130 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 
Dr. W. H. Bates experimented for several months on the 
eyes of fishes, in continuation of his studies of the previous year. 
Specimens of fishes and invertebrates were supplied from 
time to time to investigators connected with institutions in New 
York and elsewhere, whenever they could be spared from the 
collections in the Aquarium. A laboratory for the accommoda- 
tion of zoological workers is still one of the needs of the 
Aquarium. 
ATTENDANCE. 
The number of persons annually visiting the Aquarium has 
been considerably reduced since the commencement of the war 
in Europe. In 1915 the annual attendance, which for many years 
had exceeded 2,000,000, fell to 1,538,831. The attendance in 
1916 was 1,499,667—a further decrease of 39,164. 
As stated in last year’s report, immigration from Europe 
and tourist travel from the United States have nearly ceased. 
The number of persons passing through New York has, in con- 
sequence, been sufficiently reduced to account for the decreased 
attendance at the Aquarium. 
A comparison of the totals, for 1915 and 1916, show that 
the attendance is becoming stationary and that a further de- 
crease in visitors is improbable. 
TABLE OF ATTENDANCE, 1916. 
January WISiLOKSe e TZRE aS Daily average........... 2,330 
February 1 eee 56,882 ie fe ens 1,961 
March ae ee 84,681 es vay a ees 2,731 
April Sd ae Ses 130,888 i Sa 4,362 
May eae eee es 149,484 of pe 4,822 
June eee 148,091 cs SESE acetate 4,936 
July Sa arene we. 231,505 Os pee as 7,654 
August Speer 2 ae 194,602 es ie etree 6,148 
September per peessieiths 137,867 i Ee ee fe 4,595 
October fy alee Fe 115,061 s ae 3, lt 
November ce) Ne seaeere nd 86,240 § Sy py Secaried 2,874 
December 5s) gh IDES 86,330 = 2,784 
Total iO een deer 1,499,667 ce fe 4,108 
