Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1889-03-30
THE "ZOOS' OF THE WORLD.
The Forty-Ninth to be Established In
Rock Creek Valley.

Rock Creek Valley.
GREAT NATURAL ADVANTAGES OF THE LOCATION
OTHER AMERICAN BIOLOGICAL PARASITIC
GREAT LONDON 700" AND OTHER SIMILAR
INSTITUTIONS IN EUROPE.
When the 900 is established in the Rock
Creek park, north Of the city, there will be
forty-nine geological parks in the world. The
popular demand for such means of instruction
and recreation as are afforded by geological
gardens has been met in some cases by the
establishment of parks by national govern
ments or municipalities, and in others by the
organization Of societies that manage the gar
dens. There are in the United States six zoo
logical gardens-Philadelphi New York, Gin
cinnati, Chicago, st. Louis, and San Francisco
The national government has nothing to do
with any of these institutions, which
are maintained either by the cities or by
local enterprise. There is scarcely a
nation in Europe that has not
its ZOO" and some of them have several In
Great Britain, besides the famous institution in
London, there are parks of this character in Brs-
toll. Manchester, and Dublin. France has two
gardens in Paris, each devoted in part to zoolog-
ical collections, and also has parks in Mar
settles and Tours. Belgium has such gardens at
Client and Antwerp. In the Netherlands there
are zoos" in Amsterdam. the Hague. and Rot
terdam. The German cities provided with such
institutions are Berlin, Hamburg, Frankfort,
Dresden, Dusseldorf, Hanover, Munster, Co.
logne, Breslau. and Leipsic. Italy has a garden
at Turin. Austria one at Vienna, Hungary one at
Pesth, Russia one in st. Petersburg and one in
Moscow, Portugal one in Lisbon, Spain one in
Madrid, Denmark one in Copenhagen, and
Switzerland one in Basic. India boasts of three,
at Calcutta. Bombay. and Madras. Java has
such garden in Batavia; The Straits settle
ments have one in Singapore; Australians have
Adelaide, and Brisbane, and Chill maintains
one at st. Jago.
NATURAL ADVANTAGES OF ROCK CREEK.
Mr.. VIM. T. Hornaday, in charge Of the en-
bryo "zoo,' at the Smithsonian, who has in his
travels taken much interest in "zoos," ex-
pressed himself to STAR reporter in enthusi-
astic terms of the possibilities of the geological
park, for which ground is to be purchased in
Rock Creek park. The natural advantages of
the location, he thinks, are greater than those
enjoyed by any other park. I'VE Will" he
said, without any doubt have the best drained,
best watered geological park in the world.
We will have more of the natural forest
the natural growth both of deciduous and
evergreen trees than any other park of this
character. A million dollars expended on the
Potomac fats" Mr.. Hornaday said. could not
do for park there, what nature has done
along the banks Of Rock creek" The pro-
posed 200" If it occupies $50 acres or more. as
it Is expected, will be by far the most spacious
in the world. The parks of this character in
where space is extremely valuable. There is
some advantages in a ZOO" of small dimen-
sions, as a visitor can inspect every part of it
without being wearied by the length Of his
walk.
Mr.. Hornaday, discussing this matter with
ST h.
park ought not to be too big. He did not think
LOO acres too much for a natural geological
park. The walks and buildings, or runways,
where collections Of animals for exhibition are
kept, can be so arranged that they can all be
inspected without much of a walk In an area
like that proposed animals can be kept in herds
in large fields, living nearly in a state
of nature, smaller collections Of the same
species being kept in smaller enclosures
for purposes of study and exhibition. The
multiplication of animals, under natural con-
ditions, will give the park management a
constant resource for enlargingand extending
their connections abroad American animals
raised in the breeding grounds there, can be
exchanged for valuable specimens held by
geological gardens in other countries. Upon
such system Of exchange the park will
largely depend for the growth of its collec-
tlons. The winding of Rock creek through the
park will not only give opportunity for pic
turesque effects, but also afford unusually fine
facilities for maintaining collections OF aquatic
animals. At some points the creek will be ex-
panded into small lakes or ponds In other
parks of this character provision is made for
such collections usually by artificial ponds,
maintained at considerable cost, and even un-
der the best care likely to become stagnant.
AMERICAN zoos"
The Philadelphia 1900" occupying part of
the ground originally laid out as Paramount
park, Is the most extensive at present in this
country, so far as the buildings and collections
go. The enclosure comprises 80 acres. The
park was established and Is maintained by the
Philadelphia geological society, which was in
corporated in 1859. The interrupted the
plans of the society SO it did mot achieve its
purpose OF opening park until 1873. For this
object 1t was granted perpetual lease of the
land In what Is known the west park by the
Paramount park commissioners. 1t is in a
beautiful place on the river side, and much
money has been expended in identifying it.
The buildings are neat in appearance and well
adapted to the uses of such an institution
The collection is large and is annually grow
ing.
The New York 1900" for SO it must be
called, did not intend to be 200" when
it started out 1t was merely a
menagerie kept in Central park, where the
children amused themselves. The collections
have SO grown that the establishment has
reached the dignity Of ZOO" almost by
accident. There are pending now in the New
York Legislature two bills for placing this insti-
tuition upon proper footing Each bill ap-
proprlates $500, 900 to the purpose The diff
ference between them is that one proposes TO
establish an entirely new park north of l2lst
street, while the other proposes to set apart a
suitable area in Central park for the purpose.
Objection is raised to the proposition to 90
above Harlem, because it is held that il will be
less accessible to the general public. The Gin
cinnati geological park is maintained by an
incorporated society, who have 65 acres in the
suburbs The park was opened in September,
1875. An admission fee Of rs cents is charged
There is a ZOO" maintained at st. Louis in
connection with the fair grounds just outside
the city. The fair grounds and park together
comprise SO acres. The Chicago 900" which
Is maintained in Lincoln park, inside the CITY,
has grown very much as the collection in Cen
trail park has grown. 1t now has many inter-
estlng features, including fine herds of buffalo
and elk. At San Francisco, too, 900" has
grown up under the fostering of a society.
THE GREAT LONDON 200"
The great geological garden of the world is
the London 200" That is where Jumbo
came from, place that every child who gets a
book for Christmas has read about 1t is
situated IN the Regents park in the heart of
London. A public street runs through it,
dividing the park into two sections. Along the
street walls are erected, and visitors go from
one section to the other by means of a tunnel
passing under the street. The grounds COM
prise In all about go acres, and they are well
filled with buildings, ponds, and small enclos-
ures, all intended for mammals or birds of
different kinds. There are monkey houses,