. ae 1b OO 4) 7 E. hay Kis ‘ 4 Hine if es “| 9 yates ni, ‘ eae cet ad esgdtiie MAY a -" : ee ee ty GAA J 7 wa i" é ~~ - % = it ee A FS Tae 7 i age. BS eee ee Py eto apa ON,» Pe Pom, t a ant. in ; * ‘ . ait prehe. ya ot “a . ls oa WSS <™~ Fs ee \ / oe — s an Lo oe . Se as i <*>. on — _ Crone fo itr a eae CONTENTS OFFICERS OF THE SOCIETY . List OF MEMBERS . THE NEW YoRK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY: Irs PLANS AND PURPOSES REPORT OF EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE . DIRECTOR’S REPORT ON BRONX PARK . DIRECTOR’S REPORT ON EUROPEAN Tour . TREASURER’S REPORT . APPLICATION FOR SOUTH BRONX PARK . CHARTER . By-Laws . SUBSCRIPTION HEADING FOR SOCIETY FUND . COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE NEEDS OF ARTISTS IN THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK . MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS BrrRD’s-EYE VIEW OF THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK.—Frontis- piece. THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN IDEA . THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK IDEA . SKETCH MAP OF LOCATION OF SOUTH BRONX PARK . GROUND PLAN OF PROPOSED MONKEY HOUSE . GROUND PLAN OF PROPOSED LION HOUSE . PRELIMINARY PLAN OF THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK,—at end of volume. Page Page BOARD OF MANAGERS: CLASS OF 1898. F. AuGustus SCHERMERHORN, CHARLES A. PEABODY, JR., A. NEWBOLD MorRIs, PERCY R. PYNE, CHARLES E. WHITEHEAD, GEORGE G. HAVEN, CHARLES A. DANA, JOHN H. STARIN, J. HAMPDEN Ross, CHARLES R. FLINT, THomaAs H. BARBER, GEORGE B. GRINNELL. CLASS OF 1899. HENRY F. OSBORN, OSWALD OTTENDORFER, J. KENNEDY Top, I. V. F. RANDOLPH, HENRY W. Poor, WAGER SWAYNE, CHARLES T. BARNEY, WILLIAM C. CHURCH, Henry H. Cook, FRANK M. CHAPMAN, WILLIAM H. WEBB, CHARLES R. MILLER. CLASS OF 1900. LEvI P. Morton, MADISON GRANT, ANDREW CARNEGIE, C. GRANT LA FARGE, Morris K. JESUP, WILLIAM A. STILES, JoHN L. CADWALADER, W. W. NILES, JR., PHILIP SCHUYLER, WINTHROP CHANLER, JOHN S. BARNES, EUGENE SCHIEFFELIN. OFFICERS Wew Work Zoological Society. President ;: HON. LEVI P. MORTON, 871 Fifth Avenue. Vice-Presidents : CHARLES E. WHITEHEAD, HENRY F. OSBORN. 7l Wall Street. b 850 Madison Avenue. Executive Committec : LEVI P. MORTON, ex-officio, JOHN S. BARNES, HENRY F. OSBORN, Chairman, CHARLES E. WHITEHEAD, JOHN L. CADWALADER, PHILIP SCHUYLER, C. GRANT LA FARGE, MADISON GRANT. Recording Secretary: MADISON GRANT, 11 Wall Street. Corresponding Secretary : GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL, 346 Broadway. Treasurer: L. V. F. RANDOLPH, 39 William Street. Director of Zoological Park : WILLIAM T. HORNADAY, 69 Wall Street. Consulting Architect: C. GRANT LA FARGE, 5 Beekman Street Finance Committec: JOHN S. BARNES, Charrman, HENRY H. COOK, CHARLES R. FLINT, WILLIAM H. WEBB, JOHN H. STARIN. Auditing Committee: CHARLES A. PEABODY, Jr., ROBERT L. NILES, J. HAMPDEN ROBB. Scientific Council: WILLIAM T. HORNADAY, Chasrman, Director of the New York Zoological Park. MADISON GRANT, Secretary ex-officio, Secretary of the New York Zoological Society. PROFESSOR J. A. ALLEN, Curator of Mammalogy and Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History. FRANK M. CHAPMAN, Assistant Curator of Mammalogy and Ornithology, American Museum of Natural History. PROFESSOR HENRY F. OSBORN, Da Costa Professor of Zoology, Columbia University. PROFESSOR WILLIAM STRATFORD, College of the City of New York. PROFESSOR W. GILMAN THOMPSON, University of New York. DR. TARLETON H. BEAN, Superintendent of the New York Aquarium. DR. GEORGE BIRD GRINNELL, Editor of Forest and Stream. WILLIAM A. STILES, Park Commissioner, City of New York, Editor of Garden and Forest. MEMBERS OF THE Mew Work Zoological Society. Honorary Members, Pror. Jozrn ASAPH ALLEN, American Museum of Natural History, New York. Pror. ALEXANDER AGASSIZ, Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cambridge, Mass. Srr WILLIAM FLOWER, British Museum of Natural History, London. Dr. F. L’ Horst, Director of the Gardens of the Société Royale de Zoologie, Antwerp. Dr. C. HART MERRIAM, Director of the U. S. Biological Sur- vey, Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. Lite Members. 3ARNES, JOHN S...... ... . . . « a8 Hast 46th Sitean 3ARNEY, CHARLES T..... ... . . 01 Hast 33th Streee *Bristow, GEN. BENJAMIN H......-. . . 20 Nassau Street CADWALADER, JOHN]. ....: ... .. . 40 Wall'Strees *Camp, HuGH N...... ..-. «- «s 200 Dibertgomeee CARNEGIE, ANDREW... . . .. «9: « = 0 WesSholse Street Cook, Henry H::.. . . :.%<.. . 3: dase Stee DODGE, WILLIAM E...... .. .. . 262 Madison Avenue FLINT, CHARLES R......... . . . « 08 BrOdgneueeen GREEN, ANDREW H.......... .6+. «. . o)4)Drodqanene Jesup, Morris K........... . . . 4% Pinetop LOW, SETH... .. . 2.4 'a sw . OU Bast Gar Morton, Hon. Levi P........ .. . O/1 Pitth Avenue Deceased, FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 9 NILES, JR., W. W. OSBORN, HENRY FE. OSBORN, MRs. WHEETAM H. OTTENDORFER, OSWALD PEABODY, JR., CHARLES A... . Pram. PRRecy R. 3. ; ROBB, J. HAMPDEN. . ROGERS, ARCHIBALD . SCHERMERHORN, F. AreeuS SCHIEFFELIN, KUGENE... SCHUYLER, PHILIP... . SLATTERY, JAMES... STILES, WILLIAM A... . WATSON, FRANCIS A... WEBB, WILLIAM H.. WHITEHEAD, CHARLES F..... . WHITEHEAD, MRS. CHARLES E... . . 11 Wall Street . 850 Madison Avenue ; 52 Park Avenue . 150 West 59th Street 2 Wall Street 55 I Liberty Street : . 23 Park Avenue : Hy He: Pape on-Hudson, N. Y. . 41 Liberty Street . 7 West 36th Street teas on-the-Hudson, N. Y. . 320 West 84th Street . 154 Nassau Street . Union Club . 415 Fifth Avenue . 71 Wall Street 39 West 38th Street Annual Members. APPLETON, JAMES W . BABCOCK, SAMUEL D. BARBER, THOMAS H BEAN, TARLETON H . BICKMORE, ALBERT S BIRD, GEORGE. BLACKFORD, EUGENE G. CARPENTER, WILLIAM . CARROLL, ROYAL PHELPS . CHANLER, WINTHROP CHAPMAN, FRANK M. CHURCH, WILLIAM C . CORBIN, JR., AUSTIN . Cox, CHARLES F CRIMMINS, JOHN D. DANA, CHARLES A. DEAN, BASHFORD. . DE RHAM, H. CASIMIR 725 St. Mark’s Ave., . Knickerbocker Club 3 32 Nassau Street . 105 East 39th Street . Battery Park Aquarium . Amer. Museum of Natural History . Calumet Club Brooklyn, N.Y. : 52 Pine Street . 319 Fifth Avenue ‘ . 120 Broadway J Aimer. Museu of arueal History 51 Irving Place . 192 Broadway 54 East 67th Street . 621 Broadway . 170 Nassau Street . Columbia University . Tuxedo, N. Y. 10 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL, SOCIETY. DEVOE, FREDERIC W....... .. - 101 Fulton Street DopGE, CLEVELANDH........ .. .« 11 Cliff Street DuncaN, A. BUTLER ........ . . . | Fifth Avenue DUTCHER, WILLIAM. ... .. .. . 925 Manhattan Avenue EDGAR, NEWBOLD. ....... . . . 20 Hast 39th Street ELLSWORTH, WILLIAM, 16 Lafayette Avenue, Brooklyn, N. Y. LA FarcH, C. GRANT. ...... . . «. 0 Beekman Street Foster, I. 8 20s. ur a oe as FuLDA, CLEMENS. . .. . 107 KentStreet, Brooklyn, N. Y. GRANT ‘MADISON... .. =. « » «6.8 » san th Wall Stems GREENE, FRANCIS V. . 5... eu 4) eee GREGORY, HENRYE......... +. » 214 Broadway GRINNELL, GEORGE Brrp. .... .. . . . 3046 Broadway HADDEN, ALEXANDER ...... . . 155 East 51st Street HARVEY, ALEXANDER ........ .. ¢ Calumet Club HAVEMEYER, THEODORE A ... . . 244 Madison Avenue HAVEN, GEORGEG......... . . 02 ljberty Street HECKSCHER, JOHN GERARD... .. . . dl West 75th Street HoRNADAY, WILLIAM TT ........ . . 69 Wall Street HumBERT, ARTHURC. ......... . 8 West 53d Street HuNTINGTON, GEORGE. ..... . . 40/7 West 59th Street JAMES, WALTERB....... . . . 268 Madison Avenue JONES; dyes Oh chee an . . . ol Fifth Avenue KNIGHT, CHARLES R. . . Amer. Museum of Natural History LAMBERT, ALEXANDER... ... .. . 2 Hast d/th Street LITCHFIELD, EDWARD H. ..... .. .. .99 Wall Street Mc AQAN, JOHN... ......%.. . . #4 West.ecth aie McCrur#, S) SS... . 6... . . 4. + Wa Basteoc eee MiLLER, CHARTES R:.. 2... s . « 2S Ree MorcGAan, Jr., J.P... . . 1. 3 wa o + 8 eStore Morris, A. NEWBOLD........ .. . 41 Liberty Street Morris, LEwis R.......... .. . 930 West 36th Street Nines, ROBERT Ty... ea OSBORN, WintIAM CC... 2. os te Ch Wali PAGE, J. SHAVER... .. ... .. . . » JO] noo PARKER, ANDREWD......... ... . 93 Nassau Street PANCOAST, RICHARD... .... 2.4, , . « SU2@e}GDRSeoee PELTON, FRANKLIND..... .. .. . Buckingham Hotel FIRST ANNUAL Poor, HENRY W.... Portee, HH. H:. . - Pyne, M. TAYLOR. . RANDOLPH, L. V. F.... ROCKEFELLER, WILLIAM. . BOOT, HLIHO... . ate: ROSENWALD, ISAAC... SCHIEFFELIN, WILLIAM J... . SCRYMSER, JAMES A... SRWELE Co VeVi.” SEYMOUR, WILLIAM W.... SHIELDS, GEORGE O. SHONNARD, FREDERICK. . STARIN, JOHN H. . STORCK, GEORGE H.. . STRATFORD, WILLIAM... STURGES, FREDERICK R. .. STUYVESANT, RUTHERFURD. . SULLIVAN, Mrs. JAMES. . SWAYNE, WAGER... ‘THOMPSON, ERNEST SETON . ‘THOMPSON, W. GILMAN... Top, J. KENNEDY... ; VAN VALKENBURG, W... WARING, GEORGE E... WEBB, W. SEWARD. . WHITNEY; CASPAR... WINTHROP, R. DUDLEY. . WITHERBEE, FRANK S. Woop, JR., J. WALTER. . WORTHINGTON, CHARLES C WorTMAN, J. L. CorBIN, AUSTIN MANICE, DE FOREST Deceased Members. REPORT. 11 . 18 Wall Street . 120 Broadway . 092 Wall Street 39 William Street . 26 Broadway 32 Liberty Street . 141 Water Street . 170 William Street . d/ Wall Street . 68 West 45th Street . 85 Wall Street . 19 West 24th Street . Yonkers, N. Y. . Pier 18, North River . . 00 West 9th Street . 263 West 52d Street . 06 Park Avenue . 18 Exchange Place . 96 Park Avenue . 120 Broadway . 123 Fifth Avenue . 54 East 31st Street : . 45 Wall Street . 222 West 21st Street 121 Madison Avenue . Shelbourne, Vt. : . 21 West 31st Street . Knickerbocker Club . 40 Wall Street , Short Hills N. J: . 86 Liberty Street Amer. Museum of Natural History WRIGHT, Mrs. MABEL OSGOOD . . 118 West 11th Street 1896 1896 12 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Nore.—Up to the date of the issue of this Report, no special effort has been made to increase the membership of the Society. Now, however, the success of the Society’s application for South Bronx Park is no longer in doubt, for it is certain that the necessary official action will be taken within a very short time. It is now desirable to secure to the Society the sympathy and support of a large body of members. The magnitude of the work to be accomplished requires the support of a permanent mem- bership of at least two thousand persons. Each member of the Society is therefore earnestly requested to help increase our membership. Application blanks will be supplied upon request. ‘There is no initiation fee. ‘The annual dues for members are $10; and in a short time the benefits and privileges of members will be well worth that sum. The life member’s fee is $200; patron’s fee, $1,000, and founder’s fee, $5,000. THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.—ITS PLANS AND PURPOSES. The movement to establish a great zoological park for the people of New York, is the outcome of the civic spirit which has established the Museums, the Public Library and the Bo- tanical Garden. _ Besides its direct advantages, the Zoological Park will be of great service in adding animals from all parts of the world to the collections of the American Museum. Its proximity of location to the Botanical Garden will increase the attractiveness and usefulness of both institutions. Briefly stated, the various objects of the Zoological Society may be grouped together as follows : First.— Zhe establishment of a free zoological park containing collections of North American and exotic animals, for the benefit and enjoyment of the general public, the zoologist, the sportsman and every lover of nature. Second.— Zhe systematic encouragement of interest in animal life, or zoology, amongst all classes of the people, and the promo- tion of zoological science tn general. Third.—(Cv-operation with other organizations tn the preser- vation of the native animals of North America, and encourage- ment of the growing sentiment against thetr wanton destruction. Beyond question, the foremost duty of the Society lies in the founding of a zoological park adequate to meet the de- mands for the education and recreation of the people of this great city. If any one doubts the public desire to know more of the living creatures who inhabit the earth and its waters, let him mingle for an hour in the crowds that throng the Bat- tery Park Aquarium, or the Central Park Menagerie, and be convinced. In nearly every large city of Europe, and in many cities of this country, the zoological garden forms the chief centre of attraction, and the rallying point of all the various organizations and individuals who are in any way interested in 14 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. the study or observation of animal life. Although our Ameri- can zoologists have done much toward popularizing zoology, much more remains to be done. The New York Zoological Society believes that it can serve a good purpose in this com- munity by extending and cultivating in every possible manner the knowledge and love of nature. THE PROPOSED ZOOLOGICAL PARK. In the matter of the establishment of a great vivarium, or, in other words, a collection of collections of such living creatures. as it is practicable and desirable to bring together for purposes of exhibition and study, the Society believes it can create an institution which will be a decided advance beyond anything thus far accomplished in that line. After carefully examining the numerous fine zoological gardens now in existence in various parts of the world, it really seems that the wisdom and foresight which in 1884 added 5,800 acres of park lands to the municipal domain, has made it possible for New York City to locate, in a part of this vast area, a zoological park which will enjoy finer and more extensive natural advantages than any similar institution either in this country or abroad. In a zoological garden of the average size, say 30 acres, close confinement of the