REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR

OF THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK

TO THE BOARD OF MANAGERS.

D

URING the early stage of every new and complex institution, its annual progress is a matter of prime importance to the public.

Throughout the year 1901 the development of the Zoological Park has gone forward with rapidity and precision. By reason of an unusually mild autumn, the building season was much longer than usual, and as a result the record of improvements undertaken and completed during the year is surpassed only by that of 1899. With the finishing of the Lion House, about July 1, 1902, the Zoological Park will stand about one-half completed in accordance with the original plan.

NATIONAL SCOPE.

It is gratifying to observe that even thus early in its history the Zoological Park is regarded by many persons outside of New York as an institution of national interest. Unsolicited gifts of valuable animals have come from many States far distant from New York, and from Mexico, Cuba, England, and Germany. On questions of Zoological Park development, the Society's advice has been sought by numerous organizations and municipalities, and requests for our publications have come from all directions.

Because of the undisputed fact that the Zoological Park is not merely a local institution, the Society has strongly objected to its being locally nicknamed the "Bronx Zoo," or "Zoo” in any form, with or without a prefix. In deference to written requests, all the newspapers of New York City now mention our institution by its name-Zoological Park.

ATTENDANCE.

During all pleasant weather the attendance of visitors has kept pace with the accommodations for them and the collections available for their entertainment. Up to this time it has been rather fortunate than otherwise that the transportation lines have not been able to bring larger crowds, for were the crowds during fine weather much greater than they now are, the present walks and buildings could scarce contain them. It has been proven conclusively that no matter how large our animal buildings may be, the thousands who throng the Park in fine weather would crowd them full just the same. It is indeed fortunate that the Primates' House, Lion House, new Sea Lion Pool, Wild Sheep Hill, and Osborn's Walk will now open up new areas, and lessen the pressure of visitors elsewhere.

In view of the completion of the rapid transit system at an early date, and the great influx of new visitors which the West Farms terminal will inevitably bring, there is not a moment to be lost in securing the last half of the animal buildings that are so imperatively necessary to the Park.

The attendance of visitors for the year 1901 was in detail as follows:

PRIMATES' HOUSE AND LION HOUSE.

The most important event of the year was the completion of the Primates' House, and its occupancy. On December 22d it was opened to the public with a collection of 114 primates, representing 42 species. A full description of this building was published in the Zoological Society Bulletin, No. 6.

The Lion House is about one-third complete, and bids fair to prove a very satisfactory structure. Its construction is being pushed quite rapidly, and it should be ready for occupancy by June 1, 1902. Unfortunately it is not possible to collect specimens of the larger Felidæ and keep them in temporary quarters for any length of time, consequently the animals for the new Lion House can not be selected and purchased until the building is nearly ready.

NEW INSTALLATIONS FOR ANIMALS.

Mountain Sheep Hill. -The long-deferred plan for a series of inclosures for wild sheep and goats on the rocky hillside immediately west of the Rocking Stone, was this year carried out. Originally the hillside was a chaotic mass of earth, old stone walls, and granite rock. The valley at the foot of the slope was a prehistoric dumping-ground for refuse rock of every description, while hillside and valley were completely overgrown with a tangle of worthless vegetation, chiefly weeds and briar bushes.

But the hillside offered two features of value to an installation for mountain sheep and goats. Height was there, and rough slopes of granite rock; but its successful utilization demanded very careful treatment. In about all other zoological gardens, wild sheep are provided with wholly artificial hills and rocks, built upon level ground, because the work of nature is not there.

The director of the Park was finally authorized to carry out his plan for the development of Mountain Sheep Hill, and by the close of the working season about 75 per cent. of the task had been completed. The rubbish in the valley was hauled away and utilized elsewhere, and thereby the height of the hill was increased. By a judicious removal of earth and useless vegetation, a fine exposure of pink granite rock was secured along the hillside for a distance of about 400 feet, with a maximum height of 25 feet above the valley.

