Appendix 4. 

 REPORT ON THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 



Sir: I have the honor to submit herewith a report of the -opera- 

 tions of the National Zoological Park for the fiscal year ending 

 June 30, 1912. 



The general appropriation made by Congress for the improvement 

 and maintenance of the park during that year was $100,000. The 

 cost of maintenance was $86,132, being materially increased over 

 that of the previous year mainly because of the advance in prices 

 of forage and other food supplies, the expenditure for which 

 amounted to $21,175. A few small increases were made in the com- 

 pensation of employees, but nothing to correspond with the great 

 increase in the cost of living which has occurred during recent years. 



ACCESSIONS. 



Among these the most important were 2 elephant seals and 4 north- 

 ern fur seals from the United States Bureau of Fisheries, 8 white 

 pelicans from Lieut. Col. L. M. Brett, acting superintendent of the 

 Yellowstone National Park, and a pair of American tapirs, which, 

 with certain other animals, were received in exchange, as noted below. 

 The accessions included about 25 species not already represented in 

 the collection. Mammals and birds born and hatched numbered 108, 

 and included American tapir, yak, American bison, harnessed ante- 

 lope, Barasingha deer, llama, mona monkey, hairy armadillo, wild 

 turkey, and Florida cormorant. 



EXCHANGES. 



The most important accession from this source was a shipment re- 

 ceived in November, 1911, from the Municipal Zoological Garden at 

 Buenos Aires, Argentine Republic, which comprised 23 animals and 

 included a pair each of Brazilian tapirs, Patagonian cavies, and 

 Chilean eagles, with other interesting mammals and birds. A sambar 

 deer was received from the New York Zoological Park, and a con- 

 siderable number of specimens from dealers. 



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