Evening star., 1927-08-07
Animals Are Most Attractive to Millions of Zoo Visitors

the United States, so far as repre-.
sentative animals are concerned, and
Detroit. st. Louis. Cincinnati, San
Diego, ST. Paul, New Orleans and At
lanta have entered the race. In one
respect. however. Washington Ii far
ahead Of all the others. No other
city can duplicate the 175 acres of
forest land at the edge OF Rock Creek
Park where the animals are kept.
The scientific function OF the Zoo
requires the constant addition Of rare
and curious animals from all parts Of
the world. These are hard to find
ana cost money. often. however. they
are not spectacular Their value 20
scientists depends on slight variations
of color. structure and habit which
would never be noticed by the average
visitor. The spectacular animals.
such as the hippopotomus, the lion.
tn" giraffe ana the tiger. are more
essential for tn" purposes Of the pub.
lie ana their acquisition is rather the
function Of the Zoo as a city park
rather than as an institution OF
learning.
In this respect the Washington Zoo
occupies peculiar position. Nearly
ALI other zoos, both in America and
Europe. are supported by semi-public
societies, with wealthy contributing
members, and are enabled to charge
admission. thus obtaining large funds
for the purchase OF animals and for
sending out expeditions. The Zoo
here mpst depend entirely on its ap-
preparations both for its scientific
| functions and for it's status as a place
! Of public entertainment.
| 1t has, indeed. other functions than
these. 1t is part OF the park system
| Of the District Of Columbia and the
groves are interspersed with picnic
grounds, bride paths and base ball
diamonds which must be kept up by
| the personnel. 1t even fuifills some
Of the purposes OF an open-alr
nursery. Hundreds OF baby carriages
from nearby apartment houses line it's
drives on warm Summer days.
x 4 -
/ WILLIAM II. BLACKBURN, head
w keeper, divides the visitors into
three classes. slightly different from
those outlined by DIR. Mann. There
are" he says, those who throw pea.
nuts without malice: the great num-
ber Of those who love animals and
want to learn all about them; and
the small minority whose only interest
is to find some animals who will fight
over peanut, cut themselves up
badly, and cost the Zoo a lot OF time
and money to get them back in good
health.
Visitors to the Washington Zoo miss
some Of the most interesting exhibits
possible to a park OF that kind--rep.
tiles, fishes and insects. The problem
here IS not in securing the exhibition
material. but in finding room. There
is. in fact, an excellent reptile col
lection, but 1t is housed for the most
part in the lion house, where 1t cannot
be shown TO the best advantage. 1t
is useless, according to Zoo officials,
to try to show some of the more ex-
pensive and interesting snakes and
lizards because they do not live we'll
in captivity unless they are provided
with special quarters equipped with
glass which will admit ultraviolet sun
rays. n reptile house, which could
also be used as an insectary, is de-
scribed as one Of the great needs Of
the future. Extensive fish exhibits
require special quarters which are ex-
pensive to construct and maintain.
The Zoo, however, soon will be far
better off IN the matter OF space than
ever before, with the new bird house,
which is going up on the west end OF
the park. This will be by far the
best of the park buildings. The bird
collection has been kept for years in
L temporary wooden building without
adequate facilities for admitting sun
light or for sanitation. II Is planned
greatly to increase the number and
varieties of birds when the new build.
ing Is available next Winter.