78 ^'E^V YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



ring in the spring. Four walks, leading from the Boston Road, 

 and from the Plaza just inside of the West Farms Entrance to 

 the new Public Comfort Station, were built, and two lines of 

 fence were erected. 



Elephant House Yards. — The entire surface of the Elephant 

 Yards was graded ; and an eight-inch sewer and eight manholes 

 were built for properly carrying off surface water and refuse 

 from these yards. In connection with these yards some very 

 difficult and expensive grading, by means of concrete platforms 

 built on piers, was found necessary, in order to preserve the lives 

 of several fine trees growing there. Several portions of the 

 foundations for iron fences, which come below the depth called 

 for in the contract for their erection, or which were particularly 

 difficult to treat on account of tree roots, were put down by our 

 force. The Telford paving for most of the yards was put in 

 place, and only a little of this, and the surfacing, remains to be 

 done in 1909. In the interior of the Elephant House some im- 

 portant ironwork, for the protection of the hot-water pipes from 

 the elephants, and a lot of wire-work for the cage fronts, was 

 erected by our force. 



Breeding House. — The portable breeding house for birds, with 

 its outside cages, was moved, practically rebuilt, and put upon a 

 foundation of concrete. 



The Otter Pools were cleaned out and a new concrete platform 

 built in one of them. The old "Soda Pavilion Xo. 4" was moved 

 to the site of the launch-landing in Bronxdale, and there put upon 

 a concrete foundation. At that point a small dock was built in 

 front of the shelter pavilion. The foregoing completes the list 

 of important operations by our Ground Improvement force for 

 the year 1908. Besides directing this work, the Chief Forester 

 also spent a great deal of time in watching the construction 

 work of the several contractors at work in the Park. 



nKPARTMENT OF ADMINISTRATION AND PRRILEGES. 



II. R. Mitchell, Chief Clerk,, and Manager; William :\Iitchell. Assistant. 



During 1908 the clerical work in the Department of Admin- 

 istration and Privileges sensibly increased in voliuue over pre- 

 vious years. Early in the year, a change was ordered in the 

 methods of purchasing and paying for supplies required in 

 ground ini])r()\-ement work, which added considerably \^^ our 

 office work. It was not. licnvcver, fotind necessar\- to make an 

 increase in the office force. Instead of supplies of this character 



