HAMLYN'S MENAGERIE MAGAZINE. 
95 
VISITORS. 
The number of visitors to the park during- the 
year, as determined by count and estimate, was 
1,106,800, a daily average of 3,032. The great- 
est number in any one month was 171,400, in 
April, 1917, an average per day of 5,713. 
Excepting 1916, this was the largest atten- 
dance in the history of the park. The number of 
visitors was only 50,310 less than in 1916, and 
doubtless would have exceeded that record year 
but for the unseasonable weather on Easter Mon- 
day. 
Ojne hundred and fifty-three schools and 
classes visited the park, with a total of 8,492 in- 
dividuals. In addition to the local schools and 
those from near-by States, these included schools 
from Alabama, Arkansas, Massachusetts, New 
Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsyl- 
vania, and Vermont. A number of officials from 
other zoological gardens visited the park. 
The exceptionally favourable weather made 
the skating pond an attractive feature during the 
past winter and for a much longer period than 
usual. The ice was pept clean of snow through- 
out the season and the appreciation of the public 
would seem to warrant the constrction of addition- 
al lakes to be used for exhibits of waterfowl dur- 
ing the summer and skating in winter. 
IMPROVEMENTS. 
The hospital and laboratory, which has been 
mentioned in the reports for the last two years, 
is still unfinished, but a considerable amount of 
work was done on the interior cages so that 
' the building now lacks only the necessary out- 
side yards and the laboratory equipment. The 
hospital cages are designed for the care and 
special comfort of indisposed or quarantined ani- 
mals, and accommodations are provided for two 
mammals of lion-size, three of leopard-size, three 
large ruminants, and a number of smaller ani- 
mals. In addition, there is a large, well-lighted, 
central room for laboratory use. The completion 
of this building will greatly facilitate the work 
of the pathologists from the Department of Agri- 
culture who visit the park. , 
The largest water fowl lake, in the south- 
eastern part of the park, was enlarged and recon- 
structed to provide safe and retired breeding and 
resting places for the birds. It had formerly been 
inclosed by a fence of ordinary poultry wire with- 
out special protection from predacious animals, 
and there had been frequent loss from the depre- 
dations of rats and the smaller native carnivores. 
In order to increase sufficiently the land area it 
was necessary to construct a "stone wall along 
Rock Creek at the rear of the inclosure. By 
lowering the grade of the hill bordering the lake 
sufficient earth was procured to fill up to the level 
of the wall on the inner side. A rat-proof fence 
was woven in the machine shop and further pro- 
vided with guards against cats and raccoons. 
The level of the water was raised about 12 inches, 
greatly increasing the size of the lake, and the 
new fence was constructed on a concrete coping 
considerably outside the former boundary. 
Numerous shrubs, small trees, canes, and grasses 
were planted to supplement the fine growth of 
larger trees already on the area. Visitors walk 
along one side of the lake only and as the thick 
vegetation virtaully hides the fence on the oppo- 
site side at all points the effect is that of a wilder- 
ness breeding lake for ducks and geese. 
As completed, the inclosure provides almost 
natural conditions for the waterfowl of numerous 
species and forms a very attractive exhibit. It 
has been given over entirely to Noorth American 
species, and it is hoped that a large representa- 
tion of the ducks, geese, and other aquatic birds 
commonly associated with them native to our 
continent may be kept here. On June 30, no less 
than 136 North American waterfowl of 24 species 
were to be seen on the lake. The natural sur- 
roundings and the fact that only American species 
are shown here makes this waterfowl lake of 
special interest to school classes, sportsmen, and 
bird lovers, and it has become one of the popular 
features of the park. 
A cement walk was extended from the bridge 
near the Havard Street entrance along the south 
side of the road to the cross roads, to connect 
with the cinder path bordering the lake. 
The work of grading and filling around the 
old buffalo house and the remodelling of the build- 
ing for other uses, which was commenced last 
year, has been completed. As reconstructed the 
building makes an ideal shelter of pleasing design 
and furnishes house space for the animals occu- 
pying the six large paddocks that surround it. 
The Canadian Rocky Mountain sheep, the elands, 
and the Kashmir deer are provided for in this 
group of yards. 
An outdoor cage and shelter, summer quar- 
ters for the chimpanzee, were built near the north 
entrance to the lion house. This provides not 
only for the better health of this interesting 
trained ape, but makes it possible for larger 
.crowds to gather about at the time his meals 
are served. 
New paddocks were provided for ungulate 
mammals on the piece of ground recently levelled 
by grading northwest of the llama yards'. Much- 
needed repairs were made on the wolf dens and 
to the lion-house roof. 
A considerable portion of the pasture land 
near the office was plowed as an addition to the 
garden, in an effort to decrease the cost of feed 
