17 
biological knowledge during the last two generations has, 
as yet, done nothing to solve this important question. 
The most noteworthy death of the year was that of the 
male Indian rhinoceros, purchased March 13th, 1875, which 
died January 3d, 1901, presenting every evidence of old 
age, which was probably the case, as he is known to have 
been at least fully mature when brought to this country, 
thirty-six years ago. As this species is now far on the road 
towards extinction, this loss is to be doubly regretted. 
Other deaths were : a male polar bear, a brown hyena 
which had been in the Gardens for thirteen years, a striped 
hyena, and a male American buffalo, which was procured 
by exchange in 1896 in order to introduce a new strain of 
blood into the herd. 
Much work has been done in the Gardens, both in repair 
and in extension. 
The enlarging of the Aviary, which was referred to in the 
last report, has been completed by the erection at its north 
end, of a rectangular addition measuring thirty-two by 
twenty-four feet, for the accommodation of the collection of 
parrots, which formerly occupied one-half of the main build- 
ing. This room contains eighty-two cages. Its walls are 
lined with white glazed tile, and being well lighted, the 
interior effect is most pleasing, and the sanitary conditions 
appear to be good. The old portion of the building was 
completely repaired, and the cages occupying the middle 
wall space on both sides were torn out and replaced by a 
double tier of smaller ones. Under the new arrangement 
the whole number of cages in the Aviary has been increased 
from sixty to one hundred and eighty-eight. 
Twenty-six additional cases of improved construction 
have been placed in the central portion of the Reptile 
House, and the accommodations in the Small Mammal 
House were added to in a like manner. 
The reduction in size, and increase in number, of the 
cages here mentioned, has resulted from the long experi- 
ence of the Society in the effort to adjust the needs of animal 
life to the economical limitations which are forced upon 
