NEWS BULLETIN OF THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



PROGRESS OF THE PLANS. 



Since the appearance of the previous issue of the Bul- 

 letin, the Executive Committee of the Society has addressed 

 itself to the task of perfecting the scheme of arrangement of 

 the buildings and collections of the Zoological Park, and the 

 elaboration of the final plans for the animal buildings. As 

 may readily be inferred from the number of large and costly 

 buildings, aviaries, and other enclosures to be constructed, 

 this has been an undertaking demanding long and careful 

 study, and close attention to innumerable details. Naturally 

 the Park Commissioners will expect to pass upon a complete 

 scheme of development, adequately representing the finished 

 Zoological Park. The preparation of such a scheme on cor- 

 rect lines, is no child's play, and the work involved was not 

 to be accomplished in a few weeks. 



For several months, the plans have engaged the attention 

 of the Architect, the Landscape Gardener and the Director. 

 We are now able to report that the preliminary plans have 

 been completed, and will be submitted on October, first to 

 the President and to the Executive Committee, then to a 

 committee of three experts, consisting of Prof. Charles S. 

 Sargent, Director of the Arnold Arboretum, Mr. Thomas 

 Hastings, Architect, and Mr. W. Barclay Parsons, Civil 

 Engineer. If their reports are favorable the plans will then 

 be submitted without delay to the Board of Park Commis- 

 sioners. 



The original scheme of arrangement, as laid down in the 

 published " Preliminary Plan," has met every test that has 

 been applied to it, and, with the slight exceptions to be noted, 

 has been closely adhered to. The four large buildings in 

 the glade, and the adjacent Elephant House, have each been 

 shifted a few fc^t to meet the requirements of the best 

 architectural £fffec\ The Administration Building has been 

 assigned ati/Sutiy r new position (near the Ducks' Aviary), 



.£,3? acc</ ; bv the_carria r --*"-oad whi'h is to, lead.; 



trouT ■jt-ema.nr Avenue fo cue man, Restaurant.' The latter 

 has finally been located between the Sub-Tropical House 

 and the Lake. 



With the final plan of the Zoological Park grounds will be 

 submitted the plans and elevations for the following import- 

 ant buildings : 



The Lion House, the Monkey House, the Elephant House, 

 Bird House, Winter House for Birds, Reptile House, Tropi- 

 cal Ruminants' House, main Restaurant and Administration 

 Building. Of secondary structures will be submitted the 

 plans for the Flying Cage, Eagles' and Vultures' Aviary, 

 Wolf and Fox Dens, Bear Dens, Sea Lions' Pool, Pheasants' 

 Aviary, Buffalo House, Deer Barns, Mountain Sheep 

 shelter and Ducks' Aviaries. 



If the Society's plans are approved by the experts and the 

 Park Commissioners, it will then be in order for the Engi- 

 neers to prepare plans for a system of sewerage and water 

 supply. The walks necessary to the Park are all shown on 

 the final plan, and, while very extensive, the system is only 

 what is absolutely required for the convenience of the 

 public. 



The Society feels that it has spared neither time, labor 

 nor expense in working out a set of plans that are as nearly 

 perfect as human knowledge and taste can make them. 



The best data obtainable, both at home and in foreign 

 countries, was secured in advance, and ample time has been 

 taken to consider every point. The Chairman of the Execu- 

 tive Committee has scrutinized every important step that 

 has been taken , and considered the reasons therefor. Now 

 that the preliminary plans of the buildings have been com- 

 pleted, they will be submitted immediately to Mr. Arthur 

 Erwin Brown, of Philadelphia, and Herr. Carl Hagen- 

 beck, of Hamburg, for inspection and criticism. 



The Society's pledge to preserve intact the natural beauty 

 of the Park has been strictly kept. If these buildings are 

 all erected, and the time should ever come, in the distant 

 future, when there are no longer living wild animals with 

 which to fill them, excepting the ponds and drainage, the 

 whole of these improvements could be swept away, and the 

 Park would be left almost exactly as it is to-day. 



BUILDINGS PROPOSED FOR THE PARK. 



The Society does not propose that any feature of its work 

 shall be performed on a small or cheap scale. The Greater 

 New York should not plan a mere menagerie on the match- 

 less site set aside as a Zoological Park. The Society is 

 carefully studying in this country and abroad what consti- 

 tutes an ideal vivarium, and it proposes to build one worthy 

 of a great city, or none ! It has the right to use the ground, 

 it now has the plans, it has part of the money, and it believes 

 it will receive from the public-spirited people of New York 

 the remainder of the funds necessary. 



In order that it may be seen why a large building fund 

 is asked for, we submit the following brief enumeration of 

 the structures to be erected by the Society, and filled with 

 collections at its own cost. 



THE LARGER BUILDINGS. 



The Lion House.— Extreme length, 263 feet ; extreme 

 width, 87 feet. The out-door cages have an extreme width 

 of 45 feet, and a total length of 200 feet. There are 12 

 inside and 9 outside cages, the largest of the latter measur- 

 ing 39 x 43 feet. 



The Monkey House.— Total length, 160 feet; width 

 of building, 55 feet ; and with out-door cages, 77 feet. 

 There are 32 inside cages, and 11 without. 



The Bird House. — A T-shaped building, of which one 

 section measures 50 x 100 feet, the other, 46 x 96 feet. 

 Within there are 330 lineal feet, of cages, and 332 feet 

 without. 



The Elephant House. — An imposing structure, 78 x 144 

 feet, with 8 paved yards attached, swimming tanks, etc. 



The Antelope House (for tropical ruminants. ) — -Length, 

 112 feet; width, 78 feet. There will be 18 large compart- 

 ments, connecting jwit- 1 " 1 shaded yards, outside. This buj^ 

 ing 'irfusr aecom aodate "the - Targe pachyderms until fx. 

 Elephant House is erected. 



The Reptile House. — One hundred and forty-five^ feet 

 long, and 94 feet wide. At one end there will be a con- 

 servatory, and at the other, a house and yards for tortoises. 



Sub-Tropical House. — This building is chiefly for large 

 marsupials and birds of the southern hemisphere. Length, 

 78 feet ; width, 53 feet ; all cages to connect with outside 

 yards. 



Small Mammals' House. — One hundred feet long, 50 

 feet wide. This building will accommodate the extensive 

 assortment of miscellaneous species that cannot be installed 

 in separate groups. 



Administration Building. — Fifty feet square and three 

 stories in height ; to contain the offices, library, picture 

 gallery, and studios for artists and students at work in the 

 Park. 



buildings and other structures of a less costly 

 character. 



The Flying Cage.— A huge cage, 150 feet long, 75 

 feet wide, and 50 feet high, for large and showy Herodiones, 

 flamingoes, and other birds. 



Winter House for Birds. — A glass-roofed house, 66 

 feet long and 52 feet wide, to serve as winter quarters for 

 the birds of the Flying Cage, and many others. 



The Buffalo House. — A low, hill-side barn of rough 

 stone, to be used as a shelter in winter. 



The Eagles' and Vultures' Aviary.— A series of 

 immense out-door cages, aggregating 220 feet in length. 

 Greatest height, 30 feet. 



The Cranes' and Storks' Aviary.— A series of yards, 

 with low and narrow shelter house, 100 feet long. 



The Pheasants' Aviary. — Ten wire-covered run-ways. 

 with a low and narrow shelt 



The Wolf and Fox Dens. — A series of out-door enclos- 

 ures with dry and warm shelter dens attached ; in all about 

 200 feet long. 



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