NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 87 



is as fond of water as the musk-rat. It is sufficiently clothed 

 with fur to endure outdoor life in the Park, even in winter, 

 and it has been acclimatized here in one of the other pools. 

 It breeds persistently, and thrives in captivity, provided it is 

 treated as it should be. 



THE SMALL-MAMMAL HOUSE, No. 35. 



The new Small-Mammal House, erected and occupied in 

 1905, is a very different structure from the temporary build- 

 ing- which formerly occupied the site. The present building 

 is a twin of the Ostrich House, and in it much effort has been 

 expended in devising waj's and means to keep its living 

 inhabitants clean, odorless and in good health. Owing, how- 

 ever, to the musky odors secreted by many of the civet cats 

 and members of the Marten Family, it is beyond human 

 power to keep a large collection such as this building con- 

 tains without a certain amount of wild-animal odor. 



Most difficult of all collections to settle satisfactorily in a 

 modern zoological park or garden is the great omnium 

 gatherum of small species — and some large ones, also — which 

 fall within the meaning of the term "small mammals." The 

 number of mammalian miscellanea which can not have build- 

 ings all their own is really very great. In addition to that 

 there are always with us a considerable number of young 

 and tender animals which require small ciuarters, and close 

 attention. The visitor will therefore alwaj's find in the 

 Small-Mammal House a great array of viverrine animals, of 

 tropical squirrels and other small rodents, of mustelines, 

 the nasuas, the small marsupials, young leopards, the lynxes 

 and their relatives, baby bears, and manj^ other species. 



Attention is invited to the great variety of cages in and 

 around this building, of which there are five different types. 

 The total number is 176. All those on the western side are 

 adjustable as to their bottoms and sides, so that it is easy 

 to throw several cages into one, and make cages either 

 very long or very high. The idea of the collapsible cage, 

 and also the general plan of it, has been copied from the 

 model developed and in use in the Zoological Garden of 

 Frankfort, Germany, by Director A. Seitz, to whom this 

 acknowledgment is justly due. It will be noticed that 

 every animal in this building enjoys the use of an outdoor 

 cage, •which connects directly with its interior quarters. 



