﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  SECRETARY. 
  103 
  

  

  IMPORTANT 
  NEEDS. 
  

  

  Restaurant. 
  — 
  A 
  suitable 
  restaurant 
  building 
  remains 
  the 
  most 
  

   urgent 
  need 
  of 
  the 
  park. 
  As 
  pointed 
  out 
  in 
  previous 
  reports 
  the 
  

   old 
  refreshment 
  stand, 
  originally 
  constructed 
  when 
  the 
  attendance 
  

   was 
  very 
  small, 
  is 
  in 
  a 
  bad 
  condition 
  and 
  is 
  wholly 
  inadequate 
  to 
  

   serve 
  the 
  needs 
  of 
  the 
  public. 
  Following 
  the 
  acquisition 
  by 
  the 
  park 
  

   of 
  a 
  large 
  quantity 
  of 
  valuable 
  chestnut 
  and 
  oak 
  timbers 
  and 
  lumber, 
  

   as 
  mentioned 
  in 
  the 
  report 
  for 
  last 
  year, 
  and 
  in 
  consideration 
  of 
  

   the 
  fact 
  that 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  work 
  of 
  construction 
  can 
  now 
  be 
  done 
  by 
  

   regular 
  park 
  employees, 
  the 
  estimated 
  necessary 
  appropriation 
  for 
  

   such 
  a 
  structure 
  as 
  is 
  needed 
  has 
  been 
  reduced 
  to 
  $20,000. 
  The 
  old 
  

   refreshment 
  stand 
  at 
  the 
  Connecticut 
  Avenue 
  entrance, 
  on 
  land 
  re- 
  

   cently 
  transferred 
  to 
  the 
  Government 
  as 
  an 
  addition 
  to 
  the 
  park, 
  

   should 
  also 
  be 
  replaced 
  by 
  a 
  new 
  and 
  more 
  sightly 
  booth. 
  The 
  in- 
  

   creased 
  income 
  from 
  rental 
  of 
  these 
  two 
  concessions 
  will 
  well 
  repay 
  

   for 
  the 
  construction 
  of 
  buildings 
  adequate 
  for 
  the 
  service 
  of 
  the 
  

   constantly 
  increasing 
  number 
  of 
  visitors. 
  

  

  Bird 
  house. 
  — 
  Estimates 
  for 
  a 
  new 
  bird 
  house 
  were 
  submitted 
  

   for 
  several 
  years 
  prior 
  to 
  the 
  war, 
  but 
  were 
  never 
  favorably 
  acted 
  

   upon 
  by 
  Congress. 
  The 
  need 
  for 
  a 
  new 
  building 
  for 
  the 
  exhibition 
  

   of 
  birds 
  is 
  now 
  greater 
  than 
  ever 
  before. 
  The 
  old 
  building 
  was 
  

   constructed 
  of 
  the 
  cheapest 
  materials 
  many 
  years 
  ago, 
  as 
  a 
  tempo- 
  

   rary 
  relief, 
  and 
  it 
  is 
  now 
  in 
  a 
  very 
  bad 
  state 
  of 
  repair. 
  It 
  also 
  

   provides 
  far 
  too 
  little 
  space 
  for 
  the 
  collection 
  and 
  far 
  too 
  little 
  room 
  

   for 
  visitors 
  ; 
  on 
  days 
  of 
  large 
  attendance 
  the 
  public 
  aisles 
  are 
  greatly 
  

   overcrowded. 
  The 
  collection 
  of 
  birds 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  great 
  importance, 
  

   containing 
  as 
  it 
  does 
  numerous 
  rare, 
  interesting, 
  and 
  beautiful 
  

   species; 
  and 
  new 
  arrangements 
  for 
  its 
  care 
  and 
  exhibition 
  to 
  the 
  

   public 
  should 
  not 
  much 
  longer 
  be 
  delayed. 
  

  

  Respectfully 
  submitted. 
  

  

  Dr. 
  Charles 
  D. 
  Walcott, 
  

  

  Secretary, 
  Smithsonian 
  Institution. 
  

  

  N. 
  HOLLISTER, 
  

  

  Superintendent. 
  

  

  