Appendix IV. 



REPORT ON THE NATIONAL ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 



Sib : I have the honor to submit the following report on the operations of the 

 National Zoological Park for the fiscal year ending June 30, 1907 : 



The amount appropriated by Congress for the park during the year amounted 

 to $95,000, and at the beginning of the year there was prepared the following 

 scheme of operations : 



Regular maintenance expenses $78,630 



Collecting, purchase, and transportation of animals 4, 600 



Work on small mammal house 3,000 



Work on heating plant 1,000 



Repairs to animal inclosures 1,500 



Repairs to aquarium 300 



Repairs to shop building 270 



Planting shade trees and shrubs 500 



Provisionally assigned to laboratory and hospital 5,200 



Total 95, 000 



The expenditures for the year practically followed this scheme, excepting in 

 the case of the amount reserved for a laboratory and hospital building. Condi- 

 tions that arose made it necessary to apply this sum as follows : 



Bear yards $2,400 



Repairing Adams Mill road 1,100 



Survey of park 645 



Purchase of animals 500 



New roof on llama house 280 



Painting flying cage 150 



Repairing office 125 



Total 5,200 



HOUSE FOE SMALL MAMMALS. 



The small mammal house which has been under construction for several years 

 was finally opened to the public on November 15. It is found to be much the 

 most satisfactory of the buildings erected at the park, being easily warmed, 

 quite sanitary, and free from drafts. The method of lighting is unusual, 

 there being skylights formed of glass tile in the roof which admit light directly 

 over the cages, the central . corridor in which the public are admitted being 

 lighted indirectly. Screens of ribbed glass protect the animals from the cold air 

 which descends from the roof. The cages are readily ventilated by tilting these 

 screens. A plan of this building was published in the report of 1904. 



The outside cages required for this house were not wholly completed at the 

 end of the year, owing to the difficulty of obtaining some of the necessary 

 material. Work upon them was. however, well advanced. 



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