File:American homes and gardens (1909) (17530669264).jpg

Title: American homes and gardens
Identifier: americanhomesgar61909newy (find matches)
Year: 1905 (1900s)
Authors:
Subjects: Architecture, Domestic; Landscape gardening
Publisher: New York : Munn and Co
Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries
Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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10 RAPID and general is the encroachment of civilization upon the still wild portions of the continent to-day that the time is not Inconceivably distant when these unexplored or unsettled territories will be completely given over to man. And with this slow but certain domination arises the almost inevita- ble assimilation of the aboriginal inhabitants and the com- plete extinction of the fauna, the latter usually taking place with extraordinary rapidity. An unfortunate example of these truths Is the present condition of the American Indian and the American bison, the first disappearing and hopelessly degenerated, and the former countless millions of the second represented here and there by a few small herds in private parks or zoological gardens. Here, too, become evident the invaluable services of zoological collections, not only as a means of present education, but also in the preservation for our future generations of the rapidly vanishing animal species of to-day. New York City Is pe- culiarly fortunate in the possession of two excellent collections of this charac- ter, the old Central Park Zoo, the favorite haunt for generations of the city's children, and the splendid New York Zoological Park Inaugurated a few years ago in the Bronx, and to-day comparing fav- orably with the foremost institutions of like char- a c t e r in the world. It would be too ambitious to discuss both these zoologi- cal collections in detail in this sketch, which is in- tended to be merely ex- planatory of the accom-
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Hard traveling for the elephant in Bronx Park panying illustrations which were made from photographs taken at random among the animals both In Central Park and in the Bronx. One of the most attractive features of the latter institution is unquestionably found In the spacious buildings in which the anlm_als are housed, structures not only fully answering the purpose for which they were in- tended, but which please the eye with their architectural beauty as well. Massive stone and handsome woodwork, glistening tiling, mosaic and quantities of appropriate plants have almost done away with the idea that the exhibition Is one of caged wild animals, while the latest Improvements In sanitation and ventilation have practically obviated a fea- ture formerly so difficult to disassociate from zoological collections—the offense to the sightseer's poor nose. Those of the Illustrations which were taken In Central Park are of Dewey, the patriarch of the lion house; of Jennie, the larg- est leopardess; of Keeper Snyder's t ri c k elephant Hattie, and of the curious Tibetan yak. The artistic value of the first tn^o pho- tographs mentioned needs no remark. The splendid head of the great lion is shown in a characteristic pose which goes far to- ward substantiating the title "King of the Beasts." Striking, too, Is the head of the great spotted cat, with its heavy light and shade effects. The muscu- lar relaxation of Its quiet dignity still does not con- ceal the lurking menace ever present in the inscrut- able eyes. The leopard is undoubtedly one of the least reliable of the cat family, and Jennie's facial expression, quite opposite to Dewey's open defiance,

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