SECRETARY'S REPORT 161 



unloading area of new dock; overhaul of gasoline winch engine; 

 sheathing the ceiling of the lower floor of the new laboratory, strength- 

 ening hallway floor of new laboratory ; insulating two rooms of lab- 

 oratory for efficient air conditioning; construction of clothes-chang- 

 ing rooms at dock level ; partitioning the old Zetek office into a sepa- 

 rate living apartment and storeroom ; construction of drying rooms in 

 the old and new laboratories; addition of dry closets to the Z-M-A 

 and Barbour houses; installation of shower and toilet in Barbour 

 house ; installation of shower in Chapman house ; rebuilding of dock 

 at Drayton trail-end house ; and replacement of termite-eaten timbers 

 of Chapman House. 



From the foregoing plans it is apparent that our present labor 

 force of one foreman and two laborers is totally inadequate, consider- 

 ing that these men must also operate the launches, haul supplies, keep 

 the trails clear, guard against poachers, dispose of refuse, and perform 

 other maintenance chores. Ways must be found to augment the labor 

 force with contractual labor, or to increase funds for adding other 

 laborers to our staff. Shortage of labor, especially of skilled type, is 

 the greatest hindrance to proper maintenance and to completion of 

 the construction program. 



OTHER ACTIVITIES 



The United States Forest Service made final inspection of all ter- 

 mite-resistance tests on the island, with the exception of Drayton trail- 

 end house. Completion of these tests leaves the way clear for the re- 

 pair or reconstruction of some of the former test houses, if there is 

 demand for their use. 



To aid 1-day visitors and naturalists who visit the island, informa- 

 tion leaflets were prepared and multilithed for distribution. 



More than 1,000 identified plant specimens were mounted on her- 

 barium sheets by women of the Canal Zone College Club, under di- 

 rection of Mrs. C. B. Koford. These women also bound reprints, 

 sorted publications, and performed other helpful tasks, voluntarily. 



To inaugurate population studies on the island many vertebrates 

 were captured, banded or otherwise marked, and released. These ani- 

 mals included more than 100 birds of 31 species, 58 mammals of 11 

 species, and several reptiles and amphibians. Birds and bats were 

 banded with regulation Fish and Wildlife Service bands. 



As part of long-range ecologic studies of forest vegetation, the 

 Naturalist, aided by Joseph Musteric of the Army Map Service, 

 staked out two permanent transects 200 feet in length, plotted the 

 forest profiles, and measured the diameter of the trees. Many more 

 transects should be established, and the vegetation remeasured at in- 

 tervals of a few years. Many plants, animals, and scenes were photo- 



