FkbruaBV 13, 1903.] 



SCIENCE. 



267 



the year is the establishment of a thor- 

 oughly organized medical department un- 

 der the direction of a veterinarian and a 

 well-known human pathologist. A path- 

 ological laboratory is in charge constantly 

 of an assistant, and daily rounds are made 

 b,y an oiBcer of the medical staff in com- 

 pany with the curators of the respective 

 departments. Full reports are being kept 

 of the symptoms of animals of various 

 types, and of the causes of death. From 

 these records it is proposed to prepare a 

 special work on the habits, care and treat- 

 ment of animals in captivity. The larger 

 ruminants, especially, are susceptible to 

 gastero-enteritis, and a disappointing fea- 

 ture of the work is the liability to these 

 diseases which has been engendered on the 

 larger ranges. Until the soil and grasses 

 of these ranges have been thoroughly re- 

 treated, it appears that better results are 

 seciired by keeping the animals in enclos- 

 ures than by allowing them free range. 

 After a number of experiments, entirely 

 successful methods of feeding for the 

 prong-horned antelope and for the caribou 

 have been discovered, and these animals 

 are in fine condition. The western varie- 

 ties of deer, the moose, the buffalo, and to 

 a certain extent the wapiti, are still being 

 studied. 



A feature of the management of the 

 park is the appointment of scientific cura- 

 tors instead of keepers in principal charge 

 of the animals. At present the director 

 acts also as head curator of mammals. Mr. 

 R. L. Dittmars has recently been promoted 

 to the full curator.ship of reptiles, and as- 

 sists Mr. Hornaday with the mammals. 

 Mr. C. "William Beebe has been promoted 

 to the full curatorship of the birds. By 

 this means a continuous series of observa- 

 tions of the habits of animals is being 

 made and recorded. Mr. Beebe has been 

 especially successful in the rearing of 

 birds, and has made a number of valuable 



discoveries in the medical treatment of 

 birds. 



The chief publication of the year is by 

 the secretary, Mr. Madison Grant, on the 

 barren-ground and woodland caribou of 

 the northern hemisphere. 



Another function of the society has been 

 duly followed during the year, namely, 

 game prateetion. The secretary has been 

 actively instrumental in connection with 

 the new game laws of Alaska, Newfound- 

 land and British Columbia, and a spe- 

 cial fund of $3,000 has been presented to 

 the society by Miss Stokes, of New York, 

 the interest of which is to be devoted to 

 the protection of birds. 



The society has enjoyed the cordial co- 

 operation of Commissioners of Parks of 

 the Bronx and of Manhattan ; also the sup- 

 port of Mayor Low and of Comptroller 

 Grout. The relations with all the officers 

 of the city have been of the most friendly 

 character. New York now bids fair to be- 

 come a model city in the management of 

 its scientific institutions. With Professor 

 Bumpus as Director of the American Mu- 

 seum of Natural History, Mr. Hornaday as 

 Director of the New York Zoological Park, 

 Mr. Townsend as Director of the New York 

 Aquarium, and Dr. Mayer in charge of the 

 zoological division of the Brooklyn Mu- 

 seum, the prospects for the future are ex- 

 tremely bright. 



Henry Fairfield Osborn, 

 Chairman of the Executive Com- 

 mittee of the N. T. Zoological 

 Society. 



SCIENTIFIC BOOKS. 



Economics of Forestry. A reference hooh for 

 students of political economy and profes- 

 sional and lay students of forestry. By 

 Bernh.\rd E. Fernow, director of the New 

 York State College of Forestry. New York, 

 Thomas Y. Crowell & Co. 1902. Pp. ix -f 

 520. $\.ryO. 



