78 ANNUAL REPORT SMITHSONIAN INSTITUTION, 1918. 



cost of about $800. The restaurant building was repaired, the kitchen 

 enlarged, and new counters provided. The old slippery and badly 

 worn pavement was removed from the large elephant house and was 

 replaced with a floor of concrete. The old and smaller elephant house 

 was fitted up for winter quarters for certain of the waterfowl. Much- 

 needed repairs were made to the lion-house roof, the western half of 

 the north extension and the adjoining portion of the main roof were 

 covered with new paroid-felt roofing, and a ventilator was placed in 

 the main building over the public space. Minor repairs were also 

 made to the bird house, the antelope house, and the Henderson out- 

 door parrot cage. 



A large concrete bathing pool was constructed in the yak's in- 

 closure and the tanks in the bear j^ards were all repaired. The 

 fences of the bear yards, antelope yards, and some others of the out- 

 door cages and inclosures were painted. An outdoor cage 16 feet 

 square, with shelter attached, was constructed for the kea parrots re- 

 ceived as a gift from the New Zealand Government. The indoor 

 chimpanzee quarters, in the lion house, were reconstructed with 

 gratings of three-fourths inch iron pipe, which provide a much 

 better hold for the animal's hands and feet than did the old three- 

 eighths inch bars. Concrete walls and bases for shelter houses were 

 built at some of the deer paddocks, the cinder footpaths were ex- 

 tensively repaired, and a concrete walk and stairway was built lead- 

 ing up the west hill side from the suspension bridge and connecting 

 with the walk around the eland yards. Part of the stable building 

 near the office was rebuilt for a chicken house and, in a further 

 effort to lessen the cost of food for animals, the garden acreage 

 was again materially increased. 



THE FLORA OF THE PARK. 



In addition to an extensive native flora, the park contains many 

 exotic trees and shrubs. It is important that records be kept 

 of all introductions. During the past year Mr. William Hunter, 

 gardener, who has been in the service since the inception of the park, 

 has prepared an annotated list of all the trees and shrubs found 

 growing within the boundary fence. The list has been copied on 

 cards for filing, and will be carefully edited and revised during the 

 present season. Information is given as to the abundance and loca- 

 tion of native species and, in the case of exotics, the source, date 

 of introduction, location, or any additional information likely to be 

 needed for future reference. Efforts will be made to secure speci- 

 mens of trees properly belonging to the flora of the District of 

 Columbia and not represented in the park, in order that all the 

 native species may be found w T ithin this reserve. A similar list of 

 herbaceous plants, prepared several years ago, will be brought up 



