school system of New York by providing material for biological classes and in other ways.
The Zoological Park has during the year greatly enlarged its buildings and its collections. The city provided $85,000 for maintenance, which is this year increased to about $105,000. The board of estimate and apportionment last year made a special appropriation of $250,000 for the improvement and extension of the park, which was used for the making of paths, etc., and for the construction of several buildings. The most important of these is the lion house, erected at a cost of $150,000. We give views of the interior of the main hall, which is 192 feet in length, and of one of the cages, which is 18 x 22 feet in size. It will be noticed that the cages are enclosed with netting instead of with bars. The cages are covered with glass tiling of a dull jungle green color, which forms an excellent background for the display of the animals and has many sanitary advantages. A unique feature of the building is a studio for artists, which will encourage painters and sculptors to make studies of animal life.
The lion house was opened in February; a new antelope house, costing $50,000, will soon be ready. The sum of $25,000 has been subscribed chiefly for the increase of the collections and valuable gifts have been received. The society pays special attention to scientific work, having established a pathological laboratory and appointed scientific
curators in place of the usual keepers. The park was visited last year by 731,515 persons, in spite of its present inaccessible position; when the rapid transit system is completed, the attendance will doubtless be doubled or trebled.
SCIENTIFIC ITEMS.
We record with regret the deaths of Dr. H. E. Schunk, F.R.S., the British chemist; of the Rev. Dr. Henry W. Watson, F.R.S., known for his contributions to mathematics and physics; of
