NEWS BULLETIN OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



PROGRESS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK. zoological society 



On June I, 1898, the New York Zoological Park was a 

 tract of wild land. West of the Boston Road — where the 

 animals will be located — and especially in the areas for- 

 merly cultivated, its wildness was so pronounced that in 

 many places it was positively forbidding. Throughout 

 that region, save in the dense shadows of the beautiful 

 beech and oak forests, the face of nature was completely 

 masked. From the ground, a tangle of tall weeds, black- 

 berry bushes, and greenbriar grew up until they met the 

 low drooping limbs of oak and maple — untrimmed for 

 fourteen years past — and made the jungle complete. The 

 finest ledges of rock were so masked by briars that only 

 their summits were visible. The sites for Cope Lake, the 

 Beaver Pond, and the Aquatic Rodents' Pond were over- 

 grown with rank grass that would have done credit to the 

 Terai of Northern India, where the tigers grow frequent 

 and large. 



Those who were engaged in surveying for the Zoologi- 

 cal Society the lines of the various improvements to be 

 made in the Park had no easy task. The unusually rank- 

 growth of vegetation stopped the breathing of the forest, 

 and the heat was intense. Park Commissioner Moebus 

 was appealed to for relief, and at once detailed a force of 

 men to clear the undergrowth from the sites of the Bird 

 House and Reptile House, and reduce the crop of weeds 

 and blackberries throughout the Park. As far as possible, 

 the mowers kept ahead of the surveyors, who were oc- 

 cupied throughout the spring and summer in staking out 

 work to be done during the present year. 



On May 4th the Executive Committee of the Zoologi- 

 cal Society authorized the expenditure of $30,000 on the 

 construction of the Elk House, Bear, Wolf, and Fox Dens, 

 Winter Bird House and Flying-Cage. On July 1st work- 

 ing drawings and specifications for all the above were sub- 

 mitted to the Board of Parks, and approved by that body 

 w»ie week iacer. Gu July T2pih the Execulhc Committee 

 ordered, in addition to the above, the construction of 

 other installations for animals, one of which was the Rep- 

 tile House, to cost a total of $62,500. 



On July 27th the Board of Estimate appropriated 

 $62,000, to be expended in accordance with the esti- 

 mates that had previously been laid before that body. 

 The funds were placed to the credit of the Depart- 

 ment of Public Parks, to be expended under its direc- 

 tion. On August 1st the plans and specifications for all 

 the ground improvements to be made with the $62,000 

 were laid before the Park Commissioners and promptly 

 approved. On August 4th the Society's plans were 

 taken up by the Engineer of Construction of the Park 

 Department, with the Director of the Zoological Park. 

 On August nth, at the request of Park Commissioner 

 Moebus, the Society forwarded an official estimate for a 

 maintenance fund for the year 1899, calling for $60,000. 



On August 15th ground was broken for the Winter 

 House for Birds, and a contract was made with William 

 Wilson for the Elk House. On August 17th work began 

 on the construction of the Elk House, and on August 

 1 8th the plans of the Reptile House were approved by the 

 Park Board. On August 22d ground was broken for the 

 Reptile House. On August 29th the Park Department 

 began the work of excavating the south pond. On Septem- 

 ber 7th work began at the Bear Dens, and on September 

 13th work began on the stone wall to enclose the Prairie 

 Dogs' Knoll. A trench was dug to bed rock, the depth of 

 earth varying from two to eight feet. The enclosure is 

 circular in form, and its diameter is eighty feet. On Sep- 

 tember 2 1 st the excavation for the Buffalo House was be- 

 gun. On September 22d a large quantity of black 

 was hauled from the south pond and deposited around 

 trees, near the Bear Dens, that were imperilled by drought. 

 On September 26th a force of men began to excavate for 

 the watercourses at the Ducks' Aviary, and construct 

 three islands. On October 10th the same force began to 

 excavate the Beaver Pond. 



WORK COMPLETED TO DECEM- 

 BER 1ST. 



The Elk House has been completed in all respects, ex- 

 cept the bark-covered slabs, and fitted for temporary use 

 as offices and workshops. 



The Bird House is ready to receive its roof. 



The foundation walls of the Reptile House have been 

 completed, and the steel floor-beams put in place. 



All excavating for the first series of Bear Dens has 

 been completed ; also all plumbing for drainage and 

 water-supply. The brick walls of the bathing-pools have 

 been built, and stone walls to carry the iron work. 



The excavation of ponds for the Ducks' Aviary, and 

 the construction of three islands has been completed.' On 

 the south island, twelve enclosures have been laid out, 

 with suitable shelter-houses, and about one hundred native 

 shrubs have been planted. 



A stone wall, going down to bed rock, has been con- 

 structed around the Prairie Dogs' Knoll (eighty feet in 

 diameter), and capped with cut stone. 



Excavations have been made for the walls and stone 

 work of eight Wolf and Fox Dens, and the walls have 

 been laid ready for the cage work. One sleeping den 

 for wolves has been constructed. 



About five hundred cubic yards of sandy earth has 

 been hauled to the Pheasants' Aviary, to make dry 

 ground for the runways. This was removed by necessity 

 from the Bear Dens, at no cost to the Aviary. 



The excavation for the Beaver Pond has been completed, 

 and all the grading necessary thereto. 



The excavation necessary for the Buffalo House has 

 been made. 



A trench-nine hundred and sixty-three feet in length, 

 has been dug for the stone walls to support the iron 

 fence for the Beaver Pond. 



EXPENDITURES AND ESTIMATES. 



Elk House 



Bird House 



Reptile House 



Cage Work in the above 



Bear, Wolf, and Fox Dens. . . 



Four Sleeping Dens 



Eight Sleeping Dens 



Buffalo House 



Excavations 



Burrowing Rodents 



Ducks' Aviary 



Beaver Pond 



Prairie Dogs' Knoll 



Flying-Cage 



Mountain Sheep's Shelter.. . . 



Cost to Date. 

 $732 82 

 1.857 62 

 1,229 98 



500 



CO 



82 



00 



1,982 



29 



71 



65 



180 



10 



384 



5i 



74 



00 



88.05 

 $7,183 02 



Estimated Cost 

 svhen Completed. 



$1,396 82 



14,395 28 



33.678 85 



5,217 39 



9,165 85 

 600 00 

 600 00 



2,173 9i 

 2,756 63 

 1,157 65 

 1,680 10 

 2,068 51 



588 00 

 5,000 00 



588 05 



$81,267 °4 



ADDITIONAL INSTALLATIONS IMPERATIVELY NEEDED 

 BEFORE OPENING OF ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 



In order to accommodate a reasonably full collection of 

 American mammals and birds ; in order to enable the 

 Society to accept gifts of tropical animals, birds of prey, 

 and other forms, and in order to open the Park with 

 more than two first-class buildings, the following addi- 

 tional buildings and installations are urgently required, 

 and funds for their immediate construction must be pro- 

 vided : 



Estim 



Monkey House $40,000 CO 



Antelope House, for large ungulates 25,000 CO 



Pheasants' Aviary . 



Otters' Pool . . . .' 



Six Shelter Houses for Deer, Moose, etc. . . 



Excavating Baird's Court 



Sea Lions' Pool 



Eagles' Aviary, for birds of prey generally.. 



1 , 500 00 



3,000 00 



j 5 

 3,000 00 



$1,500 00 



