REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 79 



The most important improvement undertaken was a building for 

 hospital and laboratory. The construction of this was begun near 

 the end of the year, part of the cost being met from this year's ap- 

 ' propriation and the balance to come from the appropriation for 

 the following year. The total cost is expected to be about $5,000. 

 The building will be of stone, 30 by 56 feet, and one story high. 

 There will be a room at each end fitted up for the accommodation 

 of animals, and between these a laboratory room, 16 by 27 feet. 

 Each room will be provided with four skylights. The location 

 selected for the building is entirely separate from all other animal 

 quarters, but yet easy of access for those who will have charge of the 

 animals that are kept in it. 



The cost of these improvements was as follows : 



Hospital and laboratory (1915 appropriation) $2,300 



Cage and house for pumas 1, 325 



Outdoor cage and house for monkeys 250 



Additional machine-shop equipment 700 



Additional equipment for food house 250 



Footbridge 325 



Rustic shelter at new stone bridge 210 



MAINTENANCE OP BUILDINGS, INCLOSURES, ETC. 



The roads and walks in the park had received almost no repair 

 since 1910, when a special appropriation was made for that purpose. 

 Their condition had become so bad that repairs had to be made early 

 in the year. The roads were extensively patched and given a general 

 surfacing throughout with tar and crushed stone, over 2 miles of 

 roadway being thus treated. Portions of the walks were repaired 

 in the same manner. The total area of roads and walks repaired 

 was 8,330 square yards. The ford near Klingle Road also had to be 

 thoroughly repaired, and toward the close of the year it became nec- 

 essary to pave with concrete the ford on the driveway to Cathedral 

 Avenue, which, from the effects of high water and heavy ice in the 

 creek, had become impassable. The total cost of this road work was 

 $4,075 (upper ford $325, lower ford $615). 



It was also necessary to clean out and repair the larger pond for 

 waterfowl, in which an extensive bank of sand and mud had been 

 deposited at time of flood by the water supply from the creek; this 

 cost $850. 



Progressive deterioration of the temporary bird house again made 

 repairs necessary there. The wooden floor, which had already been 

 rebuilt twice, was replaced with concrete, as was also a part of the 

 wooden foundation. The cost of this work was $700. This building 

 is an example of the ultimate costliness of cheap temporary con- 

 struction. 



