REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 25 



handled during the year a total of 268,625 packages, weighing 290,193 

 pounds. On account of the very high ocean freight rates Congress 

 allowed a small additional appropriation to meet the expense of 

 foreign shipments. 



Suspension of shipments is still found to be necessary in the case 

 of about 10 countries. It is gratifying to note that since the begin- 

 ning of the war only three shipments sent out by the Institution have 

 been lost through hostile action, two of these being on vessels sunk by 

 hostile warships. Wherever possible duplicate copies of the publica- 

 tions in lost consignments are procured and another shipment made. 



It has been the custom of the Government of India to refer requests 

 from establishments in this country for Indian official documents to 

 the Exchange Service for indorsement, and this year a request for 

 similar services by the director of the Government press at Cairo, 

 Egypt, has been granted. 



NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PAKK. 



The National Zoological Park is each year becoming more and 

 more recognized as a means of natural history education and as a 

 place of recreation and amusement for the public, and the collection 

 of animals is now one of the most varied and interesting of its kind 

 in the country. 



In October, 1916, Dr. Frank Baker, superintendent of the park 

 for 26 years, resigned to take effect November 1, and was succeeded 

 by Mr. Ned Hollister, assistant curator of the division of mammals 

 in the National Museum. 



The total number of animals in the park at the close of the fiscal 

 year was 1,223, including 484 mammals, 683 birds, and 56 reptiles. 

 Among important additions may be mentioned five adult Rocky 

 Mountain sheep received from the Canadian Government ; four Bed- 

 ford deer or Manchurian stags, from the Duke of Bedford; and 

 some desirable Australian marsupials presented by Mr. Victor J. 

 Evans, of Washington, District of Columbia. 



Visitors to the park during the year numbered 1,106,800, a daily 

 average of 3,032. One hundred and fifty-three schools and classes 

 examined the collection for educational purposes. 



Among recent improvements the superintendent notes that the 

 hospital and laboratory, on which work has been in progress for the 

 past two years, now lacks only the laboratory equipment for the use 

 of pathologists and the outside yards for the animals to be con- 

 fined in the hospital limits. The lake for North American water 

 fowl has been enlarged and reconstructed to show as many as pos- 

 sible of these birds in their natural surroundings. At present no 



