TWENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT 85 



were needed very much. The house is a structure twelve by 

 eighty feet, containing approximately double this amount of 

 floor space. The building was planned by Mr. E. A. Costain, in 

 charge of the Nursery, and consists of a frame structure on a 

 concrete foundation, sufficiently high to permit a scratching place 

 for the full length and width of the building, situated under the 

 main floor. This space is connected with the main floor by a 

 simple runway in the form of a trap-door, which when pulled up 

 tightly closes the opening to prevent draft. 



The whole building is so planned that there is no room for 

 rodents and other vermin, and the roosts, nesting boxes, and 

 front drop curtains, are all in keeping with the most up-to-date 

 practice. The building is occupied by 300 hens, and has so far 

 been very successful. The brooder and incubator structure is 

 a one-story frame building with a good concrete incubator cellar, 

 and was placed sufficiently remote from the other buildings to 

 remove any danger to them in case of fire. The brooders, ac- 

 commodating about 800 chicks, are heated by means of a small 

 hot-water heater and coils. The total cost of both structures 

 was $1,400. 



Drinking Fountains. — Of these much needed conveniences 

 we placed during the year seven new ones, in the following loca- 

 tions : one north of the Aquatic Bird House, one interior of the 

 Lion House, one north of the Elephant House, one on Baird 

 Court north of the Primate House, one interior of the Antelope 

 House, one south of the Raccoon Cage, and one north of the Boat 

 House. After looking over all available fountains at a reason- 

 able price, we decided upon a white enamelled single jet fountain 

 with a foot pedal arrangement which starts and stops the flow of 

 water. They are solidly placed upon concrete foundations with 

 a drainage basin, and were connected with the sewer or walk 

 basin as occasion required. The two placed in the Antelope 

 House and Lion House are of special value during the winter 

 when the out-door fountains cannot be used. The total cost of 

 the fountains and setting amounted to $600. 



Elephant Fence. — When it became apparent last year that 

 it would be necessary to strengthen and brace the elephant 

 fences, a simple but efficient reinforcing of 5-inch steel rails and 

 3-inch by 3-inch tee iron was designed, and the work carried 

 out early in the season. There were used on this work 400 feet 

 of 60-pound steel railroad iron, 1,500 cubic feet of concrete, 572 

 feet of 3-inch by 3-inch by VAnoh tee iron, 160 feet 3-inch by 



