64 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



and 2-inch galvanized pipe, leading to the ranges for large game 

 and the Bear Dens. Thus far no water-pipes have been laid in 

 Baird Court, for obvious reasons, but the present 6-inch main ter- 

 minates within a few feet of the Lion House and Bird House. 



SEWERS. 



The first sewer constructed in the Zoological Park was that in 

 Birds' Valley, 1,200 feet in length, to receive the sewer stream 

 flowing into the Park from Belmont. This was constructed by 

 the Sewer Department, at a cost of $2,250, which sum was spe- 

 cially appropriated in i8q8. All the sewers connected with the 

 Bear Dens were constructed by the Zoological Society. Mr. Mas- 

 terson constructed, under his general contract, a main sewer from 

 the Crocodile Pool and Reptile House on the east, and the Otters' 

 Pool on the south, to a point in the brook northeast of the Wolf 

 Dens. In Birds' Valley a lateral was built to the Birds' House, 

 and many shorter lines were laid. Including the Birds' Valley 

 sewer, the total length of sewers and drains constructed in the 

 Park up to date is 4,775 feet. 



NEW DAM AT WATERFALL. 



During the summer of 1899 the water in Lake Agassiz began 

 to break through the old stone wall which abuts against the north- 

 ern end of the rock ledge which forms the waterfall in the Bronx 

 River. By degrees this wall was washed away, until Lake Agas- 

 siz was quite emptied of water. The malarious exhalations from 

 the mud-flats that were exposed became a public menace to health, 

 and created a condition which demanded immediate improvement. 

 Park Commissioner Moebus immediately ordered construction 

 work, which resulted in the rebuilding of the broken wall and in 

 replacing the decayed wooden timbers on top of the rock ledge 

 with a coping of solid concrete, laid in curves conforming to the 

 natural lines of the ledge. By this means, the water in Lake 

 Agassiz was again raised to its original level, and the nuisance 

 was abated. While this work was in progress the Director em- 

 ployed a special force of men in cleaning out the channel around 

 the island near the southern shore, in order that a current might 

 flow around it and abate the condition of unwholesome stagna- 



