TWENTY-FIRST ANNUAL REPORT 103 



This improvement is a necessity that must be provided in the 

 very near future. No one can give the service that should be 

 given at this location without new equipment. 



Guide Book. — Although the attendance for the year 1916 

 fell considerably behind that of 1915, it was rather surprising 

 to find that there was a slight gain in guide book sales. The 

 "Gorilla Edition," of 20,000 copies, printed in September, 1915, 

 was so far reduced that the stock cannot run through 1917, and 

 arrangements have been made for a new edition, to be ready 

 about the first of next June. There will be a material advance 

 in the cost, and a consequent reduction in profits on the new 

 issue, because of the very great advance in the price of paper. 

 To protect ourselves against further advances before going to 

 press, the paper stock already has been purchased. 



Souvenir Books, Postal Cards, and Miscellaneous Publica- 

 tions. — The most successful article in this group of privileges 

 is the series of "Animals in Art Stamps," which were first pub- 

 lished in 1915. Before the end of the year, it was found that 

 the original edition was getting low. A demand for these stamps 

 and the albums had developed outside the Park, and arrange- 

 ments were made for a new printing from the same plates. De- 

 livery was made late in the year, and they are now being folded 

 and put into envelopes. 



The stock of souvenir postal cards was almost exhausted by 

 the end of the summer season, and plans have been made for a 

 new issue, to be ready in the spring. It is proposed to add a 

 number of new subjects and discard an equal number of the least 

 attractive of the old plates. On account of the paper market, an 

 order for the stock was placed as soon as the new issue was 

 decided upon. 



The only new feature attempted during the year in the na- 

 ture of a publication to be sold in the Park, was the "Wild Ani- 

 mal Stamp Primer," a 96-page, cloth-bound book of animal stor- 

 ies for children, illustrated by 50 colored stamp pictures of ani- 

 mals made from photographs taken in the park. The illustra- 

 tions are in the form of stamps which the child is required to 

 paste in the spaces provided in connection with the stories. On 

 account of an unavoidable delay, the book was delivered rather 

 late in the season, otherwise the entire edition would have been 

 sold, as it proved to be very popular with children. 



