98 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1925 



VISITORS 



The attendance record as determined by count and estimate ex- 

 ceeded that of the previous year by 75,385. The greatest attendance 

 foi- one month was 372,950, in April. The increase is highly grati- 

 fying as it indicates the keen interest of the general public in the 

 collections. 



The attendance by months was as follows: 



July 240,700 



August 1 324,000 



September 232,725 



October 235,000 



November 179,500 



December . 56,630 



January 37,110 



February 121, 550 



March 248,200 



April 372, 950 



May 269,300 



June 200,600 



Total for year 2,518,265 



Schools, classes, and similar organizations, recorded among the 

 visitors, number 266, with a total of 20,800 individuals. 



The highest attendance for a year recorded previously was 

 2,444,880 in 1924. 



IMPROVEMENTS 



The animal warehouse, 24 by 90 feet, with a small ell for a feed 

 room, the construction of which had been begun during the previous 

 year, was completed and put into service before the end of 1925. 

 This building is very useful, both as quarters for animals tempor- 

 arily not on exhibition, and as a reception house for animals just 

 arriving where they may rest before being placed on exhibition. It 

 will also be useful during the winter in storing birds which are ex- 

 hibited during the summer in the big flight cage and elsewhere, and 

 for which there is no room in the bird house. 



A double bear cage of steel, each half 12 by 16 feet, with con- 

 crete shelter, has been erected to take the place of a large wooden 

 cage that was decayed beyond safety or justifiable repair. 



The log dam of loose bowlders across Rock Creek at the head of 

 the American water-fowl pond to maintain a flow of water into the 

 pond, which had been repeatedly washed out by floods, was replaced 

 by a log dam faced with bowlders. The logs used were obtained 

 from chestnut trees in the park that had died from bark disease. 



A concrete chimney was built on the restaurant. This building 

 still needs various improvements, especially the addition of a kitchen, 



