REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1919. 15 



promoting, respectively, the increase and the scientific value and 

 usefulness of the Isaac Lea collection of gems and the scientific 

 value and usefulness of the Isaac Lea collection of moUusks. While 

 the full amount of the bequests has not yet reached the Institution, 

 the income from the first installment of the principal has permitted 

 the addition of some very desirable material in both lines. These 

 collections were made by the eminent naturalist Dr. Isaac Lea and 

 reached the Museum some years ago through the generosity of Doc- 

 tor Lea, his daughter, Mrs. Frances Lea Chamberlain, and his son- 

 in-law, Doctor Chamberlain. By frequent gifts of both specimens 

 and money for making purchases, Mrs. Chamberlain during her life- 

 time, and afterwards her husband, continued their upkeep, and Doc- 

 tor Chamberlain's generous provision in his will for perpetuating 

 the assistance so long rendered in person is a benefaction of unusual 

 importance to the Museiun. 



Through the generosity of one of the members of the staff, a small 

 purchase fund, known as the Swales Fund, was available during the 

 year for adding to the collection of birds' skins. 



BUILDINGS AND EQUIPMENT. 



The more important repairs in connection with the Natural History 

 Building were the reconstruction of the floor of west entrance and 

 providing cesspool with sewer connection on the outside of the build- 

 ing so as to make the space sanitary, the laying of composition cork 

 flooring in the engine room, the repointing of all the horizontal and 

 vertical joints in stones and sides of pilasters in the different parts 

 of the building, the cutting out and repointing seams between stones 

 in platform and steps on south side of the building, the maintenance 

 and repairs to the roofs, replacing of broken glass in windows and 

 skylights in exhibition halls and the painting of all the radiators in 

 the exhibition halls. 



In the Arts and Industries Building special attention was paid to 

 the roofs, skylights, and windows which involved tlie repainting of 

 the roofs over the four courts, four main halls and the rotunda, the 

 reputtying of all skylights, and reinforcing the irons on the sixteen 

 large triple windows around the rotunda. A new Georgia pine floor 

 was laid in one of the administrative offices in the northwest Davil- 

 ion. and the old wooden floor at the west end of gallery in west hall 

 removed and a terrazzo flood laid, so that this section of the gallery 

 might be used for exhibition purposes. Eoom 80 in the southeast 

 pavilion was repainted and fitted up for the use of the States Rela- 

 tions Service, Department of Agriculture, in cooperation with the 

 Museum for home demonstration work, canning, etc. A new dark 

 room was provided in the photographic laboratory, and a number of 

 the halls, offices, and laboratories repainted. 



