NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 153 



ORDERS. Species. Specimens. 



Scansoriformes Toucans and Barbets . . 8 13 



Piciformes Woodpecker 9 26 



Passeriformes Thrushes, Sparrows and 



all perching birds. . . 378 1242 



Totals 903 3038 



WILD-FOWL POND, 



Heretofore Called the Aquatic Mammals' Pond. 



As the birds on this pond have been transferred from the 

 Duck Aviary, the interest of this exhibit is of special char- 

 acter, and greatly enjoyed by hosts of visitors. This is 

 the nursery of the ducks and geese, where, in the tangle of 

 long grass, briars and underbrush along the east side of the 

 pond, the nests are built in early spring, the eggs are laid 

 and patiently incubated. Finally the broods of ducklings 

 are led to the water, to feed to repletion, throughout the 

 summer, on the worms, bugs and insects so dear to the ap- 

 petite of these amusing little fellows. 



Cope Lake is the especial province of the nesting pairs of 

 Canada geese, and sometimes as many as eight golden-col- 

 ored goslings are hatched in one nest on the small island. 



The Mallard Duck, {Anas boschas), is one of our finest 

 swimming birds, the joy of the sportsman who finds it in 

 its haunts, the delight of the epicure who finds it on the bill 

 of fare. Sluggish indeed must be the blood which does not 

 beat faster at the sight of a flock of wild Mallards, free in 

 Nature, and ready to leap into the air and away at the 

 slightest alarm. After the pintail and the wood duck, this 

 is one of the handsomest ducks of North America, and also 

 one of the finest for the table. Its range covers practically 

 the whole of the western continent down to Panama, and 

 even extends to the Azores, north Africa, and northern India. 

 The drakes are readily recognized by the splendid irrides- 

 cent green of the head. 



The Green-Winged Teal, (Nettion carolinensis) , and Blue- 

 Winged Teal, (Querqucdula discors), are very delicate birds, 

 and therefore rather difficult to maintain in captivity. A 

 flock of each will be found in the Flying Cage. 



The Pintail Duck, (Dafila acuta), is specially commended 

 to the notice of visitors because of its great beauty, both 

 in color and form. Its colors form an exquisite harmony of 



