Avery Architectural and Fine Arts Library Gift of Seymour B. Dl rst Old York Library NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK BOOK OF VIEWS ILLUSTRATED BY ELWIN R. SANBORN Official Photographer PUBLISHED BY THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY NEW YORK. 1912 Copyright 1912, New York Zoological Society SERIES NUMBER THREE For duplicates of this book, information in regard to Souvenir Postal Cards, Guide Books or other Zoological Park publications, address: H.R.Mitchell. Manager of Privileges, Zoological Park. 185th Street and Southern Boulevard. New \ ork City l OFFICERS OF THE NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY President HENRY FAIRFIELD OSBORN First Vice President SAMUEL THORNE Secretary MADISON GRANT, 11 Wall Street .1 Second Vice President JOHN L. CADWALADER Treasurer PERCY R. PYNE, 30 Pine Street Executive Committee MADISON GRANT, Chairman PERCY R. PYNE SAMUEL THORNE LEVI P. MORTON WILLIAM WHITE NILES WM. P1ERSON HAMILTON HENRY FAIRFIELD OSBORN, Ex-Officio 1.1SPFNARD STEWART FRANK K. STURGIS OFFICERS OF THE ZOOLOGICAL PARK WILLIAM T. HORNADAY Director and General Curator H. R. MITCHELL, Chief Clerk and Disbursing Officer H. W. MERKEL, Chief Forester and Constructor PAYMOND L. DITMARS, Curator of Reptiles W. REID BLAIR, D. V. S., Veterinarian C. WILLIAM BEEBE, Curator of Birds GEORGE M. BEERBOWER, Civil Engineer ELWIN R. SANBORN, Photographer and Editor i New York Zoological Park Under the Management of the New Y or\ Zoological Society THE rapid decrease of wild animal life throughout the world, and the inability of the millions to study wild animals in their native haunts, have created a wide-spread demand for zoological gardens and parks. In the United States nearly every large city either has an institution for the exhibition of living animals, or is preparing to establish one. The New York Zoological Park originated in 1895 with the New York Zoological Society, a scientific corporation, having for its objects "a public Zoological Park, the preservation of our native animals and the promotion of zoology." The Society now consists of 1902 members of all classes, and is charged with the management of the Park. Unlike most of the Zoological Gardens of Europe, the New York Zoological Park is free to the public on five days of each week. The pay days are Mondays and Thursdays, except that on all legal holidays admission is free. The grounds, many of the buildings, and an annual maintenance fund are provided by the city. The remainder of the buildings and the animal collections are furnished by the Society. The area of the Park is nearly 300 acres — a magnificent domain to be thus dedicated to zoology and public in- struction. It contains thirty-five acres of water, and its land consists of heavy forest, open forest, and meadow glades, in about equal proportions. The extreme length of the Park is 330 feet less than a mile, and its extreme width is about three- fifths of a mile. The principal buildings of the Park are the Elephant House, Lion House, Primate House, Zebra House, Large Bird House, Reptile House, Antelope, Ostrich and Small Mammal Houses, and the Aquatic Bird House. The principal open air enclosures are the Bear Dens, Flying Cage, Pheasant Aviary, and the Eagle and Vulture Aviary, Wolf and Fox Dens, Burrowing Rodent Quarters, Beaver Pond, Duck Aviary, Wild Fowl Pond, and Mountain Sheep Hill. The most valuable and important collections in the Park are the lions, tigers, and leopards, the tropical hoofed animals in the Antelope House, the bears, the bison herd of thirty-seven animals and the apes and monkeys. The collection of Asiatic deer is second only to that of the Berlin Zoological Garden. The most interesting animals in the whole collec- tion are the chimpanzees and orang-utans, in the Primate House, and the Pygmy Hippopotami. The collections of bears and of tropical antelopes are certainly equal to the largest and finest of their kinds to be found elsewhere, and the collec- tion of reptiles is also unsurpassed. The collection of living birds is now the largest in the world in actual number of specimens, and third in number of species. The creation of a really great zoological garden or park requires a great many people, as well as a great many ani- mals, and much money. The annual expenditures for animal; — all of which is furnished by the Zoological Society — are very considerable, and a large membership is vitally necessary to the existence of this institution. The Society invites to its membership all persons who are interested in the objects it is seeking to promote. i s s ANIMAL STATISTICS OF THE LARGEST ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS OF THE WORLD Reptiles and Institutions Mammals | Birds Batrachians New York Zoological Park 710 3022 1106 Berlin . 946 2176 27 London 853 1775 487 Philadelphia 487 952 1087 Hamburg 473 1665 251 Schoenbrunn 593 1351 171 Cologne 484 1539 96 Breslau 592 1067 184 Frankfort ' 644 1002 158 Total 4838 3149 3115 2526 2389 2115 21 19 1843 1804 The above figures are for the year 1907, with the exception of New York Zoological Park which is for 1 9 1 1 , and London and Cologne, which are for 1909. On June 30, 1912, the total census of wild animals in the Zoological Park was as follows: M ammals Birds Reptiles and Amphibians Total . . Species 69 880 92 1041 894 3022 1660 5576 \ C MS #