REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 
15 
The attendance by months was as follows : In 1918 : July, 160,600 ; 
August, 116,200; September, 154,600; October, 114,500; November, 
91,400; December, 93,424. In 1919: January, 101,625; February, 
115,150; March, 242,650; April, 355,651; May, 220,700; June, 198,215. 
The record for attendance for the year ending June 30, 1918, which 
exceeded the previous record year (1916) by 436,117, was beaten by 
371,488. Following are the attendance records for the past eight 
years : 
1912 542, 738 
1913 633, 526 
1914 733, 277 
1915 794, 530 
1916 1, 157, 110 
1917 1, 106, 800 
1918 1, 593, 227 
1919 1, 964, 715 
The park continues in popularity as a means of instruction to 
schools and classes, as well as a resort for out-of-doors gatherings for 
large picnic parties, where the usual woodland surroundings and 
pleasures may be supplemented by visits to the zoological collections. 
Ninety-eight such schools and classes visited the park in 1919, Avith a 
total of 6,169 individuals. These came not only from the District of 
Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia, but from the more distant States 
of Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Ohio. The Amer- 
ican Society of Mammalogists held an informal meeting with lunch- 
eon at the park on April 4, 1919, with 75 members in attendance. 
IMPROVEMENTS. 
Exterior cages for leopards, jaguars, and hyenas, on the east side 
of the north wing of the lion house, were nearly completed before the 
close of the year. The cages are seven in number, 24 feet deep, and 
74 feet long over all. The cost, including material and the labor of 
regular employees, was $3,410. This long-desired improvement adds 
greatly to the appearance of the building and to the comfort of the 
animals. 
A perforated radial brick chimney 80 feet in height above the con- 
crete foundation and 42 inches interior diameter at the top was built 
at the central heating plant to replace the old and worn-out metal 
stack. The concrete base was constructed by the park workmen and 
the chimney by contract, at a total cost of $2,647. 
A public toilet 13 hj 28 feet 8 inches was constructed near the 
Connecticut Avenue entrance. Some of the materials for this work 
were purchased from the 1918 appropriation, and the labor was all 
by regular employees of the park. The cost of this structure, includ- 
ing labor, was $1,200. 
The smaller elephant house, roofs of the larger elephant house and 
restaurant building, outdoor lion and tiger cages, outdoor cages on 
east and west sides of monkey house, and other fences and inclosures 
