84 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY. 



been necessary to begin the collecting of a small working library 

 on fishes and aquatic life in general. 



The preparation of a new guide-book for the Aquarium will 

 be commenced at an early date. 



IMPROVEMENTS. 



The improvements needed may be considered in the following 

 order of their importance: 



Lighting. — The skylights in the service gallery require to be 

 fully trebled in size all the way around the building, and no less 

 an amount of light that can be secured in this way will be 

 sufficient to exhibit the collections properly and to permit the 

 growing of plants in the exhibition tanks. 



The large central floor pool is more or less of a failure on 

 account of lack of light, and the opening in the dome should be 

 greatly enlarged. The collections in this pool can scarcely be 

 seen, even on the brightest days. Certain modifications of the 

 skylights above the other floor pools are very desirable. 



Stored Sea Water. — The improvement of the water supply 

 seems to be next in importance, and no amount of light that may 

 be admitted to the exhibition tanks will overcome the defects 

 of the present water supply. There should be reservoirs con- 

 structed, not only for the purpose of securing clear water, but 

 in order to lessen the present cost of maintaining salt-water col- 

 lections. At the present time the water pumped in daily from 

 New York Bay at a temperature of 34° requires to be heated to a 

 temperature of 70° before being supplied to the tanks contain- 

 ing the tropical species. With stored water less than half this 

 amount of heating would be necessary, as the water would soon 

 acquire, in part, the temperature of the building and greatly re- 

 lieve the strain upon the boilers in furnishing steam for heating. 



Painting and Decoration. — The improvement of the main ex- 

 hibition hall is most desirable, and some tinting of the walls will 

 be practicable after additional light has been let into the building. 



Supply Pipes. — The supply pipes to the floor pools being worn 

 out these pools are now supplied by unsightly over-head pipes 

 which should be removed as soon as possible. New pipes to the 

 radiators will be required before the commencement of another 

 winter. 



Ventilation. — The introduction of electric fans into the em- 

 brasures would probably be sufficient for the ventilation of the 



