EDITOR'S CORNER. 



4i7 



EDITOR'S CORNER. 



SAVE THEM FOR THE "ZOO." 



The time is approaching when the New 

 York Zoological Park will be opened to the 

 public, and to other animals — also to birds. 

 Fourteen buildings and other installations 

 for living creatures are approaching comple- 

 tion, and the members and friends of the 

 Zoological Society are now casting about 

 for tenants for these structures. Recrea- 

 tion is one of these friends, and it desires 

 to make every one of its readers a friend of 

 the Zoological Society. 



This is the time of year when birds and 

 mammals are busily engaged with their 

 family affairs. The young of many species 

 will be just coming into the world, when 

 this issue of Recreation reaches its read- 

 ers. Others of these young are already a 

 few days or weeks old. It often happens 

 that men and boys have opportunities to 

 capture young, or even old birds or quad- 

 rupeds. Doubtless there are many speci- 

 mens now in captivity which ought to find 

 permanent homes in the Zoological Park. 



I appeal to all readers of Recreation, and 

 that means all true sportsmen and all lovers 

 of nature on this continent, to co-operate 

 with the New York Zoological Society by 

 presenting to it, from year to year, any par- 

 ticularly fine living birds or quadrupeds 

 which may come into their possession and 

 be found desirable for the Zoological Park. 

 This society is a scientific institution, en- 

 tirely philanthropic in its methods. Its pur- 

 pose is to build up the greatest zoological 

 park in the world, which is to be open free 

 to the public on 5 days in the week, through- 

 out the entire year. 



Every person, therefore, who contributes 

 in any way to the collection of birds and 

 mammals which is to be placed in this park 

 will contribute just so much to the educa- 

 tion and entertainment of hundreds of 

 thousands of men, womeij and children, rich 

 and poor, not only of New York City, but of 

 our nation, who do not have an opportunity 

 to see and study such specimens in their 

 native haunts. The New York Zoological 

 Park will be an institution so grand and so 

 fine, and so thoroughly national in its char- 

 acter that every American will be proud of 

 it. 



The Director of the Zooological Society 

 has kindly consented to establish a Rec- 

 reation series of birds and mammals in 

 the park, and to credit to this series all 

 specimens sent in by readers of this maga- 

 zine who may request that their donations 

 be so considered and recorded. 



It is hoped that many hundreds of valu- 

 able specimens may eventually be contrib- 

 uted to this group, and the name of the 

 donor of each specimen will be recorded on 

 the label of his gift, and in the annals of the 

 Society, and retained in its library forever. 

 It will be a great satisfaction in after years, 



when readers of this magazine visit the 

 Zoological Park, to be able to identify speci- 

 mens which they contributed to it in its in- 

 fancy, and to point to the great printed 

 volumes and say, " My name is included in 

 that roll of honor." 



Eventually the Zoological Society expects 

 to buy many of its specimens, but at present 

 all its funds must be expended on buildings. 

 The creation of a purchase fund will come 

 in time, but it is hoped and believed that fine 

 specimens of the majority of our most 

 prominent native species of birds and quad- 

 rupeds will come to the society as gifts. 

 Surely the people of America will take as 

 much pride in building up this zoological 

 park as do the English in making gifts to the 

 great London " Zoo." It should, therefore, 

 be considered a privilege for any American 

 man or boy to donate even an acceptable 

 bird or a small mammal to this great in- 

 stitution. 



The Garden is not yet quite ready to re- 

 ceive specimens, and my friends are re- 

 quested to hold for a month or 2 any they 

 may have or may procure. It is hoped the 

 buildings, cages, dens and ranges for big 

 game, may be completed and the Director 

 ready to receive specimens by June 1st, but 

 continued bad weather has made this uncer- 

 tain. Further information will be given on 

 this point in the next issue of Recreation. 



Such common creatures as red foxes, 

 gray foxes, raccoons, opossums, eagles, 

 crows, gray squirrels, red squirrels, rabbits 

 and the like are common in New York state, 

 and can easily be obtained near this city, 

 thus saving something in express charges. 

 If you live far from here do not bother with 

 these common species. The species most 

 desired are the larger and more showy birds 

 and quadrupeds found West of the Missis- 

 sippi, such as Eastern people seldom see 

 outside of museums. If you get any swift 

 foxes, cross foxes, wolverines, pumas, griz- 

 zly bear cubs, coyotes, swans, geese, white 

 pelicans, sand hill cranes, black squirrels, fox 

 squirrels, flying squirrels, beaver, Abert's 

 squirrels, magpies, ravens, Clark's crows, 

 blue grouse, prairie hen, sharp-tailed grouse, 

 wild turkey, sewellel, silver-sided ground 

 squirrel, antelope, mountain sheep or mule 

 deer — and the specimens are not maimed in 

 any way — write to Mr. W. T. Hornaday, 

 Director, tell him all about it, and await his 

 reply. Of course the Zoological Society will 

 pay all expenses or freight charges on every- 

 thing which it accepts; but nothing should 

 ever be shipped at the Society's expense un- 

 til it has first been definitely accepted, and 

 shipping directions furnished. 



THE SHOW WAS ALL RIGHT. 



The '99 Sportsmen's Show was by far the 

 best ever given in the city. It was a sure 

 enough Sportsmen's Show, and, so far as I 

 can learn, every man, woman and child who 



