REPORT OF THE 

 DIRECTOR OF THE AQUARIUM 



TO THE BOARD OF MANAGERS 



ON DECEMBER 31, 1919 the New York Aquarium com- 

 pleted its twenty-second year. The patronage by the public 

 was large, the number of visitors exceeding 1,850,000 — a larger 

 number than was recorded for any year of the war period, but 

 still short of the usual prewar attendance of over two millions 

 annually. During the twenty-two years of its history it had 

 over forty-three millions of visitors, doubtless a world record 

 for any kind of museum. 



The Director has little more than routine matters to report, 

 all improvement and repair work having been reduced to the 

 minimum as a result of a reduced maintenance fund and a less- 

 ened number of employes. 



The living exhibits of the Aquarium were maintained in 

 their usual variety and numbers except as to certain tropical 

 forms. As has been set forth in several previous reports, the 

 collections of the Aquarium cannot be enlarged until additional 

 exhibition space is created by radical alterations in the building. 



The recent enlargement of half of the ground floor tanks by 

 removing their rear walls and setting them farther back, served 

 the desirable purpose of increasing their capacity. Alterations 

 of this kind should be continued throughout the ground floor 

 series, but mere enlargements cannot be accepted as substitutes 

 for additional tanks. 



It would be possible to increase the number of exhibition 

 tanks both on the main floor and balcony fully one-fifth, by re- 

 moving the cumbersome pumping plant to an outside building or 

 to the basement, which is capable of enlargement by excavation 



The crying needs of the Aquarium, especially those relating 

 to the dilapidated condition of the ancient building which it occu- 