animals is a condition impossible to escape. In the great private game preserves of many thousand acres each, of which, happily, there are now numerous fine examples in this country as well as in Europe, the wild crea- tures are so completely hidden in forests as to be quite lost to the visitor. While these great game preserves do protect from extermination the species they enclose, they are not intended for the instruction of visitors. We believe that the zdeal vi- varium ts onein which the living creatures can be kept under con- ditions most closely approximating those with which nature usually surrounds them, in spaces so extensive thal with many species the sense of confinement ts either lost or greatly diminished, yet at the same time sufficiently limited that the animals are not inaccessible or invisible to the visitor. The ideal zoological park, such as this Society has planned to establish, will, therefore, stand midway between the typical THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN IDEA, NS ee FROM A PHOTOGRAPH Trav A DYPICAL ENCLOSURE FOR ELK, FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. itis 50-acre zoological garden of London, Paris, Antwerp or Phila- delphia, and the great private game preserve. In the southern portion of Bronx Park we find a wonderful combination of hill and hollow, of high ridge and deep valley, of stream and pond, rolling meadow, rocky ledge and virgin forest of the finest des- cription, all of which, by a happy combination of circum- stances, have been preserved through all these years. | While other portions of Bronx Park are more rugged, and more wildly picturesque, and while in itself the area chosen for the animal collections has never been regarded as strikingly beau- tiful, its adaptability to the peculiar wants of animals in captiv- ity is really marvellous. Furthermore, it is believed that the treatment of nature’s work which will be desirable in estab- lishing the collections, will only emphasize and enhance the natural attractions of the area in question. In by far the greater number of zoological gardens or parks, the choicest landscape features have been artificially created ; here it remains only to skilfully, artistically and sensibly adapt the work of nature. The expenditure of a million dollars on any other park area north of the Harlem River would not yield the open hard-wood forest, the areas of heavy timber, the open glades, the sheltered valleys open toward the south-east, the great natural catch-basins for storm water, the splendid rock masses and the thirty acres of still water that await us in the area selected. The Society now has before it a series of pre- liminary plans locating the various buildings, aviaries, fences and walks as they should be arranged to best accommodate the animals and the public, and these plans do not involve the cut- ting of a single tree! The only concession proposed in this direction is that the beavers shall be allowed to cut down several small trees that stand in the bog where it is proposed the Beaver Pond shall be located. EXHIBITION OF NORTH AMERICAN TYPES. As may fairly be expected, the first duty of the Society in the formation of collections, will be to bring together a liberal number of fine examples of the more noteworthy and interesting species of the animals of North America, particularly of those species that 16 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. are threatened with extinction. No reasonable effort will be spared to show each species of the larger mammals under con- ditions of liberal space and surroundings which will at least suggest its natural haunts, which will promote the comfort and longevity of the captives, and render their contemplation by visitors a pleasure. Next to the mammals, birds and reptiles of North America, the fauna of South America will receive at- tention; but the Society's collections must of necessity include a sufficient number of the living creatures of the Old World to furnish the student and the general public with good examples of the principal orders, families and sub-families of the higher land vertebrates of the world. It follows that, in the formation of the numerous living col- lections which will find homes in the Zoological Park, the first to be gathered will be the representatives of the ‘‘great game’’ animals of North America,—the buffalo, elk, moose, mountain sheep, antelope, black-tailed deer, Virginia deer, and caribou, —and also the mountain goat, if it can be induced to survive in this climate. The enclosures planned for these species vary in area from three to twenty acres each. All will be abundantly provided with shade, water and shelter, and such cliff-dwellers as the mountain sheep will be located on rugged masses of natural rock. It is proposed that the buffalo herd shall contain about 25 carefully selected animals, living in a 20-acre range, and be in every way worthy to represent this important species. Special efforts will be put forth to form good collections of American bears, of our small carnivorous animals,—of which the United States possesses a very extensive series,—and of our native wolves and foxes. The collection and arrangement of American rodents, both burrowing and arboreal, will,—for perhaps the first time,—do justice to the splendid series of forms of this order which are native to our country. It is probable that very few persons, outside the ranks of our own mammalogists, are aware that our country possesses the greatest variety of squirrels and marmots to be found in any one coun- try, and that the most beautiful forms are the ones most seldom seen. “NV OIHOIW ‘NVYINGVY LY AAIT WOUA GAHdVUDOLOHd “HSINNOAS LY WIA AO GUAH ‘WHI MUVd IVOI9SO’IOOZ HHL or tik 2 i ae om oe - ght are A a 7 cee as y ahs en ne FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 17 If half our hopes are realized, the collections of upland game birds, of waders, of swimming birds and birds of prey, will be to every sportsman sources of great interest. The im- mense flying cage, already designed, will be a revelation to every lover of wild birds. The lion house and the monkey house, already designed, will be the most carefully planned structures of their respective kinds that have yet been produced. Both will contain certain features not hitherto utilized in such buildings, but which it is believed will greatly enhance the attractiveness of their living contents. In everything thus far planned for the Zoological Park, save only the necessary buildings and aviaries, the idea of pre- serving the natural beauty and wildness of the spot has not for one moment been lost sight of. Fortunately the best of all fences for zoological park enclosures is the one which comes nearest to being invisible, and therefore is the least harmful to a landscape. The fence selected for the large enclosures (shown in the illustration entitled ‘‘The Zoological Park Idea’’) is so nearly invisible that in a photograph its character is often quite indistinct unless it has first been painted a light color. LABELLING. The Society believes it to be quite practicable and desir- able to devote more thought and effort to the labelling of zoo- logical garden animals than has been done heretofore. The best scientific museums have reduced the labelling of specimens to the basis of historical science, with results that to the in- quiring visitor are highly gratifying. In zoological gardens, however, labelling of living animals is almost precisely what it was twenty years ago,—the name of the specimen, the locality, possibly the date and manner of its acquisition, and generally no more. A few of the best European gardens do post a limited number of maps of geographical distribution,—of which thuse provided in the gardens of the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp are the most admirable, as well as the most numerous. Of the helpful descriptive labels, so dear to the student of to- day, there are none; and for this reason a wealth of informa- tion that might be made available, 1s lost. Is NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. PUBLICATIONS. The many questions involved in this subject still remain to be considered. At present the most pressing demand of a literary nature is for a ‘‘ working ’’ zoological library. The formation of so necessary an adjunct to the Society’s work must be undertaken at once, and prosecuted. with vigor. The library of the Zoological Society of London, perhaps one of the most complete of its kind in the world, has cost over $80,000. It is the desire of the New York Zoological Society to possess one quite as good as the best in existence, housed in a fire- proof building which will also serve as the official home of the Society in the Zoological Park. It may fairly be expected that in due course of time the Society will publish and distribute to its members numerous zoological publications and pictures that will be of general in- terest and value. In the matter of public lectures, the Society will assuredly do its full duty by the public ; but in this, as in all other lines of its work, its usefulness will of necessity de- pend upon the support it receives from the public. ee ENCOURAGEMENT OF ANIMAL PAINTING. We propose to encourage and facilitate the production of high-class drawings, paintings and sculptures of wild animals. We deplore the fact that by reason of a general lack of support from American art galleries and the patrons of art, and also in many cases from the lack of good subjects from which to work, the painting of American wild animals, save for purposes of illustration, is to-day almost an unknown branch of art. Although our-magnificent series of large game animals is rapidly passing away, the walls of nearly if not quite all the great art galleries of America are absolutely destitute of representations of them, much less of such representations as their size, beauty and importance richly deserve! In a word, we propose to take the initiative in stimulating the production of paintings and sculptures of American wild animals, while there are yet a few animals to serve as models. It is proposed that the Society’s library building shall con- tain studios and workrooms for zoological artists and students, FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 19 where the earnest worker shall have every facility and encour- agement that it is possible to afford him. The building should also contain a gallery for the display of animal paintings and sculptures. Already there has been provided in the plan of the lion house a spacious studio, connecting with the series of cages, in which on regular occasions animals may be placed in a large central cage of special construction, and used as models by artists who desire to avail themselves of the privilege. It is hoped that at a comparatively early date we will be able to inaugurate a series of exhibitions of animal paintings and other products of art as applied to zoological subjects, at which prizes may be given for the best works displayed. But this, like other plans of the Society, must also depend upon the support accorded by the public of New York. THE NEED FOR ZOOLOGICAL PRESERVES. As the vertebrate fauna of the world decreases, the need for collecting and propagating living animals under protection becomes more imperative. No civilized nation should allow its wild animals to be exterminated without at least making an at- tempt to preserve living representatives of all species that can be kept alive in confinement. In this age of firearms, it is indeed necessary to put forth vigorous efforts toward the preservation of wild creatures be- fore it is too late. Throughout the entire continent of North America, nearly every wild quadruped, bird, reptile and fish is marked for destruction. Apparently no species is too large, too small, too worthless or too remote to be sought out and destroyed by gun, trap, net or poison. In the pursuit of our large game animals, no labor is too severe, and no risk is too great to be undergone, provided the destroyer fancies he has something to gain in the chase. In the presence of a wild creature that can be killed and eaten, or despoiled of something fit for his own use, civilized man immediately becomes a savage, eager toslay. ‘The annual out- put of shot-guns and sporting rifles is something enormous. Firearms were never so deadly as now, never more numerous, and never before so cheap. No man or boy is too poor to 20 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. possess at least one gun. Countless thousands of birds and small quadrupeds are annually slaughtered by boys, for no higher purpose than amusement. A still greater number are killed by sportsmen, ‘‘ for sport,’’ with the table as a fair excuse for the really conscientious; and throughout the length and breadth of the land, the market-hunters slay and spare not. Of the mammalia, only the very smallest are safe from the pursuit of the modern furrier, who now regards as his special prey every thing that wears hair. From the vanishing buffalo, fur seal, beaver, otter and mink, the demand for more fur has descended until now the once despised muskrat, skunk and rabbit are eagerly sought for their ‘‘fur’’ ; and even the mole can no longer boast of a future that is secure. Birds that are not available for the table are shot for the sake of their feathers ; and the results of the dyeing, the mix- ing and the general perversion of wings, heads and tails to serve the ends of feminine fashion, are sad to contemplate. Florida, once teeming with bird life, is now so barren of birds that a creature on wing is a rare sight. In every part of the globe that is inhabited by civilized ‘man, animal life is being destroyed far faster than it multiplies. It is almost an impossibility to devise game