NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 149 



Parrot Hall. .Side Cages 6x8x9 21 



Glass Court. .West Cages 8x9x9 6 



.East & North Cages. 5x6x8 16 



2 

 10 

 1 

 3 

 3 

 14 



Total number of cages 114 



Regarding the state of health and spirits of the birds in 

 this building, the visitor must be left to judge for himself. 

 It is only fair to state, however, that the death rate here 

 and indeed amongst the birds of the Park generally, is 

 very lozv. 



In view of the great number of avian species inhabiting 

 the Large Bird-House, it is a practical impossibility to give 

 more than a general outline of the groups and leading feat- 

 ures of the collection. 



As the visitor enters at the south door, nearest the Lion 

 House, he is greeted by a discordant chorus of ear-piercing 

 shrieks and squawks, joyous but very raucous, and at times 

 too persistent. Loudest are the voices of the gorgeously- 

 plumaged Blue-and-Yellow Macaw, (Ara ararauna) ; the Red- 

 and-Blue Macaw, {Ara macao), and the Great Green Macaw. 

 Around their cages there is no such thing as stagnation or 

 somnolence. The soft-hued Rosella Parakeets, the flock of 

 mostly-green Cuban Parrots, the Leadbeater Cockatoos and 

 the White Cockatoos all join in their voices, to the limit of 

 their respective abilities, but against macaws which can be 

 heard a mile, their best efforts seem tame. The members of 

 the Order Psittaciformcs (as above) have been beautifully 

 colored by Nature, and their harsh voices seem strangely 

 out of harmony with their plumage. 



The indoor cages along the western side of the Large 

 Bird-House (both halls included), contain an extensive 

 series of tropical Pigeons and Doves, which are well worth 

 some attention. 



The most startling exhibit in this group is the Bleeding 

 Heart Pigeon (Plilogoaws luzonica), from the Philip- 

 pines, whose creamy-white breast seems to have been recent- 

 ly stabbed with a stiletto. It is no wonder that now and 

 then a sympathetic visitor seeks the curator, or a keeper, 



