the City and 

 State of ISTew York. 



In regard to the zoological arrangement 

 and the development of the plans of the 

 buildings, the Director reports as follows : 



" Our final plan is believed to locate each 

 species as nearly as possible where nature 

 would design to have it placed ; to absolutely 

 avoid all disfigurement of the site ; to rriake 

 the most of the shade which nature has pro- 

 vided ; to enable the visitor to see the whole 

 series of collections with the least possible 

 amount of walking; to yield the greatest 

 return for the money that is to be expended, 

 and last, but not least, to yield something 

 that is hardly to be found to an equal de- 

 gree in any smaller zoological garden or 

 park — a logical and fairly symmetrical zo- 

 ological arrangement. 



" In the preparation of the plans for the 

 buildings to be erected in the Zoological 

 Park, the Director was required to furnish 

 to the architects a series of preliminary 

 ground plans, and the details of such other 

 scientific features as cage arrangement and 

 general assignment of space. In this con- 

 nection it is a pleasure to acknowledge the 

 assistance that has been derived from cer- 

 tain European zoological gardens, whose 

 buildings have furnished points that have 

 been incorporated in our own. 



" The plan of our Lion House contains 

 several ideas drawn from the admirable 



London Lion House, but with one note- 

 worthy improvement, by means of which 

 the out-door and in-door cages are pro- 

 vided with free communication. The plan 

 of our Elephant House contains features 

 derived from the well-nigh perfect ' Palais 

 des Hippopotames ' in Antwerp. Our Ante- 

 lope House contains many ideas borrowed 

 from, that in Frankfort. Our Reptile 

 House copies several features from that in 

 the London Garden, but many of its most 

 important features are original. 



" Our Bird House, Monkey House, Sub- 

 tropical House, Small Mammals' House, 

 Winter House for Birds, Administration 

 Building, Bear Dens, Wolf and Fox Dens 

 Alligators' Pools, Burrowing Eodents' Quar- 

 ters, Squirrel Installations, Beaver Pond 

 and Aquatic Rodents' Ponds all are fea- 

 tures absolutely new, both in design and 

 general arrangement." 



The plans of nine of the principal build- 

 ings have now been drawn with great 

 care, but, with the exception of the Mon- 

 key House and Reptile House, they are still 

 in the formative stage of development. 



Although the principal work of the So- 

 ciety during the past year has been devoted 

 to securing a firm financial basis, and to 

 the development of a thoroughly satisfac- 

 tory plan, some of the other objects have 

 been considerably furthered. 



It is our purpose to make especial provis- 

 ions and facilities for artists and sculptors in 

 the various buildings, in order to establish 

 a school of animal painting and sculpture 

 which shall be worthy of this city and 

 country. As an object lesson for American 

 cities. Director Hornaday has prepared a 

 very careful and fully illustrated report 

 upon " The London Zoological Society and 

 its Gardens," which will' be of interest to 

 keepers and patrons of zoological gardens in 

 all parts of this country. He has also made, 

 by means of postal correspondence, an 

 extended inquiry as to the destruction of 



