80 NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY 



evfi^, responded well to the continued economies in maintenance 

 and manufacture. As noted elsewhere, the soda-water business 

 has gained 271 per cent, in net profits during the past five years, 

 or from 1904 to 1908, inclusive. 



Nezc Soda Pavilion. — The new soda pavilion near the Aquatic 

 Bird House, was completed early in May, 1908. Our original 

 plan for this building provided for large doors on all sides, giv- 

 ing it an almost unlimited capacity w'ith perfectly free access 

 from all (juarters ; but this arrangement was so changed, and the 

 size of the building so much reduced, that it was out of the ques- 

 tion to carry out our plan for placing the fountain in the center 

 of the building. The first busy day after the fountain was 

 opened demonstrated that it was out of the question to handle 

 the crowd without opening the building on the eastern side. 

 A folding door, twelve feet wide, was opened on the east 

 side of the building, and a spacious platform constructed 

 under the shade of a large tree, thus permitting patrons to sit 

 down outside the building. This fountain is located somew'hat 

 ofif the main thoroughfare, and has not as yet done anything like 

 the business of the old location near the riding animal stand. 



Ice Cream Plant. — Early in 1908 it was decided to put up a 

 new temporary building suitable in form and location, so as to be 

 available eventually as a storage shed, but which could first be 

 utilized as an ice cream factor}'. This building is eighteen by 

 forty feet, with concrete floor, and is divided into two rooms. 



A great saving in labor has been efifected by having the new 

 plant on the ground level, instead of in a difficult basement. Th.is 

 change made a very satisfactorv showing in the profit and loss ac- 

 count for the season. 



Boatiiio-. — During the two years the boating privilege has been 

 operated by the Society, it has more than doubled the net profit 

 received from the lessee during the entire five years it was oper- 

 ated by him. During the season the boating equipment was in- 

 creased by the addition of another carload of Mullin's steel row- 

 boats, as well as by twenty-five new flat-bottomed wood boats. 

 The entire equipment, including the electric launch, w-as over- 

 hauled, repainted and put in order before the season opened. A 

 number of the old wooden boats, purchased from the former les- 

 see two years ago, were found not to be worth further repairs and 

 were destroyed. We expect, as rapidly as possible, to replace 

 this old e(|uipnient with the best and safest boats that can be 

 obtained. 



( )n bus\- da\s the business for the launch could not bo lian- 



