48 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 34 



IMPROVEMENTS 



No funds were available for the construction of buildings, but for 

 the period July 1 to November 21, minor repairs to structures, paint- 

 ing, repairing walks, improving the grounds by needed clearing, 

 planting, making fills, and sodding, were carried out with labor 

 furnished by the Work Planning and Job Assignment Committee of 

 the District. 



Beginning in November activities were considerably expanded 

 when the C. W. A. took over the supplying of labor, both skilled and 

 unskilled, and some money was made available for the purchase of 

 materials to be used on the projects. This permitted the undertaking 

 of a considerable volume of urgently needed work which could not be 

 previously attempted. The more outstanding repairs and improve- 

 ments undertaken with C. W. A. materials are as follows : 



Project no. 



1. Construction of brick smokestack at bird bouse to replace the metal one that 



was in very bad condition. 



2. Replacing old and unsatisfactory frame structure by a series of stone shel- 



ters and new fence for antelope and wild sheep. 



3. Construction of large cage at bird house to house Andean condors and 



lammergeyers. 



4. Grading of the wild-horse exhibition area and construction of shelters and 



paddocks. 



5. Replacing an unsafe wooden floor in the lion house with a concrete-terrazzo 



floor. 



6. Putting brick foundation under warehouse no. 2 to replace a badly decayed 



wood foundation. 

 8. Laying 6-iuch water main into the Director's office and installing fire 

 hydrant near office. 



11. Construction of one-fourth mile of 18-foot service road from the silver gull 



cage to the bird house. 



12. Grading, sodding, and protecting banks that were eroding, and otherwise 



improving the grounds. 



13. Revising of a topographic map of the National Zoological Park. 



15. Arranging and indexing file of blueprints and maps in Director's office. 



16. Cataloging and arranging Zoo library. 



IS. Completing preparations of plans and specifications for a small mammal 

 house. 



20. Revision of plans for the completion of the bird house. 



30. Minor construction, improvements, and repairs, consisting of painting, re- 

 pairing, improving or replacing minor buildings, cages, fences, pools, pipes, 

 drainage and electric lines, etc., and resurfacing, improving and extending 

 roads, walks, trails, bridle paths, and grounds. 



Bad winter weather conditions seriously delayed the progress of 

 the work. This left many of the jobs incomplete when the work sud- 

 denly terminated March 31, 1934. However, from April 1 to June 

 30 a limited amount of unskilled labor was assigned under the Work 

 Planning and Job Assignment Committee. During this period 



