PARK AND CEMETERY. 
165 
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CONCOURSE, AT ENTRANCE TO 
verse conditions ! When one looks back 
upon the apparent chaos of sewer, water, 
drainage, cellar, pond and road excavat- 
ing, blasting of rocks, or stone, concrete 
and steel work, mired teams, of mud and 
mosquitos and malaria, it is a matter of 
wonder that on November 8, 1899, we had 
the park ready for the opening. Not the 
Zoological Park as it exists today, it is 
true, but still a fine zoological park, hav- 
ing an exhibition of 781 animals. Since 
that time progress has been steady, at 
times rapid, until now the park contains 
fourteen large animal buildings, and thirty- 
five other installations, harboring nearly 
5,000 animals. Which means over 1,000 
more than any other institution in the 
world, and all this has been accomplished 
in fourteen years. 
Nor is the planning or building finished. 
New improvements suggest themselves 
from time to time as needed. This year 
we are erecting a yak shelter. A building 
sixty feet square, of huge blocks of stone, 
which will harbor besides yaks, a happy 
family of kangaroos, cassowaries and 
emeus, etc. A large three-story and base- 
ment work shop building, and one for park- 
service, containing an ice plant, chill and 
cook rooms, are also just being finished. 
Projected, are a hospital, quarantine sta- 
tion, slaughter-house, morgue, and dissect- 
ing room, and an anatomical laboratory. 
Entering the Zoological Park from the 
north by the principal of the six entrances, 
in connection with which there is a con- 
course for automobiles and carriages, the 
first object that strikes the eye is a beau- 
tiful antique fountain from Como, Italy, 
which was presented to the Zoological 
Park. On either side, the concourse is 
flanked by a planting of various ever- 
greens, and fronted by an Italian Garden. 
Mounting a series of broad stairs, we ar- 
rive upon what is now called Baird Court, 
where the largest buildings have all been 
placed. 
Here is the Elephant House, Lion House, 
Primates House, Large Bird House, and 
the Administration Building, which, be- 
sides the offices of the Director, contains 
NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK, 
the finest collection of game heads, ant- 
lers, tusks, etc., in the world. 
The Elephant House contains five ele- 
phants, two rhinoceroses, four hippopota- 
muses, and some tapirs. Among these are 
two great rarities, a pygmy elephant, and 
three pygmy hyppopotanuises. The pygmy 
elephant is, I believe, the only one of its 
kind in captivity. It is now about five 
feet high, weighs 1,600 pounds, and is 
nearly full grown. Very little is known 
about its habits in a wild state. The pygmy 
hyppopotamuses are also very rare in cap- 
tivity; in fact, our three, which cost us 
$15,000, are the only ones that have ever 
reached civilization alive. These beasts 
weigh about 400 pounds each, or one-four- 
teenth as much as an ordinary hippo. 
The Lion House contains in its indoor 
and outdoor cages, lions, tigers, leopards, 
jaguars, snow leopards, etc. Our largest 
male lion is an especially fine specimen, 
and is beloved of painters and sculptors, 
for whom he poses continually. The pair 
of Siberian tigers, which live in an out- 
door cage throughout the year, are also 
very fine. 
Opposite this last building is the Pri- 
mates House, harboring a complete collec- 
tion of apes, monkeys, baboons and le- 
murs. Our great ape collection is espe- 
cially noteworthy, as it consists of four 
chimpanzees and five ourang-outangs, ani- 
mals which are usually short lived in cap- 
tivity, but which with us are doing very 
well; too well in fact, judging from the 
continual assault they make upon every- 
thing that is tearable, breakable and hand- 
able within their reach. Their antics al- 
ways attract a crowd, and during the sum- 
mer months, when daily exhibitions of 
their training are given, the space around 
the outdoor cages is too small for all those 
who wish to see. 
The Large Bird House contains a really 
wonderful lot of birds — songsters, and 
those which one would like better without 
their song. Notable among these are the 
birds of paradise, the toucans, hornbills, a 
white crow, and a white blackbird, turacou, 
and many others too numerous to mention. 
All of these, except a few unruly ones, are 
kept in a large flying cage containing a 
great number of birds, carefully selected 
to live together without strife, happy and 
contented. Identification of any one kind 
is greatly facilitated by the picture labels, 
which are used on all cages containing 
more than one species. The labels contain 
beside the name, habitat, and a short state- 
ment of any interesting fact connected 
with the animal in question, a small oil 
painting of the specimens in color. This 
building as well as all others in which 
there is sufficient light and room, is well 
supplied with living plants, for the most 
PHEASANT AVIARY, NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 
