26 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



the recent war, no exchanges have of late been forwarded by either 

 country. 



Comparison with the report for the year ending June 30, 1897, shows 

 a marked increase in the number of correspondents and the amount 

 of publications transmitted. The number of correspondents now aggre- 

 gates 29,458, and the weight of transmissions during the year exceeded 

 150 tons, distributed among 93 countries. 



Since my last report a revised edition of the International Exchange 

 List has been published, containing the names of 9,414 institutions in 

 other countries which are in communication with institutions in the 

 United States through the Smithsonian Institution. The last edition 

 was published in 1885. Appended to this report is a map of the world 

 showing the distribution of the correspondents of the exchange service. 



THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PAEK. 



For the fiscal year ending June 30, 1898, the following appropriation 

 was made for the National Zoological Park by the sundry civil act 

 approved June 4, 1897 : 



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, purchase, and transporta- 

 tion of animals, including salaries or compensation of all necessary 

 employees and general incidental expenses not otherwise provided for, 

 fifty-five 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 

 five thousand dollars shall be used for continuing the entrance into the 

 Zoological Park from Woodley lane and opening driveway into Zoolog- 

 ical Park, from said entrance along the bank of Eock Creek. 



The sum thus appropriated was less by $10,000 than that for the 

 preceding fiscal year. This has necessarily occasioned some embar- 

 rassment in the administration, and retarded development, especially 

 in the construction of buildings. It will be remembered that no grant 

 has ever been provided for any permanent structure for animals in the 

 park, other than the small "animal house," so called, and the log cabin 

 where the elks are sheltered, so that nearly all of the animals are 

 after eight years still sheltered in the temporary sheds run up to 

 receive them at the time of the first appropriation. It had been hoped 

 that something would have been done this year, but it has not been 

 possible to erect the constructions mentioned in the last annual report 

 as desirable. 



Through the courtesy of the Commissioner of Fish and Fisheries the 

 park was able to secure the tanks and other apparatus used for the 

 exhibition of fish and aquatic animals at Atlanta, Ga. These tanks 

 have been temporarily installed in a shed formerly occupied as a work- 

 shop and constitute the nucleus of an aquarium which it is hoped may 

 become an attractive feature of the park. At present the exhibit com- 



