106 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1952 



last year. These are little-known burrowing creatures that somewhat 

 resemble the pocket gophers of South America but are dark lead color 

 with a large white blotch on the forehead. Their front teeth project 

 even more than in most rodents and are used in burrowing. 



MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS 



The work of rehabilitating the large-mammal house, which was 

 begun in the previous fiscal year, was completed December 10, 1951. 



Contract was let for the installation of zone heat regulators in the 

 small-mammal and reptile houses. These should result in better con- 

 trol of the temperature than has heretofore been possible and should 

 effect enough of a saving in heat to more than pay for the 

 installation. 



Every working day of the construction and maintenance depart- 

 ment involves not only the routine work of cleaning the buildings and 

 grounds, unstopping sewers and drains that have become clogged, 

 repairing leaky faucets, broken windows, cages, cage doors, cage locks, 

 and innumerable other small items, but also additional jobs of some- 

 what greater scope. The more important of these during the fiscal 

 year were : 



1. Remodeled bear cage, between monkey bouse and lion bouse. 



2. Dismantled four old wooden animal shelters and replaced them with new 

 brick-concrete shelters, in the line of cages above the reptile house. 



3. Made extensive repairs to all outside cages attached to the bird house, and 

 painted them. 



4. Remodeled nine cages in the finch room at the bird house in new design, with 

 plate glass covering upper half and electric-weld wire fabric covering lower half 

 of cages. 



5. Applied bituminous concrete to areas between road curbing and sidewalks 

 along main roadway to prevent erosion, eliminate mud, and lessen danger of 

 visitors' stumbling into traffic. 



6. Installed new electric water heaters in annex No. 1 and in the lion house. 



7. Made general repairs to 100 wooden park benches. 



8. Cast new concrete bench legs and arms and concrete picnic-table tops. 



9. Repaired iron work and placed new where needed, and applied three coats 

 of paint on large outdoor eagle cage. 



10. Dismantled old wooden shelters and replaced them with new brick-concrete 

 shelters in large outdoor flight cage. 



11. Made general repairs to boilers in the central heating plant, conduit system, 

 and heating systems within the buildings. In the central heating plant this in- 

 volved replacement of all fire-box tubing in the three boilers ; cleaning and paint- 

 ing the interior and exterior of the boilers; renewal of parts in the blow-off 

 valves ; replacement of baffle walls, grates, and side bars. All steam and electric 

 pumps and traps in the boiler room were overhauled, repaired and worn parts 

 replaced, and the interior of the boiler room was painted. Throughout the 

 heating system unserviceable steam lines were replaced. Worn parts in steam 

 traps were repaired and steam traps that were beyond repair were replaced with 

 new ones. Worn parts in the vacuum pumps were replaced where needed. 



