THE NATURAL HISTORY EXHIBITIONS. 



Of the 468,000 square feet, or approximately lOf acres, of floor 

 space furnished by the new building, some 220,000 square feet, or 

 fully 5 acres, are of the nature of exhibition space. Included in the 

 latter figures are the main floor and galleries of the south pavihon 

 and rotunda, and the large central hall and several of its communi- 

 catmg rooms in the ground story, which, though occasionally and in 

 part used for temporary exhibitions, have not as yet been perma- 

 nently assigned to any purpose. The entke area of the wings and 

 ranges in the first and second stories, however, has been definitely 

 allotted to the display of natural history subjects and before the close 

 of last year the installations had been sufficiently advanced to permit 

 of its being wholly opened to the pubhc. The total extent of this 

 area is 185,294 square feet, of which 7,264 feet have for several years 

 been pro^dsionally occupied by the paintings of the National Gallery 

 of Art in default of proper lighting in either of the other buildings. 



As described m a previous report, the new building consists of three 

 great wings extending east, west and north from a jjractically square 

 paAdHon and connected near their outer ends by two L-shaped ranges, 

 one on each side, so placed as to complete the enclosure of two large 

 courts and give to the building a rectangular and symmetrical outUne 

 in plan. The two exhibition floors are above a basement or ground 

 story and are surmounted by a third story and attic, the latter not 

 discernible fi-om the outside. The wings are approximately 116 feet 

 wide in the inside, and the ranges 54 feet 2 mches. The east and west 

 wings are 216 feet long, but the north wing measures only 205 feet, 

 while each of the ranges has a total length of 316 feet 10 inches. The 

 heights are 20 feet in the first story and 19 feet 6 inches in the second 

 story. 



On account of their great width, it was necessary to introduce a 

 large skyhght over the middle of each wing in order to obtain illumi- 

 nation for the central part of the main floor, which required the pierc- 

 ing of the second as well as the succeeding stories, mth a correspond- 

 ing diminution in their areas. In the ranges, however, the floors are 

 unbroken and ahke in both stories. The main entrance is on the 

 south side of the building, where the pavihon and rotunda serve as a 

 great lobby communicating directly w^th all the wdngs. From this 

 point, as also from the north side, wliich contains a secondary pubhc 

 entrance, circulation is continuous and unobstructed around the 

 entire building, with a median thoroughfare through the north whig. 

 12 



