FOURTH ANNUAL REPORT. 59 



About 1,000 cabbages, 2,000 ears of corn, 1,500 pounds mangel 

 wiirtzels, 1,000 heads of lettuce, and 20 barrels turnips were 

 raised in the nursery for animal food. 



Maintained all walks and roads, and daily service of carts and 

 cleaners for the entire Park. 



The Director desires to call special attention to the practical 

 difficulties involved in selecting and maintaining living plants in 

 glass cases containing reptiles, and also in the main halls of such 

 buildings as the Reptile House, Bird House, and Small Mammals' 

 House, when the great accumulations of sand and dust from the 

 feet of visitors render the care of living plants a continuous strug- 

 gle. The fifty-one cases in the Reptile House abundantly attest 

 both the botanical knowledge and the artistic taste of Mr. Merkel, 

 who, in spite of many difficulties, has so successfully collected, 

 arranged, and maintained the plant life they contain. 



In view of the very important and even imperative duties now 

 devolving upon the Society in the preservation of the forests of 

 the Zoological Park, in doing the planting that is absolutely neces- 

 sary, and in maintaining these 261 acres of park lands in a con- 

 dition which will be satisfactory to the people of Greater New 

 York, the special appropriation of $10,000, which was asked for 

 last year, is very seriously needed. The amount is not one dollar 

 more than is necessary, and it is earnestly hoped that for 1901 it 

 will be granted. 



CONSTRUCTION. 



During the year 1899 the position of Chief Constructor was 

 filled most acceptably by Mr. W. H. Puffer. We cannot speak 

 too highly of the ability displayed by Mr. Puffer in the discharge 

 of the very complex and exacting duties which devolved upon him, 

 and the diligence with which he pushed forward the Society's 

 work. It was his duty to see that all contracts in connection with 

 the Society's buildings were carried out faithfully and promptly, 

 and also that the force of day laborers and mechanics at work 

 under his direction met all expectations regarding them. A very 

 important part of his duties consisted in securing bids on such 

 materials as were used in the construction work carried on by 

 our own force. In many instances, special features of construc- 

 tion were carried out by Mr. Puffer's force at considerably less 

 cost than the lowest bid of contractors. 



