1316 



ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN 



sand organisms that were plainly visible to the 

 eye. 



When I had eorked my last vial and the 

 steward had removed the last pile of shredded 

 debrisj I leaned back and thought of the thou- 

 sand little creatures in my scant four square 

 feet of mold. Then there came to mind a square 

 mile of jungle floor with its thin layer of fallen 

 leaves sheltering many more than six billions of 

 these creatures. Then I recalled the three thou- 

 sand straight miles of continuous jungle which 

 had lain westward up the course of the Amazon, 

 and of the hundreds of miles of wonderful un- 

 broken forest north and south. My mind fal- 

 tered before the vision of the unnamable numer- 

 als of this uncharted census, of the insurgence 

 of life which this thought embraced. It seemed 

 quite clear that no tyrant antwren need ever 

 go hungry, as long as he had strength to turn 

 over a leaf. 



CHIEF ENGINEER MARTIN SCHENCK. 



After sixteen years of service as Chief Engi- 

 neer of the Park Department of Bronx Borough, 

 Mr. Martin Schenck retired on January 1. Mr. 

 Schenck's term of service, dating back to the 

 year 1900, has enjbraced practically the entire 

 period of the development of the Zoological 

 Park. During that period the present institu- 

 tion has been created literally out of the raw 

 materials. The total expenditure for improve- 

 ments has been in the neighborhood of $2,500,- 

 000, and it has included thirteen large buildings, 

 besides small buildings, dens, aviaries, public 

 entrances, comfort buildings, walks, roads and 

 other features literally too numerous to mention. 



During all that long period of strenuous labor, 

 Mr. Schenck has acted as the engineer, charged 

 with the duty of serving as the intermediary and 

 official check between the City of New York and 

 the Zoological Society. Every contract awarded 

 has been reduced to its final form and printed 

 under his supervision. Every bid has been 

 passed upon by him before an award has been 

 made. 



Throughout all that great volume of business, 

 Mr. Schenck has faithfully and intelligently 

 guarded the interests of the taxpayers of New 

 York, and at the same time has promoted, and 

 hastened by every means in his power, the pro- 

 gram of the Zoological Society. In season and 

 out of season, he has left no stone unturned to 

 do his full duty by all parties, and avoid delays, 

 mistakes, and troubles with contractors. In all 

 contract difficulties that have arisen, Mr. Schenck 

 has at all times courageously protected the in- 

 terests of the City. At the same time, Mr. 



Schenck has been reasonably generous to con- 

 tractors, as well as just. 



The Zoological Society notes with sincere re- 

 gret the retirement of Chief Engineer Schenck. 

 At the last meeting of the Executive Committee, 

 the following resolution was adopted: 



Resolved, that the Executive Committee 

 of the New York Zoological Society learn 

 with regret of the proposed retirement of 

 Martin Schenck as Chief Engineer of the 

 Park Department in the Borough of the 

 Bronx. Mr. Schenck has acted in this capac- 

 ity during the entire period of the construc- 

 tion and existence of the Zoological Park, and 

 has been most helpful in promoting the inter- 

 ests of that institution. The committee has 

 always found in him an efficient, faithful and 

 devoted public official, and this record is 

 placed on the minutes to express their appre- 

 ciation of his long services to science and to 

 the public. 



On Thursdaj^, December 23, at a luncheon 

 given in honor of Mr. Schenck at the Rocking- 

 stone Restaurant by the officers of the Society 

 and the Zoological Park, Director Hornaday 

 presented to him, from the Society, as a small 

 token of great regard, a handsome Sonora chime 

 clock, and an album containing photographs of 

 all the buildings that have been erected in the 

 Park during; Mr. Schenck's term of office. 



NEW MEMBERS. 



November 1, 1915 — January 1, 1916. 



Life Members. 

 Field, William B. Osgood, Baruch, Bernard M., 

 Worthington, C. C, 



An^nual Members. 

 Adee, Miss Ellen Louise, Halle, Jacques S., 

 Bates, Dr. W. H., Housman, Clarence J., 



Calm, Arthur L., Skinner, M. P., 



Coster, Miss Sylvia deG., Walker, E. B., 

 Eagle, John H., Zinn, George, 



A GREAT GIRAFFE HEAD. 



We have acquired, by purchase from Mr. 

 James L. Clark, a magnificent mounted head of 

 a male Uganda or Five-Horned Giraffe (Giraffa 

 caxvelopardalis rotheschildi), from the Uasin 

 Gishur plateau, British East Africa, shot in 

 1908 by Air. Godfrey Barker. An illustration 

 of it is shown herewith, but the picture is un- 

 able to convey an adequate impression of the 

 enormous size, the brilliant colors and the life- 

 like mounting of the specimen. Pending better 

 arrangements this head will be seen in the main 

 hall of the Administration Building. 



