EIGHTH ANNUAL REPORT. 69 
face of these pillars two bronze tablets, explanatory of the cause 
of their erection, have been affixed. It has, from the first, been 
the plan of the Society to bring about the construction at that 
point of a handsome flight of steps of cut stone, with suitable 
balustrades, which, when carried into effect, will render this fea- 
ture sufficiently beautiful to impress every visitor who enters the 
Park from the Boston Road by way of West Farms. 
Maintenance.—The fact that the Maintenance appropriation 
for the year 1904 is no larger than that which has been barely suf- 
ficient for the present year, creates a serious condition. The in- 
crease already made in maintenance expenditures on account of 
the Antelope House and its collections and the Whitney buffalo 
herd, and the increase which must be made next year on account 
of the Ostrich House and Small Mammal House, will call for ex- 
penditures very considerably in excess of those for the present 
year. In view of the close economy which has been necessary 
to carry the Park through the year 1903, with its Maintenance 
appropriation of $104,965.00, it is painfully apparent that the So- 
ciety will be compelled to face a deficit for 1904. 
WORK DURING THE COMING YEAR. 
In the making of new improvements, the developments of the 
year 1904 promise to be of great importance. The successful 
ending of the work recently begun will bring the Zoological Park 
about three-quarters of the way toward practical completion. 
Large Bird House.—On September 22d a contract was entered 
into with the George L. Walker Company for the erection of a 
large and finely appointed building for perching birds, to be sit- 
uated on the northwest corner of Baird Court. The contract price 
is $115,934.00. The object of this building is to provide both in- 
door and outdoor accommodations for a really great collection of 
birds belonging to the three Orders of Perching Birds, Shore 
Birds and the Parrots and Macaws. The extreme length of this 
building, north and south, is 15134 feet, and the extreme length of 
the cross-extension toward the east is 89 feet. The total number 
of cages, indoors, is 59, besides which there are 19 outside cages. 
This building is divided into two halls, one of which will be spe- 
cially devoted to the parrots, parrakeets, macaws and cockatoos, 
while the other and larger hall will be devoted chiefly to the sing- 
ing birds. The larger hall will contain a flying cage of generous 
dimensions, which will be specially devoted to song birds. 
This building is. now receiving its base course of granite, and 
