101 



2. The potentialities of the species of Passiflora for beverage pur- 

 poses were investigated. 



3. Histo-pharmacological studies of the effects of caffeine on the 

 heart of the frog were made. 



REPORT OF THE CURATOR OF PUBLIC 

 INSTRUCTION FOR 1940 



To the Director : 



I present herewith the report of the work of this department 

 for the year 1940. 



Attendance 



Grounds. — The attendance on the grounds in 1940 was some- 

 what less than that of 1939 — in fact, less than in any year since 

 1936, when there was a decrease from the figures of 1935. The 

 yearly figures from 1935 onward are as follows: 



1935—1 ,624,865 1938—1 ,726, 1 1 9 



1936—1,567,304 1939—1,798,029 



1937—1,691,835 1940—1,687,564 



To evaluate definitely the various reasons for this rather sudden 

 decline in attendance in 1940 would require a thorough study of 

 the whole situation. It is obviously a very complicated problem, 

 involving" such factors as the general weather conditions as com- 

 pared with those of other years, the depressing and distracting 

 international situation, and the effect of the World's Fair. 



Nevertheless if more than a million and a half people visit the 

 Garden each year, that fact alone would seem ample justification 

 of the existence of the Garden. The attendance in 1940 was more 

 than 4 times what it was when I first came to the Garden in 1921 — 

 namely 404,889. 



Monthly attendance. — In spite of the fact that the attendance 

 for the whole year showed a decrease, the figures for three of the 

 months exceeded all previous records — as follows: 