laws that can pre- vent the permanent residents of game districts from killing the animals around them, in season and out of season. Nearly every man who lives in a game country is a hunter and ex- terminator. In these days of quick transportation and cheap fares, no animal is so remote or so inaccessible as to be even reasonably safe from attack. Once the grizzly bear satisfied the ambition of the most enterprising hunter. The rock-dwelling mountain goat next tempted the sportsman to feats of endurance in moun- taineering. Now, however, the chase of the mountain goat is considered too tame. The silence of the desolate Barren Grounds is broken by the crack of the repeating rifle, and the shaggy musk-ox learns that he, also, is now marked for destruc- tion. ‘Thousands of men slaughter, but only scores preserve. The time is coming when the whole temperate zone, the pasture regions of the tropics, and the greater portion of the arctic 4 FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 21 world will be practically destitute of beasts, birds and reptiles. In a comparatively few years there will be no large game exist- ing in a wild state on the continent of North America, save in a few areas of dense forest or impassable tundra. It has taken nature millions of years to produce the beau- tiful and wonderful varieties of animals which we are so rapidly exterminating. Unless we can create a sentiment which will check this slaughter, and devise laws for those who do not respect sentiment, the bones of our now common types will soon be as rare as those of the dodo and the great auk ; and man will be practically the sole survivor of a great world of life. Let us hope that this destruction can be checked by the spread of an intelligent love of nature and its products. And nowhere is it more important to inculcate these ideas than in the cities, which are the centres of the most influential press, periodical and book literature. The destruction of animal life is removing from city dwellers, farther and farther, the possi- bility of knowing the lower animals through contact with them in the field. To the average city-bred man, woman or young person of this country, our American fauna is merely a vague and indefinite thing. Inthe grammar schools, high schools and even normal schools of nearly the whole United States, the systematic study of zoology receives increasing attention every year, but still far less than it deserves. THE SOCIETY AND THE PUBLIC. In behalf of the objects but partially outlined in the fore- going prospectus, the Society asks the support of the com- munity. Beyond all doubt, the objects aimed at will appeal to and directly benefit a greater proportion of the three million in- habitants of this city than will any other enterprise that has been undertaken for the higher education or healthful pleas- ure of our people since the establishment of Central Park itself. With due appreciation for all of the existing institutions of New York, we believe that such a zoological park as is now projected will become the most popular resort within reach of the inhabitants of this city. There is no class of our popula- tion to which it will not appeal. 2 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. From those who can understand and appreciate what is pro- posed without first seeing it wrought out, the Society requests the funds, and the large permanent membership, necessary to carry into effect the undertaking which is being so carefully planned. The city now stands ready to do its full share—by furnish- ing the site for the Zoological Park, providing the necessary ground improvements, and maintaining the Park and its collec- tions by means of an annual appropriation. The Zoological Society requires $250,000 in cash with which to erect the first of its buildings, aviaries and other enclosures for animals, and to purchase the collections with which to stock them. It requires a membership of at least 5,000 persons, each paying $10 per year, to provide funds for the Society’s publica- tions, library, art prizes, and similar objects. Gifts of books on zoological subjects—especially those on mammals, birds and reptiles,—books of travel and exploration, and files of scientific journals in which zoological subjects have a place, will be re- ceived with the grateful thanks of the Society. If from this time on the plans of the Society can move for- "ward without any serious delay,—and if the fund now desired is subscribed as we have reason to hope it will be,—it is entirely possible that the Zoological Park may be opened to the public some time during 1898. REPORT OF THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE TO THE BOARD OF MANAGERS. New York, January 5th, 1896, The Chairman of the Executive Committee reports on be- half of the Committee as follows : During the year of 1896 this Committee has held twenty- one meetings, and has reported to this Board at a meeting called for June 12, 1896, at which no quorum was present. Sixty-six new members have been elected during the year 1896, although no special effort has been made to increase the membership. Sir William Flower, Prof. Alexander Agassiz, Dr. J. A. Allen, Dr. C. Hart Merriam, of Washington, and Dr. F. L’Hoest, of Antwerp, have been elected Honorary Members of the Society. Upon the resignation of Dr. Alexander Hadden from this Committee, Col. Thomas H. Barber was elected in his place. Col. Barber resigned on account of absence from the city, and Mr. Madison Grant was elected to fill the vacancy. We regret to report that, owing to delicate health, Hon. Andrew H. Green, the President of the Society since its incep- tion, has felt obliged to offer his resignation. The resignation has been accepted, and a letter transmitted to Mr. Green signed by all the members of the Executive Committee. During the spring of 1896 a bulletin was issued, containing the Charter, By-laws, List of Officers, Committees and Mem- bers of the Society, and the original application to the city for South Bronx Park. On June 2d a Scientific Council of ten members was formed as an advisory body upon the scientific affairs of the Society, and especially upon the plans of the park. Upon this body were placed representatives of the principal educational and scientific institutions of this city. Upon April Ist, 1896, after 24 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. the most careful inquiry in Washington and elsewhere, the Executive Committee engaged, at a salary of $5,000 a year, the services of Mr. William T. Hornaday as Director of the proposed Zoological Park. The Director at once began an exhaustive study of the various sites which have been consid- ered by the Society for the location of the park, and this Com- mittee, from his advice and from that of various experts,* and from its own repeated investigations, unanimously decided that the location offered by South Bronx Park was not only excep- tionally well fitted for the purposes of such park, but was practically the only available location. An application for 261 acres in South Bronx Park was thereupon prepared, and on May 21st, 1896, was presented to the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, in accordance with the terms of the Society’s charter. The application was referred by the Mayor, as Chairman of the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, to a special com- mittee, consisting of Messrs. McCook (Chairman), Olcott, and Fitch, with instructions to consider the Society’s application and report back to the Commission. From the facts developed at our first conference with this sub-committee, it became apparent that a memorandum setting forth the proposals and plans of the Society, and formulating a basis for the relations to be established between the city and the Society, was necessary. Accordingly the Committee sent the Director abroad during the summer, to study various for- eign zoological gardens. An exhaustive study of such gardens was made, and a large amount of valuable information, photo- graphs, plans, etc., was brought back. The Executive Committee has appeared before the Sinking Fund Comniittee twice, and before the Park Board three times, in furtherance of its application, and we take pleasure in re- porting that, while the final determination of the application is as yet undecided, there is every reason to expect a favorable *Crotona, Pelham Bay and Van Cortlandt Parks were examined and reported upon by a committee consisting of Mr. Arthur E. Brown, of Philadelphia, Mr. D. G. Elliot, of Chicago, and Dr. Frank Baker, of Washington. FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. IAS) outcome at an early date. ‘The memorandum, including the proposed form of contract with the city, is submitted to the Board of Managers at the present meeting. After securing the approval of the Board, it will again be brought before the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, with a request for final action upon the part of the city. Accompanying this report the Committee submit : (1.) ‘The preliminary plan of the Zoological Park, prepared by the Director. A copy of this plan is given to each member of the Society, and suggestions and criticisms are requested. (2.) A relief model of the Park, also prepared by the Director. (5.) A memorandum of information upon foreign zoological gardens. (4.) A memorandum of our proposed form of contract with the Park Commissioners, which is yet to be rat- ified by the Board of Managers before it is pre- sented to the city. In conclusion we recommend that the Executive Committee be empowered to revise the By-Laws of the Society to the extent of embodying the changes hereinafter presented. Respectfully submitted, HENRY F. OSBORN, JouHn L. CADWALADER, PHILIP SCHUYLER, ANDREW D. PARKER, MADISON GRANT, CHas. EK. WHITEHEAD. C. Grant LA FARGR, Secretary, Fixecutive Committee. REPORT ON THE CHARACTER AND AVAILABILITY OF SOUTH BRONX PARK. To the E:xecutive Committee of the NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Gentlemen :—By the direction of your Chairman, I have spent four weeks in studying the sites available for a zoological park in the park areas of the Annexed District of New York city, north of 155th Street ; and I now have the honor to sub- mit the following report of facts, and my own conclusions based thereon : As a basis of study, I formulated at the outset the follow- ing list of points to be considered in the investigation of each available site, and which I have endeavored to arrange in the order of their importance to a zoological garden. 1. Accessibility. Shade. }. Surface contour. 4. Natural water supply. ). Seclusion. 6. Natural building sites. Evenness of temperature. 8. Possibilities for sewerage. 9. Absence of swamp influences. 10. Contiguity to freight railway. 2 bo (Here follows a report upon Crotona, Pelham Bay and Van Cortlandt parks). Two and one-half miles nearer to New York than is Van Cortlandt Park, and five miles nearer than the only desirable portion of Pelham Bay Park, is situated a tract of 261 acres of forest, meadow-land and water, which, for convenience, we will call South Bronx Park. Ina word, it may be described Z S) Z DG v) oO DiI SKETCH MAP OF NEW YORK CITY, SHOWING THE LOCATION OF THE PROPOSED ZOOLOGICAL PARK, AND PRESENT MEANS OF ACCESS. 28 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. as rolling uplands, divided by Bronx River, and characterized by open meadows, open woods, and moderately dense woods, all of the finest character. In order to obtain a full under- standing of the character of this site, it is necessary to consider its various points in the same order as adopted for Van Cort- landt. |. AccEssrBrILity.—At present South Bronx Park is reached by means of the elevated roads on Second and Third Avenues, to 129th Street, and from thence by two electric surface rail- ways, one via Third Avenue and Boston Road, and the other by way of the Southern Boulevard, to West Farms. There the visitor lands within four blocks of the south-eastern entrance to the Park. ‘The running time from the City Hall to 129th Street is 32 minutes, from that point to West Farms, 50 minutes, and there are two five-cent fares to pay each way. The extension of the Third Avenue elevated road now ter- minates at 177th Street, which is 3,700 feet, in a straight line, from the south-west corner of the Park. An extension of this line of 6,800 feet would carry it due north to Pelham Avenue and thence to the main entrance of South Bronx Park, from which visitors to the Zoological Park would need to walk only 900 feet to reach the main group of buildings. In the event of South Bronx Park being chosen as our site, and occupied, I think two things may be expected with reason- able certainty :—(1), that the Third Avenue elevated road would very promptly be extended 6,800 feet to reach our main entrance at the corner of Pelham Avenue and the Southern Boul- evard; and (2), that the cars of the two lines which now stop at the West Farms crossing of the Bronx River, would immediately be run 1,500 feet farther north along the Boston Road, to what would be the southern entrance to the Zoological Park. With these two short extensions, the Park would be accessible, not only to every inhabitant of the entire eastern half of New York and the Annexed District, but to the residents of Brook- lyn as well. All people coming from Brooklyn across the bridge, would but need to step from the bridge-train to another train. FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 29 My own conclusion in regard to accessibility is that with due allowance for future developments that may be considered fairly probable, Bronx Park will always be more accessible than any other site suitable for a zoological park in New York ever will be, unless it should happen that elevated trains should eventually run up into Van Cortlandt Park without change, over the Putnam Division of the New York Central. 