Two dry and warm shelters were constructed in the rocky side of the hill, a third was built in the hilltop at its highest point, and a fourth remains to be constructed next spring. A very considerable amount of rockwork was built of weathered rock.

Along the bottom and western slopes of the ridge, wire fences were erected, and transverse partitions of the same divided the hill into four spacious inclosures. One of these is now occupied by a pair of Barbary wild sheep or aoudad, another by a male Himalayan tahr (wild goat), and a third is devoted to the pair of mouflon presented by Maurice Egerton, Esq., of London. In their new homes, all these animals show off to most excellent advantage, and seem like different creatures from what they were when kept in ordinary flat corrals. The Page wire fences are so inconspicuous, the value to the surrounding landscape of the rugged, rocky hill is not in the least diminished by its practical utilization as a home for wild animals.

The entire cost of this improvement has been borne by the Zoological Society, but the macadam walk in front of it was constructed at the expense of the Ground Improvement Fund.

The Raccoons' Tree. To accommodate a very interesting American animal, the raccoon-many specimens of which have been in the Park ever since the opening day, but poorly exhibited-a very generous arrangement has been effected. At the south end of the Bear Dens, and therefore in close proximity to the raccoons' plantigrade relatives, a thrifty young cedar-tree has been encircled by a low iron fence with an overhang. Around the trunk of the tree has been built a rustic shelter-house, and its 8 rooms are now occupied by 14 raccoons of various ages and degrees of fatness. The animals have an abundance of room, adequate shelter from all kinds of disagreeable weather; they can bathe at will, and except in cold weather, when snugly housed in their winter homes, some of them are always visible to visitors.

New Buffalo Shelter.-Owing to the lack of permanent winter quarters in the proposed Antelope House for the tropical hoofed animals, the buffalo herd is again crowded out of its barn for the entire winter. To provide for the buffaloes, the Society is now erecting a spacious and permanent rustic shed in the southwest corner of the large corral adjacent to the Buffalo Entrance. In shape it is a segment of a circle, and when finished, as it will be about January 20, 1902, will be of great value to the buffalo herd. The Pumas' House. - As a practical test of the belief that pumas and lynxes will thrive better and live longer in the open air than in a heated building, the Society has constructed an open-air installation of two compartments. It consists of a spacious log cabin, open on the front side, and provided with dry and warm sleeping-dens, fully sheltered from inclement weather. In front of this are two large inclosures of wire netting, provided with tree-trunks, and floored with mother earth. At present these two inclosures contain one puma and two lynxes, all three of which are in the best possible condition and seem to greatly enjoy their home.

COLLECTIONS.

During practically the whole of the year of 1901 the Zoological Park has been in the embarrassing condition of having almost as many species of animals as it could properly house and exhibit. Excepting the hardy hoofed animals, bears, and a few others, it has been necessary to exercise considerable restraint to avoid the acquisition of specimens which could not be housed. For example, a fine tapir which came to us from South America promised to become such an awkward burden if accepted, that it was promptly transferred to the Washington Zoological Park.

It has been impossible to accept tropical hoofed animals, large felines, pachyderms, ostriches and emus, perching birds, and birds of prey beyond the original stock. Late in the year, in view of the approaching completion of the Primates' House, an effort was made to bring together a collection of apes, baboons, monkeys, and lemurs. The advent of winter found all available space in the Small Mammal House and Tortoise House filled to overflowing with primates, and the gathering of such specimens was temporarily discontinued.

The Society longingly looks forward to the time when, with a complete outfit of buildings and aviaries, it can boldly reach out all over the world for all kinds of living creatures in the serene consciousness that anything can be accepted, and everything received can be fittingly cared for and exhibited.

DEPARTMENT OF MAMMALS.

W. 1. Hornaday, Curator; R. L. Ditmars, Assistant.

In this department the most noteworthy events of the year were the formation and installation of a collection of primates,