Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 20.djvu/928

ZONE. 790 ZOOLOGICAL GARDEN. yasta, girded) . A subdivision of the earth's sur- face, determined by certain astronomical con- ditions. The boundary lines of the zones are parallels of latitude, so that a zone includes all of the earth's surface lying between two given parallels of latitude. The torrid zone lies be- tween the parallels of 23° 28' X. and 23° 28' S. This number corresponds to the inclination of the earth's orbital plane to the equatorial plane; the sun is always vertically overhead over some point within that zone. The poUir or frigid zones lie between the poles and the parallels of 66° 32' N. and S. Within them the solar rays always strike the earth very obliquely, and great cold results. The tem- perate zones' lie between the polar and torrid zones. See Climate; Eaeth; Seasons; Eclip- tic; Solstice: Tbopic. ZONE (in mathematics). See Sphere. ZOOGEOGSAPHY, or Geographical Zool- ogy. See Distribution of Animals. ZOOLOGICAL GAEBEN. The rapid de- crease of wild life throughout the world, and the steadily increasing desire of mankind to be- come acquainted with living wild animals, has led to the development of three distinct types of vivaria. The term 'zoo' commonly indicates n small and unpretentious menagerie, located in a public park. A ■zoological garden' usually is a compact establishment occupying from 20 to 60 acres of jjark land in a city, easy of access, but w-ith relatively limited areas for its animals. A zoological park usually occupies from 100 to 260 acres of picturesque land and water situated in the suburbs of a city, wherein the hardy animals are provided with large areas amid natural sur- roundings appropriate to their wants, and the tropical species are housed in heated buildingi^. The movement which began in Paris in 1804, in the .Jardin des Plantes, has splendidly culminated in the magnificent gardens of Berlin. London, Amsterdam, .Antwerp. Vienna, Copenhagen, Ham- burg, Frankfort, Cologne, Dresden, Breslau, Hanover, and Rotterdam. Even remote foreign cities, such as Cairo, Calcutta. Tokio, Jlelbourne, Buenos .yres, and Rio de .Janeiro, have estab- lished zoological gardens for the free exhibition of living animals. Of all nations, Germany is far in the lead in the development of zoological gardens. Ten of her cities now possess them, and the one at Berlin, both in buildings and collections, is the leading zoiilogical garden of the world, but the r^ondon garden is a close second. Throughout Europe generally, the zoological garden is a sort of family institution. Excepting the Jardin des Plantes, in Paris, and the Royal Garden at Vienna, all are owned, maintained, and operated by zoiilogical societies, or stock corporations, which pay no dividends, and charge admission to all visitors who are not members. In most cases, however, the cities benefited have furnished public park lands free of rental, and free of con- trol other than respecting the cutting of trees. The funds for maintenance are derived from the annual dues of mendjers, gate receipts, lease of restaurants and other privileges, and the sale of animals. The Zoiilogical Society of London had in IflO."? a membership of more than ."JOOO per- sons who paid annual dues of .$1.5. The Amster- dam Society contained 4.500 members who paid $10 each, and the Royal Zoological Society of Antwerp led all with a membership of 70U0, yield- ing an annual income of $70,000. In America the public desire for better ac- quaintance with wild creatures had, up to 1903, resulted in two regularly established zoological gardens, at Philadelphia and Cincinnati ; two zoiilogical parks, at New York and Washington; and nmnicipal 'zoos' in the public parks of near- ly twenty other cities. Tlie establishments in Lincoln Park, Chicago, and in Highland Park, Pittsburg, are the largest and most important of the municipal "zoos." Of the four most important zoological institu- tions in the United States, that of the Philadel- phia Zoiilogical Society was the pioneer, having been founded in 1871. The equipment of build- ings and other improvements in this fine garden, and the animal collections they contain, are sur- passed only by the oldest and wealthiest gardens of Europe. The Cincinnati garden is a great credit to C'incinn.ati, and is as large a garden as can expect adequate support in a city below the size of a great metropolis. The New York Zoiilogical Park represents one of the latest and greatest undertakings in vi- varium development and maintenance. A private corporation, called the Xew York Zoiilogical So- ciety, having, in 1U03, about 1400 members, made in 1895 an agreement with the city of New York to expend $250,000 of its own funds on buildings and other installations for live animals, to sup- ply perpetually all the animal collections, and admit the public without charge on all days save JMondays and Thursdays. In return the city gave <a free site, agreed to pay for all ground improve- ments and additional buildings, fiu-nished free water and police protection, and an annual main- tenance fund, but gave the society absolute free- dom in management. The land granted by the city consists of 201 acres in Bronx Park, by far the largest area occupied anywhere in a city for the exliihition of live animals. The funds of the Zoiilogical Society are derived from the annual dues of members' ($11,000). and larger member- ship fees, and special subscriptions. The New York Zoiilogical Park is a fair illustration of the .-Vracrican idea of an institution for the exhibi- tion of wild animals, which in space and comfort for the collections should stand midway between the zoiilogical garden and the great private game preserve. For the hardy animals that live in the open air, green turf, water, rocks, shade, and sunlight have been provided to the limits of rea- sonable liberality. Thus far this experiment has^ been regarded as successful, and already its in- fluence is noticeable. The National Zoiilogical Park, at W^ashington, was established by Congress in 1889 through the initiative of William T? llcu-naday. and the joint elForts of G. Brown Good<', S. P. l.angley, .Tames B. Beck, then United States Senator from Ken- tucky, and Senator Knute Nelson, then a mem- ber of the House of Representatives. It is under the direction of the Secretary of the Smithsonian lnstitition, and is supported by Congressional appropriations. Thnmgh the lack of a compre- hensive general plan of development, the Con- gressional sympathy and support, which only such a plan and its gradual fulfillment can enlist, have been weak, and the ilevclopment of this park has been retarded. Its animal collections,.