2. SHADE. —For the purposes of a zoological park, I con- sider the forestry conditions of South Bronx Park to be very nearly perfect. Throughout the north-west quarter of the tract, the timber consists of large and fine old forest trees, chiefly oak, chestnut, beech, tulip, sweet gum, ash and hickory, sufficiently open to permit the growth of a fine carpet of grass under foot, and also for the reception of buildings of moderate size without the necessity of tree-cutting. The accompanying map is intended to show the meadow lands, open woods, and heavy forest.* An important consideration in the work before us is the selection of ground which will receive the buildings to be erected without the necessity of cutting trees, and with the farther advantage of having trees to screen the large buildings from distant view. In my opinion, we do not wish a zoolog- ical park in which all the large buildings will loom up con- spicuously, like the buildings of an exposition, with a park as a mere adjunct ; but it would seem as if every reasonable effort should be made to screen and conceal the buildings from dis- tant view, and in every possible way preserve the existing aspect of natural wildness which is conceded to be the highest attainment possible in the development of a park. It is therefore, in my opinion, to be set down as a great ad- vantage that we find in Bronx Park not only open woods as described above, but also a beautiful open glade, situated on a knoll, and entirely surrounded by old forest trees, wherein the largest of the buildings can be located, around its margin, and be entirely screened from view. If an opening in the forest had been made for this special purpose, I undertake to * See map at end of volume. 30 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. say that in all Bronx Park it could not have been better placed for the purpose named. In addition to the open timber there is an abundance of heavy forest, also, and I doubt if there can be found within fifty miles of New York any more beautifully timbered ridges than those which occupy about two-fifths of the entire area of South Bronx Park. Of the remainder, the open woods con- stitute about one-fifth; and fine, open grass-covered ridges and hollows make up the remaining two-fifths. There is practi- cally no level land in South Bronx Park save at the bottom of wet basins, of which there are five. 3. SuRFACE ContTour.—As a whole, therefore, the surface is seen to be very much broken up into ridges and_hol- lows. West of the Bronx River there are three ridges of moderate height that run quite through the Park. As will be seen by the contour map, two terminate rather abruptly against the bend of Bronx River, between the crossings of Boston Road and Pelham Avenue. On the eastern bank of the river another long ridge extends north and south, but as yet its precise topography has not been determined by a survey. The accom- panying contour map shows South Bronx Park as far as sur- veyed, with contour intervals of ten feet; and profile No. 2 shows a cross-section of the tract across its southern half, about on a line with the Rocking Stone. A very strong point in favor of South Bronx Park lies in the fact that while it is sufficiently broken and diversified by ridges, knolls, small plateaus, hollows and basins to give great beauty to its general aspect, perfect natural drainage, and op- portunities for the construction of several fine ponds at trifling expense, the contour is not so uneven as to make it difficult to explore on foot, or to involve any laborious climbing in going over it. In fact, it will be quite possible to so arrange the animal collections that even ladies, small children and elderly people will be able to make a grand circuit of the Park west of the river, see all the animals, both in buildings, yards and ponds, and return to the starting point without encountering any real cause for unusual fatigue. This I regard as one of FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 3] the strongest pointsin favor of South Bronx Park ; and in view of the fact that eventually our Park will, if developed on lines acceptable to the public, be visited annually by hundreds of thousands of visitors, its importance can hardly be overestimated. 4. NaTuRAL WATER SuppLy.—Above South Bronx Park, the Bronx River drains a valley about fourteen miles in length, and with an average width of about a mile as far up as Bronx- ville, where it suddenly widens to two and one-half miles, and receives the waters of several quite large brooks. The great Bronx valley sewer is to have a total length of twenty-one miles, and is particularly designed to receive the sewerage that would otherwise pollute the waters of the river. The question now arises, to what extent will the sewer, when built, inter- cept the storm water that now flows into the Bronx by a thou- sand brooks and brooklets, and cause the stream to dry up? From observations made in the parks of Buffalo, we know that a very satisfactory body of still water can be maintained in a public park without any current whatever flowing through it constantly, and which receives its entire supply from sudden rushes of water during stormy periods. The stream which supplies the lake in Buffalo’s northern park is not more than one-sixth as long as the Bronx, does not regularly carry more than one-tenth of its volume of water, and for long periods in the summer is entirely dry. It flows througha section of the city which even now is plentifully supplied with sewers, but during severe storms it becomes a rushing torrent, eight feet in depth. There is now in the Bronx River, within South Bronx Park,a large body of still water, like an attenuated lake, formed by a dam across the river where it leaves the Park. This is precisely as it should be forthe purposes of a zoological park ; for, how- ever beautiful a running river may be, a large body of still water is much more valuable, not only for water fowl, aquatic mammals, and for boating, but also as a feature in the landscape. It is my opinion that there will always be a good flow of storm- water in the Bronx River, and most certainly there will al- ways be sufficient to maintain the highly valuable body of still water now in existence just where it is most needed. Beyond 32 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. question, the storm-water of the Bronx will always keep the lake full, even when the proposed sewer is constructed. In four points of the Park there are deep, natural basins, where very valuable ponds can be constructed at slight ex- pense, which, besides being very useful to the collections, will add very greatly to the beauty of the Park. The exact local- ity of each is indicated on the map. One seems to be well adapted to the wants of the beaver, being situated in a very secluded spot, and quite surrounded by forest. 5. SECLUsIoN.—South Bronx Park is sufficiently remote from all steam railways that its quiet is not broken by them. By planting continuous clumps of rapidly growing forest trees, such as the Carolina poplar and soft maple, along the southern and western boundaries, it will be possible to entirely shut from view the rows of dwellings that otherwise will very soon bring the city obtrusively in sight from the southern half of the Park. If this is done at once, the trees will grow up in time to forestall the houses; and it seems to me a matter of much importance. The seclusion of South Bronx Park is well nigh perfect. Pelham Avenue, its northern boundary, is, and always will be, a much traveled thoroughfare, but the most interesting fea- tures of the Park are hidden from it by the trees and hills; and, after all, it is only a boundary. Boston Road passes through the Park, near the bank of the river ; but as a thoroughfare it is not of special importance, and as yet is but little used. In a large zoological park, some car- riage drives are very desirable and necessary, and this one can be made to serve the purposes of visitors who wish to see herds of buffalo, elk, deer, and moose without getting out of their carriages. If put in good condition and kept so, it will serve avery useful purpose to the Zoological Park, should it be located there. 6. NATURAL BUILDING SrTEs.—This subject has already been brought forward, and it is only necessary to say farther that the woods, glades and meadows lend themselves so kindly to our purposes I may venture to predict that all the buildings FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. ~~ necessary to a great zoological park can be acceptably and even beautifully located on this site without the cutting down of a single tree. I am not as yet prepared to say that this is abso- lutely true, to the letter ; but it seems to be so. 7. EVENNESS OF TEMPERATURE.-—South Bronx Park is less exposed to the sweep of cold winds, either from land or sea, and therefore less liable to the sudden and violent changes of temperature so hard to cope with in a large menagerie, than any other of the several sites considered. It seems to me this is about the only spot which could be made even reasonably popular with the public in cold weather,—the very season when all our large fur-bearing animals have their finest pelage, and in every way look their best. 8. ARTIFICIAL DRAINAGE.—This year will see the begin- ning of the construction of a great sewer from Hunt’s Point up to West Farms, and up the Boston Road to the point where it enters the Park. It is then to be deflected westward by Kings- bridge Road to Southern Boulevard, and thence will continue northward along the Boulevard, thus passing along the entire southern and western fronts of South Bronx Park. Unfortunately, on the Boulevard the sewer will lie higher than the upper end of the Park, so that the sewerage from the large buildings would néed to be carried by a private conduit down to Boston Road, a distance of about 4,000 feet, to the southern entrance of the Park, where it could empty into the trunk sewer. Considerable rock would be encountered in its construction, and it is estimated that it would cost about $5.75 per foot, or $15,000. 9. ABSENCE OF SwAMP INFLUENCES.— While there are no large swamp areas anywhere in or near Bronx Park, nor any- thing visible suggestive of malaria,* it is at least a matter of tradition that the neighborhood of the old Lorillard mansion *SUPPLEMENTARY NOTE.—While this is true of the natural features of South Bronx Park, it is also true that the north-western portion of that fine tract is now quite spoiled by a large sewer which opens into it about 300 feet from the Southern Boulevard, and sends an open stream 34 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. is, or was, malarious. It is difficult to understand why such a condition should exist there, and there is some reason to doubt its existence at the present time. 10. ContriGuity TO FREIGHT RAILWAY.—The nearest sta- tion on the New York and New Haven Railway is at Pelham, three-fifths of a mile from the north-west corner of South Bronx Park, which makes a short haul, either with materials or live animals. RECOMMENDATION. —In view of all the foregoing, and from the standpoint of one whose reputation is at stake on the issue, I have neither doubt nor hesitation in recommending South Bronx Park as the spot best adapted to the creation of a truly great and monumental zoological park, by the New York Zoo- logical Society. It is the spot which will lend itself most kindly and pliantly to the end in view. It is the spot where the greatest results can be accomplished with the least money, and in the shortest time. Iam sure, in my own mind, it is the spot that, in the end, would yield the greatest amount of pleasure and of actual benefit to the three million inhabitants of greater New York. A zoological park located on that spot, and sup- ported by a reasonable amount of money, can be made the finest institution of the kind in the world, a source of unbounded pride to the metropolis of this continent, and of lasting benefit to the city, the state, and the nation. Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM T. HORNADAY, Director of the proposed Zoological Park. New York, April 29, 1896. of sewerage flowing through the Park. The abatement of this dangerous nuisance will undoubtedly be brought about in a very short time, and cer- tainly in advance of the opening of the Zoological Park. Was ae REPORT UPON A TOUR OF INSPECTION OF THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS OF EUROPE.* To the Officers and Members of the NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Gentlemen:—In accordance with instructions received from the Executive Committee, I spent the months of July and August in Europe, for the purpose of inspecting and studying in detail the best zoological gardens of England and the Con- vv tinent. Upon those investigations 1 now have the honor to submit the following brief report. The most important objects of the tour were as follows:— 1. To become acquainted with the most recent improve- ments and developments in the care of animals in captivity ; 2. To study the administrative methods of the best gardens in existence ; 3. To study the general relations existing between incor- porated zoological societies and the public, and 4. To learn by actual observation what are the mistakes to be avoided in the creation of a great zoological garden. My observations and studies embraced fifteen zoological gardens, situated in the following localities: — In Eagland, 1, situated at London ; In Belgium, 1, ot) eA tween; In Holland, 3, - 2) Rotterdam, The Haene and Amsterdam ; In Germany, §, i os, celanovers. Hambure.. Berlin, Dresden, Leipsic, Frankfort and Cologne ;- In France rds Panis: ’ GENERAL IMPRESSIONS.