REPORT

OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE.

T

HE chief events of the year 1901 were the raising of the remainder of the Park Improvement Fund of $250,000, the opening of the new House for Primates, the establishment of a medical department for the care of the animals, and the beginning of the permanent Zoological Bulletin.

COMPLETION OF PARK IMPROVEMENT FUND, AND FINANCES OF

THE SOCIETY.

The Park Improvement Fund marked the fulfillment of all the obligations to the City assumed by the Society in its agreement of March 27, 1897, with the City. At that time we promised to raise and expend upon the Park, on or before August 11, 1901, not less than $250,000. These conditions, while more onerous than those assumed by the other scientific institutions of the City, were kept to the letter, and the Executive Committee had the satisfaction of officially notifying the Mayor, the Comptroller, and the Park Department on June 17, 1901, that the Society had not only expended the sum required, but some $17,000 in addition for plans and for engineering, long before the expiration of the time limit.

The Society thereby acquired the title to the land now occupied by it, which can only be forfeited by failure to maintain a zoological collection in the Park. For this purpose we have the guarantee of a constantly increasing membership, and the income derived from the various Park franchises. The amount of such franchises during the year 1901 was $5,497.09. These sources of income should ultimately be sufficient for increasing the Park collections and the purchase of new types; but this desired result is still some years in the future.

Following this report will be found a complete statement of the expenditures from the Park Improvement Fund to December 31, 1901. This fund as continued will contain the unexpended balance and such large subscriptions as are from time to time made for the purchase of animals, for construction, and for the general purposes of the Society.

The General or Annual Membership Fund has been swelled during the year by an increase in our members, but is still far from being adequate. This fund covers the various branches of the Society's work, and must be increased to meet the increasing demand for animals. The actual increase in membership during the year has been one Founder, one Associate Founder, ten Patrons, twenty-four Life Members, and one hundred and twenty-nine Annual members, making a total of 165 new members.

The one way in which each and every member of the Society can assist the Executive Committee is by interesting their friends. The Executive Committee is, and has been, making every effort to increase the membership of the Society. While the thousand mark has been passed, the Society will not be in a safe position, as regards its fixed income, until out of the great population of New York City, at least three thousand members, paying ten dollars apiece annually, are secured. There must be, during the coming year, a general effort to add to our roll of members. If each existing member would send in but one new name during the year, the Committee will greatly appreciate the co-operation.

The Society is entirely free from debt and outstanding obligations, other than those covered by cash on hand, and the financial status of the Society is on an absolutely sound basis.

RELATIONS WITH THE CITY.

During the past year the relations between the City authorities and the Society have been extremely satisfactory, and the Committee desires to publicly acknowledge its sense of obligation not only to the Board of Estimate and Apportionment, but to the Hon. August Moebus, Commissioner of Parks for the Borough of the Bronx.

The Society has again been obliged to supply considerable deficiencies in maintenance out of its own funds; the City authorities, on the other hand, while failing to fully realize and appreciate the scale on which the Society was working, were comparatively liberal in their treatment of the Park.

The matter stood as follows: the Maintenance Fund for the year 1901 was $65,000, and proved inadequate, as was anticipated in our last Report. The Society met the deficiency, which amounted to about $4,000. For 1902 the City has provided a fund of $85,000. This fund is less than was asked for by the Society, and will prove, even with strict economy, insufficient for the needs of the Park during the coming year; especially as the cost of maintaining the Lion House, which will be opened during the last months of the year, will be greater than anticipated. This building is likely to be completed some months ahead of time, and consequently the Society may again be called upon to make up a deficiency during the coming year.

The Ground Improvement Fund, supplied by Chapter 432 of the Laws of 1900, became suddenly exhausted during the Spring, owing to the unexpectedly large cost of the Lion House, and the Society has been obliged to complete out of its own Park Improvement Fund, certain work which should have been done by the City.

The Director's report contains an itemized statement of the work accomplished with this fund. Special attention should be called to the completion of an elaborate system of sewerage and of water supply, the lack of which has been a source of great inconvenience. The motor road, except in its eastern extension from the Rocking Stone restaurant to the Buffalo Entrance, has also been completed, and a large amount of work for the preservation of the Park forests has been done under the direction of the Chief Forester.

BAIRD COURT.

During the past year the work of erecting the large buildings located on Baird Court was begun. This Court, when finished, will be characterized by a classic formality, in contrast to the remainder of the Park, which will be left, as far as possible, in a natural state. Of the great buildings to be erected here, the House for Primates is nearly completed, and was opened to the public on December 21, 1901. The contract for this building was awarded to Thomas F. Cockerill & Son for the sum of