animals comprising the Society's collections has not been large, but with the completion of this house, the Society will be called upon to expend comparatively large sums in the purchase of costly animals, and gifts are desired for this purpose. SPECIAL GIFTS. A fund of $3,000 has been presented by Mrs. Frank K. Sturgis for the erection of a gate at the present Buffalo Entrance, in commemoration of her father, the late Philip M. Lydig, who formerly owned a large portion of the land now comprised in the Park. Designs for this gateway are being prepared by the Architects. The beautiful Alaskan house front and totem pole presented by Mr. E. H. Harriman have not yet been erected, owing to the fact that the most suitable place for these objects seems to be along the river near the Boston Road, and that portion of the Park has not yet been inclosed or protected. The first special endowment fund received by the Society was provided by the liberality of Miss Caroline Phelps Stokes. In October Miss Stokes presented the Society with a fund of $3,000 to be invested by the Society, and the interest derived therefrom applied for the protection of bird life in the United States. The arrangement for the expenditure of this fund has been referred to Professor Osborn and Mr. Hornaday, in consultation with Mr. Frank M. Chapman. Miss Stokes was also the first to give a fund toward the establishment of a zoological library by donating $300 to be applied for the purchase of books on birds. This gift was most welcome and has been carefully expended. An extensive zoological library is one of the most pressing needs of the Society, as the difficulty of properly identifying the rare species of animals constantly arriving at the Park increases with the size of the collection. The Committee proposes, in the near future, to ask for the donation of a fund for the purpose of establishing such a library for scientific work in the Park. This library will be located in the Administration Building, which must be built from funds provided by the Society itself. This building will be used by the members of the Society, and will be open for scientific work in connection with the Park. SCIENTIFIC WORK. During the past year an expedition was sent to Alaska, under Mr. J. Alden Loring, to establish the necessary connections in that country, so that the Park may receive from time to time a supply of the little known animals of Alaska, and especially to obtain specimens of the great Kadiak bear and other recently described bear of that country. A brief history of this expedition, with illustrations, follows this report. The next Bulletin will contain a more detailed account, and will be fully illustrated with original photographs. The medical care of the animals and the scientific investigation of the causes of death have in the past proved a matter of considerable difficulty, but the Committee believes that the problem has now been solved by the establishment of a medical department under the direction of Dr. Harlow Brooks, pathologist, and Dr. F. H. Miller, veterinarian, and a laboratory assistant. So far as we know this is a new feature in zoological park administration. The extremely interesting medical reports presented in this volume show what has already been accomplished, and give great promise for the future. It is important, now that the most pressing popular work of the Society is well under way, that the equally important scientific work should begin to assume more prominence. This will naturally come under three heads: Ist. Observations on the habits and anatomy of the animals within the Park. 2d. Encouragement of explorations, and descriptions of new types of animals. 3d. Pathological and biological studies on the health of animals. Progress has been made in all these directions. It is obvious that expeditions like that of Mr. Loring to Alaska, primarily to collect animals, can also be made a source of addition to our knowledge of Alaskan fauna. Similarly the medical staff, while directly looking after the health of the animals, can make substantial contributions to the study of medicine; and the curators will also enjoy exceptional opportunities of observing and recording the instinctive and other mental activities of the animals under their care. Thus, without encroaching upon the functions of the American Museum of Natural History, the Society can render substantial service to science in its work upon living types. A photograph department has been established under the direction of Mr. E. R. Sanborn, and some very excellent results achieved. The Society intends to publish a series of collections of photographs representing the different orders of animals, and to reproduce the more valuable pictures in book form, both for sale and for scientific purposes. The value of a series of photographs of living animals, carefully taken and recorded, cannot fail to be appreciated by the scientific world and by the public. During the spring an exhibit of some of the more interesting pictures will be held, for the purpose of stimulating public interest in the Park. PARK ADMINISTRATION. During the past year arrangements were made to insure the Society against liability arising from accidents to employees. In this connection, the Committee desires to express its appreciation of the admirable manner in which the general administration of the Park has been conducted under the control of the Director and his staff. PUBLICATIONS. The publications of the Society during the year 1901 consisted of the 3d edition of the Guide Book (the 4th edition is now in process of completion); the 3d edition of Hornaday's "Destruction of our Birds and Mammals," in response to a special public demand for its reprinting; the Fifth Annual Report, and a special publication of the Director's pamphlet on the Mountain Sheep of North America. Bulletins Nos. 5 and 6 have also been published. The form of the Bulletin has been changed in regard to size and binding, and it is intended to reprint some of the earlier numbers, with the current issues, in book form, as soon as a sufficient number have been published to justify this course. In this way a complete history of the proceedings of the Society may be had. Respectfully submitted, PHILIP SCHUYLER TIFFANY & Co....... GEORGE CROCKER LISPENARD STEWART HUGH J. CHISHOLM CHARLES W. HARKNESS JAMES B. FORD 2,500 00 2,500 00 ... 2,500 00 ....... 2,500 00 .... 2,500 00 2,500 00 2,500 00 ........ 2,500 00 2,150 00 2,000 00 ... 1,500 00 JOSEPH STICKNEY THOMAS F. RYAN ............. 1,500 00 ......... 1,500 00 |