—Out of the multitude of impres- sions left upon the mind of the observer after having made this tour, two or three stand forth so prominently as to over- shadow all others. The first is—the great number, the size, *Read at the annual meeting of the Society, January 5, 1897. 36 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. the magnificence and the immense popularity of the zoological gardens of Western Europe. The next is—the extent and splendid character of the improvements that have been made in those gardens during the last twenty years. It is quite germane to the subject that the third most prom- inent impression should also be recorded here, viz:—that, as a body, the American people have as yet no adequate conception of the delights and benefits to be derived from a first-class, well-conducted zoological garden or park. In the case of each of the cities named, its zoological garden was, beyond all question, the leading attraction to the best element of its population. The zoological societies of Antwerp, Amsterdam and Rotterdam each contain nearly 5,000 members, and they are the absolute owners of the beautiful grounds, the palatial buildings and the rich zoological collections that, taken together, constitute their gardens. The membership rolls of these societies include practically all the people who make up the aristocracies of intelligence, of wealth, and of birth in those three cities. It isconsidered an honor as well as an advantage to belong to those zoological societies, and a well-to-do resident who will not become a member is not allowed to enter the gardens, even upon the payment of the stranger’s fee. ‘ In London the Queen is the Patroness of the Zoological Society, and the Prince of Wales is Vice-Patron. The mem- bership of that Society is over 3,000, and the Society’s Gardens are, in the extent and variety of their animal collections, the richest in the world. In point of size, richness of collections and character of im- provements, five of the zoological gardens visited deserve to rank as first class. They are the gardens situated at London, Antwerp, Amsterdam, Hamburg and Berlin. The London garden is the richest in animal life, its separate collections be- ing sixty in number. The Berlin and Amsterdam Gardens also are rich in collections. The gardens of the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp have very fine and attractive build- ings, the most of which are truly palatial in character. The most costly animal building in Europe is the magnificent Ele- phant House at Berlin, which represents an outlay of $120,000. FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 37 GRANTS OF LAND TO ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETIES.—Of the fourteen public zoological gardens that were visited, all save two were under the management and control of incorporated zoological societies. The Jardin des Plantes, of Paris, is a na- tional institution. Of this number, eight gardens were located upon lands which had been set apart for them in public parks, without the ex- action of any concessions whatever as to free privileges for the public, save in the case of the national institution mentioned above. ‘The six zoological societies which have thus been sup- plied by their respective cities with grounds for their gardens, free of rental so long as the gardens are suitably maintained, are located in the following cities: London, Hanover, Hamburg, Berlin, Dresden and Paris (Jardin d’ Acclimitation ). Asa matter of form, the Zoological Society of London does pay to the Office of Woods a trifling sum as annual rental, too small to be worthy of mention, save for the sake of strict accuracy. At Leipsic, the Zoological Garden now being developed is located on land sequestrated from the finest and most accessible portion of a public park, and turned over to a stugle private in- dividual, who has established the garden, and to which an ad- mission fee is always charged. The municipality of Leipsic evidently considers the public benefits of a zoological garden sufficient to justify the allotment for that purpose of valuable land in a public park to a private individual. MAINTENANCE OF EUROPEAN GARDENS.—With the excep- tion of the Menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes, which is the oldest institution of the kind now in existence, all the zoological gardens of Europe have been established by funds either con- tributed by members, or realized in the payment of annual dues, or by the issue and sale of shares. ‘They are maintained from year to year by funds drawn from the following sources :— 1. Gate receipts, for admission to the gardens ; 2. The fees and annual dues of members of the controlling society; 3. The lease or operation of valuable franchises in the grounds ; 4, The sale of valuable animals bred in the gardens. 38 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Of these various sources of income, the first is usually greater than all the others combined. None of the gardens of Europe, save the Jardin des Plantes, are ever opened to the free admission of the public, even on one day in each year. The only concession granted to the public is a reduction of the regular admission fee on certain days, usually holidays only, but in London this rule applies to Saturdays, also. In Europe, where labor costs less than in America, it is possible to maintain a zoological garden for a smaller annual charge than would be possible here; but, for all that, it will in- variably be found that the cleanest and most beautiful gardens have the greatest number of employees, and the largest and grandest gardens are those which cost the most money for annual maintenance. The following figures show the annual cost for maintenance of the institutions named :— Garden at Berl’. = . 2.5. 6 wo SS ea tf & Apbwerp ei" 2+ 59S). ee 2 “c” . “ Asasterdam 3... sie). boil Saeko eon 2 ee ac ©© ‘Fondon’s<...28 “wise oe ee ee re ** “Cologne fo: . cee 202 Sa ee ea cee ** Rotterdam. ¢'.'.. 5 sac 1) Gan an ee s* *© Philadelphid’;, 6. <2 ee ye rit t EEANOVER ist . new Nite 26 er Park at Washington, D. (ommen NO gen S. 50,000 Jardin des Plantes, Baris; © sees 0 an che oleh In every garden on the Continent of eines the patronage of the great restaurant and concert hall creates a privilege of considerable value to the society owning it. In Berlin, the lease of the restaurant yields the society $10,000 a year, and hereafter the price is to be $15,000 per annum. This, of course, implies an amount of restaurant patronage quite unknown in American places of recreation of an educational character. Until public eating and drinking in great crowds becomes a popular form of amusement, and one on which our people can and will spend money lavishly, American zoological gardens must look for maintenance to other sources than from an ex- tremely large and convival membership. RESULT OF THE SYSTEM OF CLOSED GARDENS IN EUROPE. —As might naturally be expected as the result of having no FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 39 free days in the European gardens, the benefits of the gardens are really luxuries for the wealthy and prosperous classes. The really poor people have open parks in abundance, and enjoy them to the fullest extent ; but the admission fee necessary to an enjoyment of the study of animals in the zoological gardens, is, to tens of thousands, an insurmountable barrier to pleasures of that nature. In Paris, the people of the poorer classes— as well as all others—throng the menagerie of the Jardin des Plantes in crowds that are too great for the best interests of the institution. With the highest and strongest barriers to be found in any European garden, Professor Milne-Edwards, the Director, declares they are not yet high enough and strong enough to fully protect the animals from the crowds which visit them daily. It is his advice that the proposed New York Zoological Park should be open to free admission only two days of each week, instead of a greater number. FEATURES POSSESSED BY ALI, EUROPEAN GARDENS.—The following features were found in every zoological garden visited, with the exceptions to be noted :— . A large restaurant and concert hall, and usually a small and cheap restaurant, also. Music, to attract great crowds. Flowers and plants in profusion. Abundant shade, both for the animals and visitors. Direct and cheap transportation. The privilege of exchanging or selling duplicate specimens, and of producing revenue in all legitimate ways. The merit system respecting the selection and pay of em- ployees. Immunity from political interference. The active interest and annual: financial support of either several hundred or several thousand first-class citizens. The sympathy and moral support of the community sur- rounding each garden. The only exceptions to be noted are the absence of a con- cert hall in the London garden, and of both that and the res- taurant feature at the Jardin des Plantes. 40 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. AREA OF EUROPEAN GARDENS.—Without exception, the area of every European zoological garden is decidedly circum- scribed. ‘The Berlin Garden, which is the largest of all, con- tains 60 acres. Next comes the Paris Jardin d’Acclimitation, with 50 acres; Rotterdam follows, with 87; Hamburg, 35; London and the Jardin des Plantes with 30 each; Amsterdam, 25 ; Cologne, 22%; Leipsic, 20, and soon down. Many of the gardens are overcrowded with buildings and yards, and at- tempts to suggest the natural haunts of the creatures exhibited are necessarily few and far between. The larger carnivora, the elephants and rhinoceroses, the tropical antelopes, the monkeys, and the tropical birds are generally found in large and costly buildings, some of which are of elaborate architect- ural design. It is quite a common idea to strive to provide oriental buildings for oriental animals, but to my mind the re- sult is not always satisfactory. It is my opinion that con- formity to a uniform style of architecture is much more de- sirable than a succession of startling contrasts. In European gardens, the large game animals, such as the various species of deer, elk, bison, buffaloes, etc., are kept in small pens, because ample park space is not available. Living trees are never utilized as homes for arboreal mammals. Ledges of natural rock are entirely absent, but hills of artificial rock, and small masses of stone, are quite common. With the ex- ception of the great flying cages at London, Rotterdam and Paris, the homes provided for birds are always of the most con- ventional and artificial character,—but it will be difficult to im- prove uponthem. ‘The large flying cages, however, are so very large, and contain so much of nature in the form of living trees, shrubs, plants and water, that the large birds living within them seem as much at home as if they were really in a state of nature, in a leafy wilderness. For a complete pictorial exposition of the contents of the gardens recently inspected by your representative, reference is made to the mounted collection of nearly 500 photographic views, submitted herewith, many of which were taken expressly for the use of this Society. FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 41 It is not possible within the limits of this brief report to enter into the multitude of questions and details covered by the studies and investigations recently made in Europe. ‘The ex- act facts, figures and details gathered from directors, inspectors, keepers and others are mostly matters of permanent record, carefully arranged and indexed for future reference and actual use. In addition to the photographs taken, 155 sketches and plans were drawn, and much valuable literature was secured. ABSOLUTE REQUIREMENTS IN AN IDEAL ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN.—In conclusion, it is perhaps desirable to summarize the features that the European public absolutely requires in a zoological garden. Stated categorically, in the order of their importance, they are about as follows :— 1. A location as near as possible to the centre of population. 2. Ground that can be walked over without great exertion, 3. The right quantity and quality of shade, both for visitors and for the animals. 4. A fine series of collections of quadrupeds, birds and rep- tiles, in a good state of health. 5. Buildings, enclosures and ponds that are thoroughly comimodious and comfortable for the animals, and pleasing to the eye of the visitor. 6. Absolute cleanliness of collections and grounds. 7. A full and correct system of labelling. 8. An ample system of walks, and provisions for public comfort. 9. A complete system of protection for the animals, and for visitors. I regret to say that I failed to find anywhere any special facilities for artists, although most societies issue permits to sketch and paint the animals in their gardens. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS.