TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 37 
A departure was made from the usual practice by using a 
color reproduction of a fine picture of an American eagle for the 
cover, with red, white and blue border. Before the close of the 
year the new edition had been reduced by nearly eight thousand 
copies. The Guide Book has now run into seventeen editions, 
with a total issue of more than a quarter of a million copies. 
Souvenir Books, Postal Cards and Miscellaneous Publica- 
tions.—An important item under this heading during the year 
was the new issue of souvenir postal cards. A number of rather 
unattractive subjects in the old series, including some rather 
unimportant buildings, were dropped out. Twelve new plates, 
made from especially striking photographs, were added to bring 
the series up to seventy-five subjects, permitting three sets of 
twenty-five cards each. These changes, with the advance in the 
cost of stock, added considerably to the cost of each set, but was 
more than offset in their appearance as increased sales indicate. 
The issue ran to nearly a million cards. 
Gate Receipts.—The practice that has prevailed for several 
years of placing the gate receipts to the credit of the Improve- 
ment and Repair Account and using them for carrying on urgent 
repair work that could not be provided for from the funds for 
Maintenance was discontinued. Only $2,000 were appropriated 
out of 1917 gate receipts for the Improvement and Repair Ac- 
count and the balance was placed to the credit of the Animal 
Fund, as usual. The amount collected for admissions at the 
entrance showed a substantial increase over 1916. 
Riding Animals.—There was a decided improvement in the 
business of this division of the privileges over the receipts for 
last year. The gross results were in excess of the normal figures 
that prevailed for several seasons just prior to 1916. There was 
some delay in getting the riding elephant started in the spring, 
which was compensated in part by excellent receipts late in the 
season. 
GROUND IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE WORK OF THE 
DEPARTMENT OF FORESTRY AND CONSTRUCTION. 
Hermann W. Merkel, Chief Constructor and Forester; 
E. H. Costain, Assistant Forester. 
Elephant’s Door.—The only work done from this fund was 
in the Elephant House, where a partition was cut through and 
