November 6, 1896.] 



SCIENCE. 



681 



PLANS FOB THE PROPOSED ZOOLOGICAL 

 PABK IN NEW YORK. 



Last spring the plans of the New York 

 Zoological Society reached a point where it 

 became necessary to take up the many 

 questions involved in the design and con- 

 struction of buildings and other enclo- 

 sures for animals, and also their arrange- 

 ment in the proposed Zoological Park. 

 The Executive Committee realized the ne- 

 cessity of a thorough examination and study 

 of the best zoological gardens of Europe. 



Accordingly, Mr. William T. Hornaday, 

 the Director, was instructed to visit all the 

 large gardens of Europe, examine them 

 carefully, and bring back photographs and 

 designs of their most valuable and interest- 

 ing features. He left New York in June, and 

 visited the zoological gardens of the following 

 cities, in the order named: London, Antwerp, 

 Rotterdam, The Hague, Amsterdam, Han- 

 over, Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden, Leipsic, 

 Frankfort, Cologne and Paris. Altogether 

 fifteen gardens were inspected, and their 

 best features were photographed, sketched 

 and studied throughout. Without an ex- 

 ception, the Directors, Superintendents and 

 Inspectors of the gardens visited were very 

 cordial. Every fact asked for was cheer- 

 fully furnished, without the slightest hesita- 

 tion or reservation. Not only were good 

 features pointed out as being worthy of 

 special attention, but some officers very 

 kindly indicated the mistakes that had 

 been made in their gardens in the early 

 days when everything had to be determined 

 by experiment, thus showing what to avoid. 



In London, Dr. P. L. Sclater, the execu- 

 tive head of the London Zoological Society, 

 gave all the information and facilities for 

 photographing that were desired in the So- 

 ciety's gardens, and Mr. Clarence Bartlett, 

 Assistant Superintendent, explained the 

 entire working machinery of this truly 

 magnificent zoological institution. 



At Antwerp the visitor is fairly amazed 



at the perfection of all the larger buildings 

 for animals and the extreme beauty and at- 

 tractiveness of nearly every feature of that 

 scientific establishment. Director L'hoest 

 and his Assistant, M. J. De Winter, were 

 untiring in their willingness to afford all the 

 information desired, and to show everything 

 not open to general view. Only two and 

 one-half hours distant is found the beauti- 

 ful garden at Rotterdam, known to but 

 few Americans, where Dr. Yon Bemmelin 

 pointed out with pardonable pride the new- 

 est lion house, in Europe, and the first great 

 flying cage ever constructed for the larger 

 wading birds. An equally short distance 

 farther on, at Amsterdam, is found a very 

 rich coUeclection, installed amid charming 

 surroundings, in which the health and ' con- 

 dition ' of every bird and quadruped seems 

 absolutely perfect. In the absence of Di- 

 rector Kerbert, Inspector Castens devoted 

 hours of time to answering the question, 

 ^' How do you keep everything in such fine 

 condition?" 



At Hanover, Dr. Ernest Schafl" fully 

 explained the plan of foundation and man- 

 agement of his zoological forest, and supplied 

 a plan of the new and admirably con- 

 structed Antelope House. At Berlin was 

 found another royal establishment, with the 

 larger mammalia housed in ornate and 

 costly buildings. The garden occupies 

 part of imperial grounds and it is one 

 of which the citizens of Berlin may 

 well be proud. Dr. Ludwig Heck, its 

 director, became much interested in the 

 New York plan, and his cooperation was 

 heartily extended. At Hamburg another 

 very fine garden was inspected, in which all 

 the shade is the result of artificial planting. 

 It thus afibrds a fine opportunity to ob- 

 serve what can be accomplished if sufficient 

 time is allowed. The shade trees are now 

 very beautiful, and at once impress the ex- 

 pert visitor as being remarkably well dis- 

 tributed to serve their purpose of shading 