— Without a single exception, the officials of all the gardens visited were exceedingly courteous and helpful in the investigations undertaken. In not a single instance was information refused, and many directors and su- perintendents devoted hours of valuable time to the inquiries of your investigator. For such courtesies, the New York 42 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Zoological Society is under particular obligations to Dr. P. L. Sclater, Secretary, and Mr. Clarence Bartlett, Asst. Superin- tendent, of the Zoological Society of London; Mons. F. L’ hoest, Director of the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp, and Mons, J. De Winter, now Director of the Cairo Zoological Gardens; to Dr. A. Von Bemmelin, Director of the Rotterdam Gardens of Zoology and Botany; to Inspector Johannes Castens of Amsterdam ; to Herr Carl Hagenbeck, of Hamburg; Dr. L. Heck, of Berlin; Dr. Ernest Schaff, of Hanover; Dr. L. Wunderlich, of Cologne, and Prof. A. Milne-Edwards of the Paris Jardin des Plantes. All these gentlemen did everything in their power to facilitate the investigations and render valuable co-operation in the work to be done by this Society. Director L, hoest, of the beautiful Antwerp Garden, even offers to receive any keepers we may choose to send to him for the benefit of two or three months’ experience and training in that institution. I may add, as a final deduction from the gardens seen abroad, the conviction that no institution presents a greater number of problems to be solved, and no institution affords a finer field for criticism than the creation and management of a large zoological garden. I believe, however, that with such a site as South Bronx Park, and with theinformation this Society now possesses. the danger of mistakes will be reduced to a minimum, and the chances of gratifying success increased to the maximum. No one of the gardens recently visited occupies ground which can for one moment be compared, either in physical character or in extent, with the matchless site that has been chosen by this Society for the Zoological Park of America. When it was described to the directors of the best European gardens, even in guarded and conservative terms, their sur- prise and envy were both open and unbounded. And more than one exclaimed: ‘‘ With such ground, and the money that New York will give you, you can do anything that you choose !”’ Respectfully submitted, WILLIAM T. HOoRNADAY, Director. fi a cae i] Yates : a ‘J = + gua - ZA Vi“ Ve / ELF Sey ae eee Nes gos eee DS se Sa ais ee oe af — A i mien Tenpenarene {0 ee Sepa men © pn © mt f= 5 GROUND PLAN OF THE PROPOSED MONKEY HOUSK FOR THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK. ATLANTIC TRusT COMPANY, 39 WILLIAM ST., New York, Jan. 4, 1897. To the Board of Managers, NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Gentlemen :—Herewith I exhibit to you a statement of the receipts and payments of the Society during the period of my treasurership, that is, from June 1, 1895, to date. By authority of the Executive Committee, the sum of $275 was placed at the official credit of the Director, with which to meet the very numerous petty cash expenditures incident to the conduct of the Society’s affairs, and a further sum of $500, to cover the Society’s portion of the cost of the Director’s visit to Europe to inspect zoological gardens. Both these sums have been properly accounted for by a full set of vouchers, and the Director’s accounts have been duly audited under the direc- tion of the Executive Committee. All the various items of these expenditures have been included in my statement under their proper headings. Very respectfully, L. V. F. RANDOLPH, Treasurer New York Zoological Society. TREASURER’S STATEMENT. June 1, 1895, to TE neeLy. 4, 1897. RECEIPTS. EXPENDITURES. Life membership fees, twenty-four pare Stationery, blank books and office sup-| SOHS': <> 4 : alt # aed OOOO niece. amin ee) eae a nr eee cole eee Annual dues fron 102 ctibEtS Pee 1 O20F00i ;@mece MirnitiGe je ete eee ne kee 2 © Annual dues paid in advance by Alex- Oinice tents. elas A ae 210 43 ander Hadden. ce). .1! 3 2 wt 100 00| Materials for maps andl Plats ese 53 62 Annual dues paid in vane iby pee. Printed matter for distribution .. . . | 140 75 ils) fe7240 ee f eae ee Breer | 100 00| Inspection of European zoological gar- Interest on deposits, OU trast Co. 2 | AO: S0)| sudetiowee (7. 5 fae Gow oar ee eee 410 07 | Postage, telegrams, etc. . .. .. .| 26 23 "Salary of Director. .2 + 4.0) eee leon aus | _ Clerical and other services .. ... .| ‘aay Lhe/ Refund of dues overpaid by error. . . | 20 00 | | 5,369 90 | | Cash balance in ‘Treasury, Atlantic Mntisti/ Oren Sra ces Meats as 690 90 5 6 ,060 80 $ 6,060 80 Atlantic Trust Company, 39 William Sta, Respectfully submitted, Jan. 4, 1897. Wyn Vases RANDOLPH, Treasurer. APPLICATION TO THE COMMISSIONERS OF THE SINKING FUND, CITY OF NEW YORK, FOR AN ALLOTMENT OF LAND TO BE USED AS A PUBLIC ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN. Presented by the President and Executive Committee of the New York Zoological Society, May 21st, 1896. NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 69 WALL STREET. NEw York, May 21st, 1896. To the Honorable Commissioners of the Sinking Fund, City of New York. GENTLEMEN :—The Executive Committee of the New York Zoological Society has the honor to inform you that a corporate body has been formed under the above designation (Laws of New York for 1895, chapter 435) for the purposes (1) of estab- lishing and maintaining in this city a zoological park, (2) for the preservation’ of the North American native animals, and (3) the encouragement and advancement of zoology. In the furtherance of the Society’s principal object—viz., the establishment of the zoological garden or park—it is necessary to acquire the use of a suitable area in one of the unoccupied and unimproved parks of this city, north of the Harlem River. If the allotment of a satisfactory site can be obtained, the Zoo- logical Society will immediately thereafter prepare a general plan and seek to obtain the funds necessary to initiate the scheme of improvements that may be agreed upon. By the terms of the act of incorporation of this Society, the Commissioners of the Sinking Fund are empowered in the fol- lowing language to make to the New York Zoological Society an allotment of land : FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. AT SECTION 7. ‘‘ The Commissioners of the Sinking Fund of the said city are authorized in their discretion, to allot, set apart, and appropriate for the use of said corporation any of the land belonging to said city north of One Hundred and Fifty-fifth Street, but not in the Central Park, and such appropriation may be revoked if after the expiration of five years from the passage of the act a zoological garden is not established thereon ; said grounds thus set apart and appropriated shall be used for no purpose whatsoever except those aforesaid. As soon as any lands are set apart, the Mayor of said city of New York and the President of the Department of Parks of said city shall become and be ex-officio members of the Board of Managers of said corporation.’’ free Admission.—The law requires the free admission of the public on four days in each week, one of which shall be Sunday. It is the present intention of the Executive Commit- tee to recommend that the Zoological Park shall be open to free admission for s¢x days in each week, and that one day only shall be set apart for the benefit of members of the Society, students and artists, and for repairs. ‘The field exhibits, the river, and the woods will be open to the public at all times. During the past five months the officers of the Zoological Society have made a thorough and exhaustive study of all the unoccupied and unimproved parks north of the Harlem River, in order to determine what location would be best adapted to the requirements of a Zoological Park founded on an ample scale, and would also meet the requirements of the public in regard to accessibility. In these investigations the Society has availed itself of the advice of the best zoological garden experts in the country.* As the result of all studies and investiga- tions, this committee has now reached the unanimous conclu- sion that in all the various parks north of the Harlem River * The following gentlemen have served in this capacity: Mr. Arthur E. Brown, Superintendent Philadelphia Zoological Gardens ; Dr. Frank Baker, Superintendent of the Washington Zoological Park ; Prof. D. G. Elliot, Curator of Zoology, Field Museum, Chicago ; and Mr. William T. Hornaday, Director for the New York Zoological Park. 48 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. there is one location which may be regarded as a truly ideal site for a Zoological Park, such as this city should have, and such as this Society desires to establish. We therefore apply to you to allot, set apart, and appropriate to the New York Zoological Society, according to law, all that portion of Bronx Park which lies south of Pelham Avenue, of about 261 acres in extent, to be used by this organization only under the terms of its charter, as a public Zoological Park, and to be laid out for improvement and use upon a general plan which shall be approved by the Board of Park Commissioners before any actual work is begun. One important reason for our choice of South Bronx Park is that it contains several’ open areas in which all the large buildings could be erected without the cutting of any trees or shrubs whatever. The Society desires to place itself on record as being opposed to the cutting of living trees or shrubbery in a public park, and to all plans involving any defacement or diminution of natural beauties. South Bronx Park is now asked for because it is eminently the place wherein a semblance of the natural haunts of wild animals can be secured by the adaptation of Nature’s handiwork rather than by the slow, costly, and not always satisfactory processes of artificial crea- tion. It is also asked for because it is possible to develop upon it a Zoological Park of the most spacious and attractive char- acter. At present the area in question is merely a tract of rough, unimproved land, part meadow and partly timbered, through which flows the Bronx River. Other parks in the Annexed District possess 'greater [landscape possibilities, but the site chosen is particularly well adapted for the purposes of a Zoo- logical Garden founded on a large scale. It is, or soon will be, easily accessible to the people of New York and Brooklyn by payment of a single five-cent fare ; its water supply is the best to be found in any of the northern parks ; its contour is not so precipitous or so rough as to destroy its full availability to visitors on foot ; its natural drainage is perfect; its shade is abundant and of the peculiar open kind so extremely desirable in a zoological park. It possesses four natural basins, in which FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 49 ponds of great value to the collections, as well as to landscape effects, can easily be constructed. Its situation, contour, and forestry all combine to give this spot an evenness of temperature not possessed by any other site of those available. South Bronx Park can be made a great popular resort for the people, where- in the benefits of zoological study can be more happily com- bined with the enjoyment of natural forest, field, and stream than could possibly be provided elsewhere. PARTIAL LIST OF ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS IN OTHER CITIES. IN AMERICA, Philadelphia. . Area 33 Acres, maintained by a zoological society. Washington. . "168" * a by the government. Cinemmnati)..;... * SOs ~ by a zoological society. Chicago . . . . Ina public park, + by the municipality. Se ows... << gs by the municipality. Pittsburg... . a “y by the municipality. Buaio. <- : : “ es by the municipality. San Francisco . oH aS by the municipality. IN EUROPE. London .. . . Area 30% Acres, maintained by a zoological society. Wabi + 4 = } BE by a zoological society. eMISHOl ts tee 5. = LO “s as by a zoological society. aids Re aye aie *s as by the government. PAanise eames eat es OO a “e by the Société d’Acclimita- tion. Amsterdam .. ‘S 25 a CS by a zoological society. Rotterdam... = 3f a os by a zoological society. The Hague. : . ‘ 20 ss i by a zoological society. ATEWELD i: «6 6 20 sf ss by a zoological society. Bede 6 2. Fi SOO a ¢ by a zoological society. HMambure ~ 2. “ 35 s a by a zoological society. Galoune .. 7 22. 12) 822% - sf by a zoological society. Dresden’ .-.4 ©. 