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HUDSON-FULTON CELEBRATION 



it is. Wise men will understand what we mean. 

 We do not say that nothing more ever will be 

 added, or that in the future no more improve- 

 ments will be necessary. The actual work of 

 building our Zebra House and Eagles' Aviary 

 yet remains to be done ; but both together are 

 but a bagatelle, like the building of a garden 

 summer-house for a stately mansion that is com- 

 plete and occupied. 



These pages are intended only as an invita- 

 tion to the world to come, enter in and possess 

 the New York Zoological Park. They are not 

 intended as an exhibit of the dry bones of De- 

 tail. New York has dedicated to Zoology a 

 princely and priceless domain of land and 

 water, and she has almost unreservedly entrust- 

 ed it to the wisdom and judgment and vital 

 energy of the men who have made the New 

 York Zoological Society. 



On this marvelous site, — the most glorious 

 handiwork of Nature ever placed within, or 

 even near, a great City, — the Zoological So- 

 ciety expended in accommodations for animals 

 a full quarter of a million dollars. That was 

 just ten years ago. Having seen this evidence 

 of good faith, the City of New York then gen- 

 erously — but not extravagantly or foolishly — 

 opened her treasury, pledged her credit, and 

 bore the expense of all the remainder of the 

 permanent improvements. And at the same 

 time, the City began to furnish annually a sum 

 of money sufficient to maintain becomingly the 

 new institution. This was done, not reluctantly 

 nor grudgingly, but with a big-hearted gener- 

 osity "that made the gift more precious." The 

 work of creating the Zoological Park has not 

 halted for a single moment since the keel of it 

 was laid on November 5th, 1906, when the 

 "Preliminary Plan" was approved by the Execu- 

 tive Committee. 



The "Preliminary Plan" of the Director was 

 carefully expanded into an elaborate and beau- 

 tiful "Final Plan," which was approved by 

 Mayor Strong and the Board of Park Commis- 

 sioners in November, 1898. It is impossible to 

 overstate the importance of that exhibit of the 

 intentions of the Society to the progress of the 

 Zoological Park. Other builders of American 

 zoological parks may well follow the example 

 of New York in having their future develop- 

 ments planned by competent experts for twenty 

 years in advance. 



In round numbers, the Zoological Society has 

 expended on the Zoological Park and its ani- 

 mals about $475,000; and on the buildings and 

 other "ground improvements" the City has ex- 

 pended a little more than $2,000,000. And 



what is there to show for all this? This is a 

 highly condensed answer: 



Of large and fine buildings of the first rank, 

 of brick and stone, there are to be seen the fol- 

 lowing: 



The Elephant House, 

 Lion House, 

 Primates House, 

 Large Bird-House, 

 Aquatic Bird-House, 

 Administration Building, 

 Reptile House, 

 Small Mammal House, 

 Ostrich House, 

 Antelope House, 

 Small-Deer House, 

 Pheasants Aviary. 

 Of buildings of secondary importance there 

 are: 



The Service Building, 

 Asiatic Deer House, 

 Red Deer House, 

 Axis Deer House, 

 Elk House, 

 Camel House, 

 Llama House, 

 Goats House, 

 Buffalo Barn, 

 Feed Barn, 

 " Wild Horse Barns (2), 

 Rocking Stone Restaurant, 

 Boat House. 

 Of open-air installations for wild mammals 

 and birds, — several of them very elaborate and 

 costly, — there are the following important fea- 

 tures : 



The Bear Dens, 

 Flying Cage, 

 " Wolf Dens, 



Mountain Sheep Hill. 

 Fox Dens, 

 Sea-Lion Pool, 

 Alligator Pool, 

 Duck Aviary, 

 " Wild-Fowl Pond, 

 " Otter Pools, 

 Beaver Pond, 



Burrowing Rodents' Quarters, 

 " Prairie-Dog Village, 

 Puma House. 

 Of all the features named in the three lists 

 given above, all save four are devoted to the sys- 

 tematic exhibition of living mammals, birds and 

 reptiles. The list of secondary buildings gives 

 not even a hint of the unequaled exhibition 

 series of open-air ranges, surrounded by steel 

 posts, steel wire and concrete foundations, that 

 have so generously been provided for our herds. 



