REPORT OF THE 

 DIRECTOR OF THE AQUARIUM 



TO THE BOARD OF MANAGERS. 



THE New York Aquarium continues to fulfil its mission as one 

 of the museums of the city with the same success as in past 

 years. 



The attendance has diminished to some extent as a result 

 of the war in Europe, but with more than four thousand visitors 

 a day for the year 1915, the loss is not visually perceptible. 



Its relations with the public and with the officials of the 

 city government remain on the same cordial basis as formerly. 

 It has long been the custom of many teachers in the city schools 

 to visit the Aquarium annually with their classes and this prac- 

 tice has not declined. A work of considerable educational value 

 is the free distribution of zoological material for school use to 

 teachers who request it, and the service entails but trifling 

 expense. 



The Aquarium is regarded by the country at large as a 

 responsible and useful institution if one may judge by the large 

 correspondence addressed to it on subjects pertaining to its 

 peculiar field. 



The aquatic exhibits are as large and attractive as usual, 

 while the building and its equipment have been improved dur- 

 ing the year in many respects without increased cost. 



IMPROVEMENTS FROM THE MAINTENANCE FUND. 



The most important improvement of the year was the in- 

 stallation of filters for cleaning water pumped from the Harbor 

 into the large floor pools. These pools are located too low to 

 permit of their being connected with the reservoir of pure sea 

 water. They are moreover used for heavy feeding animals such 

 as porpoises, seals and crocodilians which has made it impos- 

 sible to connect them with the reservoir for fear of fouling that 

 important water supply. 



