72 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



The new western approach leads from Bird's Valley Walk to 

 the stairs which rise to the level of Baird Court at the western 

 end of its transverse axis. All three of these very indispensable 

 improvements should be completed in 1907. 



The Granite Steps at the Bear Dens, leading up to Rocking- 

 Stone Hill, were completed by John Fury in the autumn of 1906, 

 and are a very satisfactory piece of work. 



The Retaining U^ail and Balustrade, a massive structure of cut 

 stone to support a terrace about seven feet high, was constructed 

 across the north end of the West Farms Entrance plaza, by 

 Leslie McHarg & Co., at a cost of $4,770, and completed promptly 

 in 1906. As noted elsewhere, the construction and surfacing of 

 the plaza itself was performed under the direction of the officers 

 of the Zoological Park, by the Park improvement force. 



MAINTENANCE. 



Mr. H. W. Merkel, Chief Constructor; Mr. E. H. Costain, Asst. Forester 

 and Captain-of-the- Watch. 



As the size of the whole Zoological Park establishment in- 

 creases and the' number of buildings and collections multiply, the 

 demands for maintenance become more numerous and more 

 urgent. Thanks to the fact that, with few exceptions, all the 

 improvements made have been of the most substantial and per- 

 manent character, thus far the annual outlay for repairs to build- 

 ings has been small. The time will come, however, when the an- 

 nual budget for repairs will require consideration. 



The work of keeping the whole Zoological Park in clean and 

 acceptable condition is really very great. Necessarily it requires 

 a large force, and in that force we may fairly count quite two- 

 thirds of the men and boys employed in the Park. Aside from 

 the immense amount of hard labor involved in caring for the 

 animals, and in keeping their quarters clean and wholesome, the 

 labor of mowing, and of sweeping and clearing up the litter left 

 by great crowds of visitors, is really very great. In order to 

 lessen the cost of handling waste paper, dry straw, and luncheon 

 refuse, it seems absolutely necessary that a small crematory 

 should be established in some central situation, to save the cost 

 of the long haul to the nursery. 



I regret to be obliged to report that the maintenance fund 

 appropriated for the support of the Zoological Park during the 



