﻿EEPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  SECRETARY 
  107 
  

  

  This 
  was 
  equipped 
  in 
  the 
  park 
  shop 
  with 
  a 
  clumping 
  body, 
  tires, 
  and 
  

   other 
  necessary 
  fittings 
  and 
  is 
  very 
  useful 
  for 
  heavy 
  hauling. 
  

  

  Food 
  cost 
  somewhat 
  more 
  than 
  during 
  the 
  previous 
  year, 
  owing 
  

   mainly 
  to 
  increase 
  in 
  price 
  of 
  horse 
  meat. 
  This 
  increase 
  seems 
  likely 
  

   to 
  be 
  permanent. 
  

  

  NEW 
  BIRD 
  HOUSE 
  

  

  The 
  firm 
  of 
  Arthur 
  L. 
  Smith 
  was 
  awarded 
  the 
  contract 
  for 
  the 
  new 
  

   bird 
  house 
  by 
  the 
  District 
  architect, 
  and 
  construction 
  was 
  begun 
  on 
  

   the 
  building 
  in 
  the 
  late 
  spring. 
  The 
  work 
  of 
  grading 
  and 
  laying 
  

   foundations 
  progressed 
  satisfactorily. 
  Brick 
  work 
  is 
  being 
  executed 
  

   and 
  the 
  prospects 
  are 
  that 
  the 
  house 
  will 
  be 
  ready 
  for 
  the 
  installa- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  bird 
  collection 
  in 
  early 
  spring. 
  

  

  Since 
  many 
  years 
  ago 
  when 
  the 
  Zoological 
  Park 
  received 
  an 
  appro- 
  

   priation 
  of 
  $10,000 
  to 
  build 
  an 
  elephant 
  house, 
  swimming 
  pool 
  and 
  

   a 
  yard, 
  the 
  park 
  has 
  never 
  until 
  the 
  past 
  year 
  received 
  an 
  appropri- 
  

   ation 
  to 
  construct 
  an 
  exhibition 
  building 
  for 
  animals. 
  This 
  bird 
  

   house, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  sadly 
  needed 
  for 
  many 
  years, 
  will 
  be 
  an 
  im- 
  

   pressive 
  improvement 
  to 
  the 
  park. 
  The 
  birds 
  will 
  live 
  under 
  modern 
  

   hygienic 
  conditions 
  and 
  will 
  make 
  an 
  exceedingly 
  fine 
  exhibit. 
  

  

  NEEDS 
  OF 
  THE 
  ZOO 
  

  

  To 
  a 
  large 
  extent, 
  the 
  animals 
  have 
  still 
  to 
  be 
  kept 
  in 
  temporary 
  quarters 
  

   which 
  are 
  insufficient 
  and 
  unsuitable, 
  and 
  are 
  costly 
  to 
  maintain 
  because 
  of 
  

   the 
  repairs 
  which 
  are 
  constantly 
  required. 
  

  

  This 
  statement, 
  which 
  was 
  made 
  in 
  the 
  report 
  for 
  1910 
  and 
  repeated 
  

   from 
  year 
  to 
  jesiv 
  in 
  annual 
  reports, 
  applies 
  even 
  more 
  to-day. 
  While 
  

   our 
  collection 
  is 
  one 
  of 
  the 
  finest 
  in 
  America, 
  though 
  being 
  rapidly 
  

   surpassed 
  by 
  six 
  other 
  zoos, 
  the 
  park 
  itself 
  is 
  probably 
  the 
  finest 
  

   naturally 
  of 
  any 
  zoo 
  in 
  the 
  world 
  ; 
  the 
  climate 
  is 
  particularly 
  healthy 
  

   for 
  animals, 
  which 
  has 
  been 
  proved 
  by 
  numerous 
  records 
  for 
  longevity 
  

   made 
  in 
  the 
  park, 
  but 
  our 
  buildings 
  are 
  entirely 
  unsuitable 
  and 
  a 
  

   source 
  of 
  continual 
  unfavorable 
  comment 
  on 
  the 
  part 
  of 
  visitors. 
  

  

  We 
  have 
  a 
  definite 
  building 
  program 
  for 
  structures 
  necessary 
  for 
  

   the 
  proper 
  housing 
  and 
  exhibition 
  of 
  our 
  stock. 
  These 
  are 
  a 
  reptile 
  

   and 
  batrachian 
  house, 
  a 
  small 
  mammal 
  house, 
  and 
  a 
  pachyderm 
  

   house. 
  The 
  construction 
  of 
  these 
  three 
  buildings 
  would 
  enable 
  us 
  to 
  

   reorganize 
  such 
  as 
  we 
  have 
  now 
  and 
  to 
  tear 
  down 
  other 
  structures 
  

   constructed 
  originally 
  as 
  temporary 
  makeshifts 
  and 
  which 
  are 
  

   absolutely 
  unsuitable 
  for 
  the 
  purposes 
  for 
  which 
  they 
  are 
  now 
  used. 
  

   This 
  year 
  we 
  requested 
  in 
  our 
  annual 
  estimates 
  funds 
  for 
  the 
  con- 
  

   struction 
  of 
  a 
  reptile 
  house. 
  

  

  Reptile 
  house. 
  — 
  Ever 
  since 
  1910 
  appeals 
  have 
  been 
  made 
  for 
  an 
  

   exhibition 
  house 
  to 
  contain 
  reptiles, 
  batrachians, 
  and 
  insects. 
  In 
  

   addition 
  to 
  having 
  probably 
  more 
  educational 
  value 
  than 
  any 
  other 
  

  

  