REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 25 



needed are a new elephant house, in place of the hastily constructed 

 temporary shelter now used, and a reptile house. 



Many most interesting and at the same time inexpensive features, 

 such as a vivarium for small animals, a small house and a runway for 

 pheasants, and ponds for aquatic birds and mammals, are necessarily 

 deferred for want of the funds required for their installation. 



The appropriation for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1897, was in the 

 following terms : 



National Zoological Park: For continuing the construction of roads, 

 walks, bridges, water supply, sewerage and drainage, and for grading, 

 planting, and otherwise improving the grounds ; erecting and repairing 

 buildings and inclosures, care, subsistence, transportation of animals, 

 including salaries or compensation of all necessary em ])lo.\ees, and gen- 

 eral incidental expenses not otherwise provided for, sixty-seven thousand 

 dollars; one-half of which sum shall be paid from the revenues of the 

 District of Columbia and the other half from the Treasury of the United 

 States; and of the sum hereby appropriated, live thousand dollars 

 shall be used for continuing the entrance into the Zoological Park from 

 Woodley Lane, and opening driveway into Zoological Park, from 

 said entrance along the bank of Eock Creek, and five thousand dollars 

 shall be used toward the construction of a road from the Holt Mansion 

 entrance (on Adams Mill road) into the park to connect with roads now 

 in existence, including a bridge across Eock Creek. 



It will be noted that a considerable portion of the sum appropriated 

 is for the improvement of certain specified roads within the park and 

 for the construction of a new bridge in connection therewith. Accord- 

 ingly, a great part of the time that could be devoted to the improve- 

 ment of the grounds has been spent in the development of these works. 

 A narrow but sufficient roadway has been constructed along the line 

 formerly occupied by the ca];t path known as the Adams Mill road 

 and continued onward to the sharj) bend in the stream near the animal 

 house of the park, where an inexpensive but picturesque rustic bridge 

 has been placed. This plan was deemed preferable to the building of 

 a wide driveway with a high bridge that would be very costly, far 

 beyond the scope of any appropriations to be expected from Congress, 

 and likely at the sanie time to be an intrusion in the peaceful quiet of 

 the valley, which it would span for some hundreds of feet. 



A view of the bridge as finally erected is shown in the appendix. 

 The foundation at either end rests upon the rock, and the main structure 

 is formed of an arch of heavy oak logs solidly bolted together. The 

 strength of the structure is far greater than is required for the amount 

 of travel that may be expected over it, but not more than is needed to 

 withstand the force of freshets that occur from time to time in the tur- 

 bulent stream. A satisfactory result was reached at comparatively 

 small expense, and though the superstructure will undoubtedly be In 

 danger during times of great floods, it is believed that the foundation 

 will always remain uninjured, so that even if the bridge is carried away, 

 it can be renewed at slight cost. 



