116 ANNUAL, REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 19 31 



tem for the public and a special heating system for the reptiles. 

 Light is all from above so that the visibility is far superior to any- 

 thing vre have ever had before. This building, containing over a 

 hundred cages, fills a long felt need in the Zoo. 



"With a view to helping house the Victor J. Evans collection, Con- 

 gress added $4,500 to the appropriation, and with this money we 

 have built a series of large mammal paddocks with sheds, runs for 

 cranes, and large outdoor cages for pheasants. 



Out of money unexpended from a previous year and reappropri- 

 ated for this Fiscal year is being built a flight cage for the eagles, to 

 replace the one that had to be torn down to clear the site for the 

 reptile house. Other cages will be constructed near by, so that all 

 of the birds will be grouped in the general vicinity of the bird house. 



Contracts have been let for new boilers at the central heating 

 plant, to replace two secondhand ones that had been installed 29 

 years ago. The main steam line from the central heating plant to the 

 buildings began to give way during the early fall, and certain of the 

 steam lines supplying individual buildings began to develop leaks, 

 which indicated that they could no longer be successfully repaired. 

 This matter was presented to Congress, with the result that sufficient 

 money was provided to renew the lines that showed most imminent 

 danger of giving out. The new pipes are planned to be a portion of 

 an extensive central conduit system when finally completed. 



A quantity of earth from near-by excavations was made available 

 to the park without cost, and, by carefully planning the dumping 

 of this, three considerable level areas were developed on which we 

 are now able to place outside paddocks, runs, and cages. 



NEEDS or THE ZOO 



Since completion of the reptile house, the next building on our 

 program, the small mammal and great ape house, becomes the one 

 most urgently needed at the present time. We have no suitable quar- 

 ters at all for these groups of animals, both of which are represented 

 in the collection by continually increasing numbers of interesting 

 species. Plans and specifications for this building are now being 

 prepared under the appropriation of $4,500 made available by the 

 last Congress for this purpose. 



Following this, the next exhibition building needed is one for 

 the pachyderms. A room to complete the bird house is also needed. 



Respectfully submitted. 



W. M. Mann, Director. 

 Dr. C. G. Abbot, 



Secretary^ Smithsonian Institution. 



