TWENTY-SECOND ANNUAL REPORT 87 



A departure was made from the usual practice by using a 

 color reproduction of a fine picture of an American eagle for the 

 cover, with red, white and blue border. Before the close of the 

 year the new edition had been reduced by nearly eight thousand 

 copies. The Guide Book has now run into seventeen editions, 

 with a total issue of more than a quarter of a million copies. 



Souvenir Books, Postal Cards and Miscellaneous Publica- 

 tiojis. — An important item under this heading during the year 

 was the new issue of souvenir postal cards. A number of rather 

 unattractive subjects in the old series, including some rather 

 unimportant buildings, were dropped out. Twelve new plates, 

 made from especially striking photographs, were added to bring 

 the series up to seyenty-five subjects, permitting three sets of 

 twenty-five cards each. These changes, with the advance in the 

 cost of stock, added considerably to the cost of each set, but was 

 more than offset in their appearance as increased sales indicate. 

 The issue ran to nearly a million cards. 



Gate Receipts. — The practice that has prevailed for several 

 years of placing the gate receipts to the credit of the Improve- 

 ment and Repair Account and using them for carrying on urgent 

 repair work that could not be provided for from the funds for 

 Maintenance was discontinued. Only $2,000 were appropriated 

 out of 1917 gate receipts for the Improvement and Repair Ac- 

 count and the balance was placed to the credit of the Animal 

 Fund, as usual. The amount collected for admissions at the 

 entrance showed a substantial increase over 1916. 



Riding Animals. — There was a decided improvement in the 

 business of this division of the privileges over the receipts for 

 last year. The gross results were in excess of the normal figures 

 that prevailed for several seasons just prior to 1916. There was 

 some delay in getting the riding elephant started in the spring, 

 which was compensated in part by excellent receipts late in the 

 season. 



GROUND IMPROVEMENT AND MAINTENANCE WORK OF THE 

 DEPARTMElSfT OF FORESTRY AND CONSTRUCTION. 



Hermann W. Merkel, Chief Constructor and Forester; 

 ^ E. H. Costain, Assistant Forester. 



Elephant's Door. — The only work done from this fund was 

 in the Elephant House, where a partition was cut through and 



