the park system. The desire to preserve our parks and parkways has been apparent also in the action of and the consequent liberality of the authorities of our City in supplying increased appropriations of money during the past two years. While it is unquestionably true that men will be better by living in a beautiful city and that a beautiful city will make good citizens, it is equally and primarily true that only good citizens can make a beautiful city.

So every influence which tends to make good citizens must be carefully cultivated, and as the agencies which we have thus far considered have the tendency, they deserve the hearty support and co-operation of every lover of our City.

A more beautiful City! What greater aim or ideal can anyone have? It fills our hearts and minds with high resolves and noble ambitions and the awakening we are now witnessing everywhere about us. I for one believe that we will make our City beautiful because we love it.

Respectfully submitted,

JOHN L. BROTHERS.

REPORT OF SUPERINTENDENT

OF SOUTH PARK.

BUFFALO, N. Y., July 1, 1908.

To the Park Commissioners:

The season of 1908, up to the present time, has been unusually favorable for tree growth, and the general appearance of the plantations in South Park is good.

The new work in further developing the grounds north and west of the Conservatories, undertaken during the year, are beginning to assume form, and are already quite attractive.

The plants passed through the Winter in good condition and are making satisfactory growth. The work of getting together a grouping of plants for educational purposes, and at the same time paying due regard to ornamental values, is necessarily slow, as most of the material has to be obtained from sources outside of the ordinary channels of trade. One of the great difficulties in maintaining such a collection properly is the labels. The work of cultivation, at the present time, is mainly done by men who are not well informed regarding names and who do not realize the importance of the labels. With a collection of more than seven thousand species, it requires the time of at least one trained man to keep labels properly placed, and in legible condition.

No serious attacks of insects have occurred; the worst being the bag worms, which appear in mid-Summer, and feed on most all the species of trees.

The tussock moth has appeared in several parts of the Park, but has been controlled promptly by spraying and hand picking.

The nurseries continue to provide a large amount of large and well-rooted shrubs and trees, liberal supplies of which have been distributed to various parts of the park system. Preparation is being made for further

enlarging the nurseries, and the removal of some of the stock to fresh ground. About ten thousand young plants are now in the frames and will be ready for lining out in the nursery rows as soon as the ground is ready.

A large section of the Meadow south of the Lake, which had become badly infested with weeds and other wild growths, has been broken up, fertilized, and will be be reseeded in September.

The buildings have received the usual attention in the way of repairs. Several of the houses in the Conservatory group have been reglazed and repainted and general repairs made. The boilers were overhauled and much defective piping in the radiating system replaced with sound material.

The bridge across the narrows of the Lake became unsafe for travel during the Autumn and the north drive has been closed to traffic.

The collections of exotic plants in the Conservatories have been maintained with care, but few additions have been acquired. A few years ago this was the best collection of its kind in the country, and I believe an effort should be made to keep it somewhere near the front rank. The expenses would not be great and the interest taken in the work by our citizens would be greatly enhanced.

The number of visitors has been about the same as last year. The number of students from the higher institutions of learning, attending during the year, has been slightly in excess of some previous years.

During a large part of the year the Forestry Class from the University of Buffalo, met once a week at the Garden.

The Propagating Houses have been used to their full capacity in preparing young stock for use in the South Side Parks, and for the nurseries. The new heating plant installed last year is very satisfactory.

Respectfully submitted,

JOHN F. COWELL.

CURATOR'S REPORT.

BUFFALO, N. Y., July 1, 1908.

To the Board of Park Commissioners:

GENTLEMEN,-The Zoo in Delaware Park continues to be as popular as ever, and large crowds enjoy coming to the Zoo daily. The elephant continues to delight the children and the recent improvement to the elephant house has added to the safety of the onlookers there.

The general health of the Collection has been on the whole better than the preceding year, although I have to report the death of one of the seals and one of the buffaloes, as well as that of the lion, since my last report. All of these animals are valuable and it would be greatly appreciated if some one of the friends of the Zoo would present us with animals, which are continually a source of pleasure to those who come to the Zoo and especially to the children.

I have attempted to add no new series of animals or birds to the collection, as there is at the present time no accommodation for them. New buildings are needed and it is to be hoped that eventually the Zoo may be enlarged so that certain animals and birds may be added to the collection.

We have acquired by purchase one valuable animal-a female yak, as a companion to the yak which we have owned for some time. These animals are always the center of an admiring crowd.

There will be installed in a short time electric lights in the Zoo, which will aid materially in taking care of the animals and will render the plant much safer as regards fire.

By presentations and births the record of the animals, etc., at the Zoo is at the present time as follows:

The Park Commissioners are indebted to the following individuals for their respective gifts which they hereby acknowledge with thanks:

1 Fallow Buck, W. L. Richmond, Batavia, N. Y.

1 Opossum, Walter Carey, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Coyote, Gilbert Naivn, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Woodchuck, E. A. Pratt, Farmersville, N. Y.

1 Canadian Porcupine, Walter Wilder, Comstock Crossing, N. Y.

1 Raccoon, Robert Wilson, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Woodchuck, A. E. Long, Buffalo, N. Y.

2 Peacocks, Hon. F. C. Stevens, Attica, N. Y.

1 Great Horned Owl, L. S. Bush, Buffalo, N. Y.

9 Guinea Fowl, Louis Kuesterer, Buffalo, N. Y.

2 White Guinea Fowl, David Macfeat, Spring City, Pa.

1 Screech Owl, Sigmar Hoeffler, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Macaw, Mrs. R. P. Bloom, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Golden Eagle, Bert. A. Homer, Snyder, N. Y.

1 Bald Eagle, Dr. H. S. Wende, Tonawanda, N. Y.

1 Great Horned Owl, G. W. Thomas, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Great American Bittern, Herman Grieb, Buffalo, N. Y.

2 Crown Pigeons, James Edwards, Cincinnati, O.

1 Great Blue Heron, A. Durr, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Ring Dove, Chas. Fitzgerald, Buffalo, NY.

1 Alligator, William Brown, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Alligator, Bronson Rumsey, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Alligator, D. Sloan, Dunkirk, N. Y.

2 Alligators, Byron G. Clark, Pulaski, N. Y.

1 Alligator, Miss Florence E. Simpson, Buffalo, N. Y.

1 Painted Tortoise, Alba E. Broder, Buffalo, N. Y.

Respectfully submitted,

F. A. CRANDALL.