2 by a zoological society. HIAROVER. a hy a zoological society. Prankfort =... ° <2 os 5 by a zoological society. BEES Ae es a by a zoological society. Wietina:. <7 “ ~30 ne sf by a zoological society. St. Petersburg . is by a zoological society. dO NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. IN THE EAST INDIES. Bombay . . . . Ina public park, . . . maintained by the government. Madras. .... . og es ts by the government. Singapore . . . In the botanic gardens, ss by the government. Hong Kong. . be ‘ . by the government. Most of the large cities of Europe maintain zoological gardens, many of which are magnificent in appointments and rich in collections; but all, without exception, are confined to small areas, and some are grievously cramped for room. It is not sought to establish a mere menagerie, even on a large scale. A Zoological Park in which the larger and more important native animals have free range in large enclosures, where a satisfactory attempt can be made to copy or suggest natural haunts, and where visitors can find enjoyment in the contem- plation of fine, healthy animals, amid beautiful natural sur- roundings, is quite different from even the best fifty-acre menag- erie. In obtaining a grant of land, the Zoological Society deems it both expedient and necessary to secure an area large enough that a portion of it can be held in reserve, as breeding grounds for large species, to meet the demands of the future. In conclusion, we beg to recur with emphasis to the very important fact that in no sense whatever is the land now applied for to be sequestrated from the public. Very respectfully submitted, NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. (Signed) ANDREW H. GREEN, President. (Signed) MApIson GRANT, Rec. Secretary (Signed) HENRY F. OsBorn, Chairman, (Signed) JoHN L. CADWALADER, | (Signed) Purriip SCHUYLER, \ A hecurive e: ey i Commettee. (Signed) CHARLES E. WHITEHEAD, | | (Signed) ANDREW D. PARKER, Ss Se pols Ce Riess f y ; ‘ j aE y ake 5 - > z+ ear aah = rt : Reecu ne ‘ | hey | ( Ma : ae aes eens | aad i Be. tr ss i. = GROUND PLAN OF THE PROPOSED LION HOUSE FOR THE ZOOLOGICAL) PARK. CHARTER OF THE Mew Work Zoological Society. CHAPTER 435, AN ACT to incorporate the New York Zoological Society and to provide for the establishment of a zoological garden in the city of New York. Accepted by the city. Became a law April 26th, 1895, with the approval of the Governor. Passed, three-fifths being present. The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows: SECTION 1. Charles A. Dana, Oswald Ottendorfer, Andrew H. Green, William H. Webb, Henry H. Cook, Samuel D. Babcock, Charles R. Miller, George G. Haven, J. Hampden Robb, Frederic W. De Voe, J. Seaver Page, Rush C. Hawkins, David James King, Wager Swayne, Charles A. Peabody, Jr., Charles E. Whitehead, Charles R. Flint, Samuel Parsons, Jr., Mornay Williams, Henry E. Gregory, Isaac W. Maclay, Isaac Rosenwald, Hugh N. Camp, Andrew D, Parker, Cornelius Van Cott, William F. Havemeyer, Frederick Shonnard, William W. Thomp- son, Alexander Hadden, Edward I. Owen, John H. Starin, Rush §S. Huidekoper, William W. Goodrich, Albert H. Gallatin, Frederick S. Church, Edward C. Spitzka, Robert L. Niles, Madison Grant, C. Grant La Farge, William Van Valkenburg, and such other persons as may, under the provisions of its by-laws, become members of the corporation hereby created, are hereby created a body corporate and politic, by and under the name of the New York Zoological Society. Src. 2. Said corporation shall have power to establish and maintain in said city a zoological garden for the purpose of encouraging and ad- vancing the study of zoology, original researches in the same and kindred subjects, and of furnishing instruction and recreation to the people, and may purchase and hold animals, plants, and specimens appropriate to the objects for which said corporation is created. Sec. 8. The managers of said corporation shall have power to make and adopt by-laws for the management and government of its affairs and business, for the admission, suspension, and expulsion of its members, and for the terms and conditions of membership; to prescribe the FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 53 number and mode of election of its officers; to define their duties; to provide for the safe-keeping of its property, and from time to time to alter and modify its by-laws. Sec. 4. The affairs and business of said corporation shall be managed and controlled by a board of managers, the number of whom shall be prescribed by the by-laws. The first board of managers shall be divided by lot into three classes, equal in number, one of which classes shall hold office for one year, another for two years, and the other for three years ; and all persons elected to be managers at any subsequent election shall hold office for three years, and until others are elected in their stead. ‘There shall be a president, two vice-presidents, treasurer and secretary, to be elected by the board of managers annually, who shall hold office until others are elected in their stead. The first meeting under this act may be held at any time upon a notice of five days, signed by any five of the incorporators named in the first section of this act, fixing atime and place for such meeting, a copy whereof shall be mailed to each of said incorporators at his usual post-office address, and twelve of such incorporators shall be a quorum for the purpose of organization, adoption of by-laws, and election of officers. No manager of said corporation shall receive any compensation for his services, nor be interested, directly or indirectly, in any contract concerning its property or affairs. Src. 5. Said corporation may raise money by the issue of its bonds, secured by a mortgage on any or all of its property not acquired from said city or state. Src. 6. Said corporation may take, purchase, and hold real and personal estate necessary for the purpose of its incorporation, the net annual income of which shall not exceed fifty thousand dollars, and shall possess the general powers and be subject to the restrictions and liabilities prescribed in the third title of the eighteenth chapter of the first part of the revised statutes. - Sec. 7. The commissioners of the sinking fund of the said city are authorized in their discretion to allot, set apart, and appropriate, for the use of said corporation, any of the lands belonging to said city north of One Hundred and Fifty-fifth street, but not in the Central Park, and such appropriation may be revoked if, after the expiration of five years from the passage of the act, a zoological garden is not established thereon ; said grounds thus set apart and appropriated shall be used for no purpose whatsoever except those aforesaid. As soon as any lands are set apart the Mayor of the said city of New York, and the President of the Depart- ment of Parks of said city, shall become and be ex-officio members of the board of managers of said corporation. If at any time the animals now composing the menagerie at Central Park shall be removed therefrom by the authorities having charge thereof, said authorities may make an 54 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. arrangement with the incorporators named in this act or the corporation formed by them for leasing or sale of such animals to such incorporators or corporation, and said incorporators or corporation shall have a prefer- ence over any other person or corporation in respect thereto upon the same terms which said authorities could make with any such other person or corporation, or upon such other terms as to such authorities may seem proper, but nothing herein provided shall be construed as giving the commissioners of the Department of Public Parks authority to sell, lease, transfer, or in any otherwise dispose of said animals or other property connected with or belonging to said menagerie. Sec. 8. Admission to the said garden shall be free to the public for at least four days, one of which shall be Sunday, in each week, subject to such rules and regulations as shall be prescribed by said corporation. Sec. 9. This act shall take effect immediately. STATE OF NEW YORE, ik ; OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE, Sa I have compared the preceding with the original law on file in this office, and do hereby certify that the same is a correct transcript therefrom, and of the whole of said original law. \ . | Given under my hand and the seal of office of the ( i“ \ Secretary of State, at the city of Albany, this third day of May, in the year one thousand eight hundred and ninety-five. ANDREW DAVIDSON, Deputy Secretary of State. BY-LAWS OF THE Hew Work Zoological Society, ARTICLE 1.- BOARD, OFFICE AND PLACE OF BUSINESS, SEcTION 1. There shall be a Board of Managers, to consist of thirty- six members. Src. 2. The office and place of business of the New York Zoological Society shall be in the City of New York, where all meetings shall be held unless otherwise ordered. ARTICLE II. MEETINGS. SEcTION 1. The regular meetings of tne Board of Managers shall be held on the second Tuesday in the months of January, April and November. The annual meeting of the members of the corporation, and for such business as shall come before it, shall be held on the first Tuesday of January, or on such other day as may be fixed by the Managers, notice of the hour and place of which shall be fixed by the Managers and published in one daily newspaper in the City of New York. Any Manager who shall fail to attend three consecutive regular meetings of the Board shall cease to be a Manager, unless excused by vote of the Board. SEc. 2. Other meetings of the Managers or members of the corpora- tion may be held upon the call of the President or upon the written request of five Managers. At meetings of the Managers a majority, and at meetings of the corporation the members present, not less than twelve, shall constitute a quorum for the transaction of business. Notices of meetings of Managers shall be sent to each Manager at least twenty-four hours before the time of meeting. ARTICLE III. OFFICERS. SECTION 1. The officers of the corporation shall be a President, two Vice-Presidents, a Treasurer, a Corresponding Secretary and a Recording Secretary, all of whom, except the Secretary, shall be Managers, and shall be elected at the first meeting of the Board of Managers, and there- after annually at the meetings of the Managers on the second Tuesday of January. a6 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. The President, Vice-Presidents and Treasurer shall hold office for one year, and until others are elected in their stead. The Managers may fill any vacancy in the Officers or Managers until next day of election. The Secretaries shall hold office during the pleasure of the Board. In case of failure to elect on said day, the election may be made on any day appointed by the Managers. Src. 2. The President shall preside at all meetings of the Managers and of the corporation; he shall appoint all except the standing com- mittees, and be ex-officio a member of all committees except where other- wise expressly relieved from such service, and have a general supervision of the affairs of the corporation. Src. 3. In the absence of the President, a Vice-President shall perform the duties and possess the powers of the President. In the absence of both President and Vice-Presidents a chairman pro tempore shall be chosen. Src. 4. The Treasurer shall receive, collect and hold, subject to the order of the Board of Managers, all dues, moneys, securities and other property of the corporation ; pay all bills when approved by the Man- agers or the Executive Committee ; and shall render a report of its finances at each meeting of the Board of Managers, and an annual report at the annual meeting of the corporation. He shall keep all moneys of the Society deposited in some bank or trust company to be approved by the Board of Managers. Sec. 5. The Recording Secretary shall keep the records of the cor- poration, Board of Managers, and of committees, issue notices of meet- ings, and, when directed by the Board, affix the seal of the corporation to deeds and other documents. Src. 6, The Corresponding Secretary shall conduct the correspond- ence of the corporation, subject to the direction of the Board of Managers or President. ARTICLE IV. ORDER OF BUSINESS. SECTION 1. The order of business at meetings shall be as follows, unless otherwise ordered : Roll call. Reading of minutes not previously read. Election of Managers and officers. Communications. Reports of committees. Report of the Treasurer. Miscellaneous business. Reports and resolutions shall be in writing. The yeas and nays may be called on any resolution authorizing the expenditure of money, and upon any other question when requested by one Manager or one member of the Executive Committee. “To Ci Co bo FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. Pith ARTICLE V. COMMITTEES. SEcTION 1. There shall be three standing committees, to be annually appointed by the Board of Managers : an Executive Committee, a Finance Committee, and an Auditing Committee. Src. 2. The Executive Committee shall consist of seven Managers in addition to the President, and shall have the full powers of the Board, except so far as such a delegation of power may be contrary to law. At each meeting of the Board the Executive Committee shall make a full report of its action since the last meeting of the Board. Four of their number shall constitute a quorum, Src. 3. The Finance Committee shall consist of five members, and have authority at any time to inspect the books and accounts of the Treasurer, give directions to him, and exercise a general supervision over the property of the corporation. Src. 4. The Auditing Committee shall consist of three members, and shall audit the accounts of the Treasurer and of the corporation, and pre- sent a report thereon at each regular meeting of the Managers, and at the annual meeting of the corporation. SrEc. 5. Any vacancy occurring in the membership of the several committees, between the meetings of the Board of Managers, may be filled by the remaining members of the committee until the next meet- ing of the managers. ARTICLE VI. MEMBERSHIP OF THE CORPORATORS. SECTION 1. The persons named in the first section of the act creating this corporation, and such others as shall become associated with them upon the conditions prescribed in these By-laws, shall be members of this corporation. SEc. 2. Any member of the corporation may propose persons for membership. The name, occupation, and place of residence of every per- son proposed shall be submitted to the Board or to the Executive Com- mittee, and such person, when approved by the Board or said Committee, shall be a member of the corporation as long as such person shall pay to the Treasurer the annual dues. Src. 3. Any member of the corporation may become a life member by payment to the Treasurer, at one time, of the sum of two hundred dollars, Src. 4. Any member of the corporation may become a patron by giving real or personal property of the value of one thousand dollars or more. SEc. 5. The managers may elect as honorary members of the Society persons who have rendered marked services in the science of zoology or natural history, but not more than three shall be elected in any one cal- endar year. . 