TWENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT 85 
were needed very much. The house is a structure twelve by 
eighty feet, containing approximately double this amount of 
floor space. The building was planned by Mr. E. A. Costain, in 
charge of the Nursery, and consists of a frame structure on a 
concrete foundation, sufficiently high to permit a scratching place 
for the full length and width of the building, situated under the 
main floor. This space is connected with the main floor by a 
simple runway in the form of a trap-door, which when pulled up 
tightly closes the opening to prevent draft. 
The whole building is so planned that there is no room for 
rodents and other vermin, and the roosts, nesting boxes, and 
front drop curtains, are all in keeping with the most up-to-date 
practice. The building is occupied by 300 hens, and has so far 
been very successful. The brooder and incubator structure is 
a one-story frame building with a good concrete incubator cellar, 
and was placed sufficiently remote from the other buildings to 
remove any danger to them in case of fire. The brooders, ac- 
commodating about 800 chicks, are heated by means of a small 
hot-water heater and coils. The total cost of both structures 
was $1,400. 
Drinking Fountains.—Of these much needed conveniences 
we placed during the year seven new ones, in the following loca- 
tions: one north of the Aquatic Bird House, one interior of the 
Lion House, one north of the Elephant House, one on Baird 
Court north of the Primate House, one interior of the Antelope 
House, one south of the Raccoon Cage, and one north of the Boat 
House. After looking over all available fountains at a reason- 
able price, we decided upon a white enamelled single jet fountain 
with a foot pedal arrangement which starts and stops the flow of 
water. They are solidly placed upon concrete foundations with 
a drainage basin, and were connected with the sewer or walk 
basin as occasion required. The two placed in the Antelope 
House and Lion House are of special value during the winter 
when the out-door fountains cannot be used. The total cost of 
the fountains and setting amounted to $600. 
Elephant Fence-——When it became apparent last year that 
it would be necessary to strengthen and brace the elephant 
fences, a simple but efficient reinforcing of 5-inch steel rails and 
3-inch by 3-inch tee iron was designed, and the work carried 
out early in the season. There were used on this work 400 feet 
of 60-pound steel railroad iron, 1,500 cubic feet of concrete, 572 
feet of 3-inch by 3-inch by 14-inch tee iron, 160 feet 3-inch by 
