﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  SECRETARY 
  67 
  

  

  Maryland, 
  Virginia, 
  and 
  the 
  District, 
  although 
  this 
  attendance 
  has 
  

   held 
  up 
  fairly 
  well. 
  

  

  Many 
  of 
  the 
  wartime 
  residents 
  in 
  Washington 
  who 
  have 
  not 
  previ- 
  

   ously 
  had 
  an 
  opportunity 
  to 
  visit 
  a 
  large 
  zoo, 
  now 
  take 
  their 
  rest 
  

   and 
  recreation 
  in 
  the 
  National 
  Zoo. 
  The 
  ease 
  of 
  reaching 
  the 
  Park 
  

   and 
  the 
  fact 
  that 
  it 
  is 
  open 
  every 
  day 
  practically 
  from 
  daylight 
  to 
  

   dark 
  and 
  without 
  cost 
  enable 
  many 
  people 
  to 
  obtain 
  relaxation 
  they 
  

   could 
  not 
  otherwise 
  enjoy. 
  Service 
  men 
  and 
  women 
  constitute 
  a 
  sub- 
  

   stantial 
  proportion 
  of 
  the 
  visitors. 
  It 
  is 
  plain 
  to 
  be 
  seen 
  that 
  many 
  

   of 
  the 
  service 
  people 
  anticipating 
  going 
  overseas 
  are 
  endeavoring 
  to 
  

   learn 
  something 
  of 
  the 
  animal 
  life 
  that 
  they 
  might 
  find 
  in 
  the 
  region 
  

   to 
  which 
  they 
  may 
  be 
  sent. 
  There 
  is 
  also 
  an 
  increasing 
  attendance 
  by 
  

   servicemen 
  recuperating 
  from 
  injuries 
  or 
  sickness. 
  

  

  Medical 
  groups 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  the 
  Zoo 
  specifically 
  for 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  

   studying 
  certain 
  types 
  of 
  animals 
  and 
  to 
  receive 
  instruction 
  regarding 
  

   snakes. 
  The 
  Zoo 
  officials 
  receive 
  many 
  requests 
  from 
  various 
  agencies 
  

   of 
  the 
  Government 
  including 
  the 
  War 
  and 
  Navy 
  Departments 
  for 
  in- 
  

   formation 
  to 
  assist 
  them 
  on 
  biological 
  problems. 
  

  

  The 
  Zoo 
  continues 
  to 
  be 
  a 
  regular 
  study 
  ground 
  for 
  art 
  and 
  biology 
  

   classes, 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  an 
  important 
  focal 
  point 
  for 
  letters, 
  telephone 
  calls, 
  

   and 
  queries 
  regarding 
  care 
  of 
  animals, 
  their 
  behavior, 
  and 
  methods 
  to 
  

   be 
  followed 
  in 
  preventing 
  or 
  remedying 
  injuries 
  from 
  animals. 
  

  

  AIR-RAID 
  PRECAUTIONS 
  

  

  As 
  pointed 
  out 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  report, 
  it 
  is 
  anticipated 
  that 
  in 
  the 
  event 
  

   of 
  air 
  raids 
  the 
  Zoo 
  will 
  be 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  safest 
  places 
  in 
  the 
  city. 
  How- 
  

   ever, 
  plans 
  were 
  made 
  and 
  have 
  been 
  kept 
  up 
  to 
  date 
  for 
  meet- 
  

   ing 
  such 
  contingencies 
  as 
  may 
  arise 
  in 
  the 
  event 
  of 
  air 
  raids 
  or 
  other 
  

   emergencies. 
  

  

  ACQUISITION 
  OF 
  SPECIMENS 
  

  

  Specimens 
  are 
  usually 
  acquired 
  by 
  purchase, 
  gift, 
  deposit, 
  exchange, 
  

   natural 
  reproduction, 
  or 
  collecting 
  expeditions 
  by 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  

   Zoo 
  staff. 
  Conditions 
  have 
  prevented 
  travel 
  by 
  the 
  Zoo 
  personnel 
  

   for 
  collecting 
  specimens, 
  and 
  the 
  customary 
  array 
  of 
  animals 
  offered 
  

   for 
  sale 
  by 
  animal 
  dealers 
  has 
  been 
  greatly 
  reduced 
  both 
  in 
  kinds 
  and 
  

   numbers 
  ; 
  therefore 
  the 
  importance 
  of 
  gifts 
  and 
  deposits 
  is 
  relatively 
  

   greater 
  than 
  before. 
  The 
  return 
  of 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  armed 
  forces 
  

   from 
  foreign 
  lands 
  has 
  resulted 
  in 
  a 
  gratifying 
  number 
  of 
  gifts 
  of 
  

   small 
  animals 
  that 
  have 
  been 
  picked 
  up 
  by 
  these 
  persons 
  as 
  pets 
  or 
  

   specifically 
  for 
  the 
  Zoo. 
  When 
  Army 
  and 
  Navy 
  personnel 
  evince 
  an 
  

   interest 
  before 
  going 
  abroad 
  in 
  obtaining 
  specimens 
  for 
  the 
  Zoo, 
  efforts 
  

   are 
  made 
  to 
  arrange 
  for 
  importation 
  permits 
  to 
  facilitate 
  entry 
  of 
  the 
  

   animals 
  into 
  this 
  country. 
  Such 
  permits 
  are 
  required 
  by 
  a 
  law 
  which 
  

  

  