5S NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Corresponding members may be chosen from those who communicate valuable information to the Society, or who have rendered especial ser- vice in the science of zoology or natural history. Patrons, life members, honorary and corresponding members shall be exempt from the payment of annual dues. Sec. 6. Neither the corporation nor any of its managers or officers shall contract any debt which, with existing debts, shall exceed in amount the moneys then in the treasury. Sec. 7, The annual dues of each member of the corporation shall be ten dollars, payable in advance on the first day of May. Sec. 8. The fiscal year of the corporation shall be the calendar year commencing January Ist and ending December 31st. ARTICLE VII. AMENDMENTS. SEcTION 1. Amendments to these By-laws may be proposed in writ- ing at any meeting of the Managers and adopted by unanimous consent of the Managers present. If a proposed amendment is postponed until a subsequent meeting, the Secretary shall, with the notices of the next meeting, send to each Manager a copy of it, stating that it will be brought up for action at such meeting, when it may be passed by a majority vote. ARTICLE VIII. PENALTIES. SECTION 1. Any member named in the first section of the Act of In- corporation who shall fail to pay his dues for the year of 1895 on or before the 5lst day of January, 1896, shall cease to be a member of this Society. Notice of this by-law shall be given by the Secretary to each member affected thereby. Sec. 2. Any member who shall fail to pay his annual dues within three months after the same shall have become due, and after notice of thirty days, by mail, shall cease to be a member of the Society ; subject, however, to reinstatement by the Board of Managers or Executive Com- mittee for good cause shown. SEc. 3. Any person elected to membership who shall fail to qualify within three months after notice of his election shall be considered to have declined his election ; but such term may be extended by the Board of Managers or Executive Committee. ee THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY FUND. Coincident with the publication of this Report, the Board of Managers will begin to circulate subscription lists for the purpose of creating the Society Fund which is now impera- tively necessary to bring the Zoological Park into existence. Each list bears the following printed heading: The New York Zoological Society was incorporated, by special act of the Legislature, April 26, 1895, to establish and maintain a Zoological Garden in the City of New York, to encourage the study of Zoology, and to furnish instruction and recreation to the people, and the Commission- ers of the Sinking Fund were authorized by said act to allot, and appro- priate for the uses of said Society, any of the lands belonging to the City north of 155th Street, under certain conditions therein stated. After careful surveys by experts, and investigations of all the City lands within the prescribed limits, the Society has selected and applied to the Sinking Fund Commissioners for the allotment of about 260 acres forming part of South Bronx Park, a site eminently and specially adapted to the purposes of the proposed Zoological Park, and after having made extensive and exhaustive examinations and studies of all the principal Zoological Gardens in Europe has submitted with such application pre- liminary plans of the proposed Zoological Park on a scale commensurate with the dignity of this City, including buildings, enclosures and pleasure grounds. The Mayor, the Board of Park Commissioners, and the Commission- ers of the Sinking Fund have signified their general approval of the ap- plication for the land, and of the proposals of the Society. Certain matters of detail remain to be adjusted before the Society’s application to the City and agreement with the Park Board can be formally acted upon. Up to this time the entire expenses of the Society, including all pre- liminary expenses, the examination of sites, surveys, expenses of ex- perts and the making of plans, investigations abroad, and other similar charges have been met by individual subscriptions by the incorporators, managers and members of the Society, or from memberships or dues; and, although the Society is now entirely free from debt of any descrip- tion, it becomes necessary to appeal to the public upon whose behalf the entire work has been undertaken, and in reliance upon whose assistance the work has been carried to the present condition, to provide the Society Fund required for buildings and collections, for endowment and for the general expenses of the Society. 60 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. As a condition of the grant of land and maintenance by the City, the Society is required to raise $250,000, an amount equivalent to that recently raised for the establishment of the Botanical Garden. Of this amount $100,000 is to be raised before the Society enters into occupation of the Park. ‘This Society Fund is to be expended upon the buildings and col- lections of animals, and for the general purposes of the Society. Sub- scriptions may be to the general fund, or in the form of donation of build- ings. Plans and estimates of the buildings which will be first erected are now being prepared. Any person may become a Patron by giving real or personal property of the value of $1,000 or more. A gift of $5,000 entitles the giver to the rank of a Founder. SUBSCRIPTION TO THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY FUND. We, the undersigned, each for himself or herself and not for the other, but each in consideration of the foregoing and the agreement of the others, do hereby subscribe and agree to pay to the New York Zoo- logical Society for the Society Fund, for the purposes set forth in the Charter, and in furtherance of any contract which shall be made with the City, the several sums placed opposite our respective names. Subscriptions shall be payable, (1) in full within one month after no- tification by the Secretary of the Society, or, (2) in four equal monthly installments following the date of such notification, at the option of the ‘subscriber, to the order of the TREASURER OF THE NEW YORK ZOOLOG- ICAL, SOCIETY, ATLANTIC TRuST Co., 39 WILLIAM STREET, NEW YORK. COMMUNICATION REGARDING THE NEEDS OF ARTISTS IN THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 123 Fifth Ave., N. Y., 18 Jan., 1897. The Secretary of NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. Dear Sir: The time seems appropriate for offering suggestions regarding the plans of the buildings to be erected for the Zoological Park, and as an artist I wish to make a few remarks in criticism of the cages, etc., in existing zoological gardens. My own experience is limited to the gardens of America, England and France. In each of these the artists have scarcely any better privileges than those accorded tothe general public. Zoological gardens are usually intended to assist two classes of students, viz., biological and artistic. The first have simply every privilege they can ask for, or at least that it is possible to give them. Why the artists should be so ignored is a puzzle to me; and certainly it is not right. Let me be more specific. The zoological student has the privilege of a room to himself, where his animal, dead or alive, is placed for him. He usually has access to this room and to the gardens at all times, independently of hours of public admission; and, lastly,—and this is not such a small matter as it may at first seem,—the keepers are given to understand that it is part of their business to aid him. The artist, on the other hand, is, in nearly every zoological garden that I know of, obliged to use the place only when it is open to the public. He has no separate place of study to protect him from the nuisance of the weather, and the still greater nuisance of the public. He is not allowed to arrange his animal or his light, or to interfere in any way, more than the ordinary visitor; and the keepers only too often are allowed to regard him as an interloper who must keep things pleasant by continual tipping. Speaking from my own standpoint—and in this all students as well as the public will, I think, agree—every lion house and _ every large mammal house that I can call to mind is built with a view to lighting the crowds in the building, not with a view to lighting the animals in the cages. I cannot recall a single good carnivore building that is arranged with skylights in the cages. All are lighted in such a way that the cage is the dark corner of the place. As a matter of fact, it would be more reasonable if the crowd was left in comparative dark- ness, and the whole zone of light kept in and about the cage. 62 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. In some collections that I am well acquainted with, one might sup- pose that it is not considered desirable to have the animals seen. The cages are of dark wood inside,—of course without windows other than those in front; the bars are one-inch iron, and are (or were) painted white, The bars are about four inches apart, and every few feet are stayed by a much heavier bar, so that from a point of view a little to one side the effect of perspective is to close up the bars and exclude all view ! From straight in front, the gloom of the interior is rendered yet more impenetrable by the large, light-colored bars, and even the expert must in dull weather accept the testimony of the label board as the only clue to the identity of the species incarcerated in this veritable dungeon, Two other blunders of construction are commonly exemplified. First, the floor of the cage is sometimes raised nearly four feet in height. Second, a solid bulwark of wood or iron is placed along the front of the cage, at the bottom of the bars. This is usually six inches high, and quite enough to hide half of a sleeping leopard, or nearly a third of a sleeping lion or tiger; and, whatever the animal, its feet, when standing, are lost to view. What a loss this is to the artist I need not indicate. In one matter, at least, the interests of students of all kinds and the interests of the public are identical, viz.: the cages should be constructed to exhibit the animal well. I believe in brilliantly lighted cages, with top light in some cases, light colored or white walls, and black bars, without any raised bulwark along the bottom. And I think the floor of the cage should be raised about two feet only. ‘The bars should be of the strongest steel, and as small and wide apart as is consistent with safety. It seems to me that during the daytime it might be well to use a comparatively light cage-front for a height of about four feet, and at night a heavy grating might be lowered behind, for safety during the absence of the keepers. These remarks, of course, apply chiefly to the cages for the large carnivores, Concerning privileges for artists, I would ask that they should have simply what is accorded to the biologists as a matter of course, viz.:— (1), a comfortable studio set apart for their use, with appliances for properly arranging the light, etc.; (2), conveniences for surrounding themselves with their own work, and for referring to the published or otherwise reproduced works of others ; (3), a special cage or cages in the studio, in which from time to time typical animals might be kept for study ; (4), absolute protection from annoyance by the general public; (5), free access at all times to this studio as far as is consistent with the proper management of the gardens. I could speak at length on each of these heads if desired, but will for the present content myself by citing the case of the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris. The administration there is supposed to be exceptionally liberal to artists, but the only privilege given them is, of entering early in the FIRST ANNUAL REPORT. 63 morning, before the gates are opened to the public at eleven. At one o’clock the artists are forced to cease work. Under no circumstances are they allowed to assist themselves with cameras. As no building is set apart for their work or convenience, they are at the mercy of the weather at all times. For at least half the year, therefore, nine-tenths of the col- lections are not available to the artist, and for only one-half of each day in that half year is he allowed to work, and even then is dependent upon the weather. As most artists are serious men, working for a living and anxious to work all day, it seems to me that they are cruelly handicapped by these numerous arbitrary regulations, besides being ignored altogether, while students in other departments are provided with abundant conveniences. There is one objection that I can anticipate, and may as well meet now. In condemning cage floors that are raised above two feet in height, I will be told that they are necessary to enable the persons at the back of a crowd to see the animals. So far as I have seen, such crowds assemble only about the great carnivores, and here the difficulty is usually met by making raised steps at proper intervals. This plan has already been incorporated in the provisional plans recently shown, and, as I pointed out at the last meeting, the difficulty might be still more effectively met by the addition of a slight iron gallery for specta- tors. The only objection made to this was that it increased the difficulty of lighting. If, however, the cages are well lighted in themselves, as I have suggested, this difficulty will not exist. I hope that my numerous suggestions will be found within the pale of practicability and advisability, and I hope, also, that you will excuse my prolixity in a subject which interests me so greatly. Tami sit Yours very truly, ERNEST SETON THOMPSON. £545 c a = at canis af @ - “ i = ' > a = : ¥ = ) ru vs" at O)* ae t 2s | > a o lt > Es Ses es 4 bd , . ine * ’ mht bhi wry ¢ ae aa a ee ee wad an 4 ; ¢ York Zoological Society Annual repcrt. i e ¥ biol nae: of Toronto Library Acme Library Card Pocket LOWE-MARTIN CO. LIMITED fi if tea) 4a ee y HAC) i P| My a im Pdr aty saa tal Retin h uty iH of Cae a HIN I Ba tt a Nt (ay sie Hct! sel ath