84 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY, 
been necessary to begin the collecting of a small working library 
on fishes and aquatic life in general. 
The preparation of a new guide-book for the Aquarium will 
be commenced at an early date. 
IMPROVEMENTS. 
The improvements needed may be considered in the following 
order of their importance: 
Lighting.—The skylights in the service gallery require to be 
fully trebled in size all the way around the building, and no less 
an amount of light that can be secured in this way will be 
sufficient to exhibit the collections properly and to permit the 
growing of plants in the exhibition tanks. 
The large central floor pool is more or less of a failure on 
account of lack of light, and the opening in the dome should be 
greatly enlarged. The collections in this pool can scarcely be 
seen, even on the brightest days. Certain modifications of the 
skylights above the other floor pools are very desirable. 
Stored Sea Water.—The improvement of the water supply 
seems to be next in importance, and no amount of light that may 
be admitted to the exhibition tanks will overcome the defects 
of the present water supply. There should be reservoirs con- 
structed, not only for the purpose of securing clear water, but 
in order to lessen the present cost of maintaining salt-water col- 
lections. At the present time the water pumped in daily from 
New York Bay at a temperature of 34° requires to be heated toa 
temperature of 70° before being supplied to the tanks contain- 
ing the tropical species. With stored water less than half this 
amount of heating would be necessary, as the water would soon 
acquire, in part, the temperature of the building and greatly re- 
lieve the strain upon the boilers in furnishing steam for heating. 
Painting and Decoration.—The improvement of the main ex- 
hibition hall is most desirable, and some tinting of the walls will 
be practicable after additional light has been let into the building. | 
Supply Pipes.—The supply pipes to the floor pools being worn 
out these pools are now supplied by unsightly over-head pipes 
which should be removed as soon as possible. New pipes to the 
radiators will be required before the commencement of another 
winter. 
Ventilation—The introduction of electric fans into the em- 
brasures would probably be sufficient for the ventilation of the 
