Oct. 1900. Annual Report of the Director. 447 



able suggestions; the most important being that the carrying capacity 

 of the main floor should be increased and the supports under the 

 same strengthened. This work is in progress at the date of this 

 report. The exterior of the building has received attention from the 

 plasterers and painters; the improved appearance, as compared with 

 that of the previous year, being noticeable. The roof sections resist 

 the varying temperature and excessive rain and snow fall, wind pres- 

 sure, etc., in a surprising manner, although of course it is a fact 

 that the roof has been almost entirely reconstructed since the close 

 of the exposition in 1893. One hundred and fifty dollars has been 

 expended for standpipe to facilitate extinguishing fire in the dome. 

 The year has witnessed the construction of much needed additions to 

 the offices and laboratories of the* curators of the different depart- 

 ments. In the Department of Anthropology a two-floor general office 

 and workshop have been constructed, constituting, as a matter of fact, 

 one of the most admirable improvements that have been made in the 

 Museum. The laboratory in this department has also been extended, 

 thus securing an entire area of 1,800 square feet. In the Department 

 of Botany the work, aside from the changes made necessary in re- 

 arranging and adjusting to provide room for Zoology, consists entirely 

 of the work in the Herbarium, additional floor space being acquired 

 for this by building a gallery floor just south of the Curator's office, 

 and on the east side of the North Court. This room adds about 

 540 square feet. Sixteen cases have been added to accommodate 

 the incoming specimens. For the Department of Zoology, the labor- 

 atory constructed along the entire length of the South Gallery of the 

 South Court has been assigned, for the present at least, to the Assist- 

 ant Curator of Ichthyology. In the Department of Geology the 

 demands of the Division of Paleontology for more working area has 

 caused the reduction of the space occupied by the Library and the 

 removal of a large number of books to the office of the Curator. 

 Further facilities for working in this department must be provided, 

 however, for the present space is most apparently inadequate. 



The Curator of the Department of Anthropology reports as fol- 

 lows regarding the installation work in that department: "The 

 installation of Halls 16 and 17 is completed and they are now devoted 

 entirely to the Hopi Indians of Arizona. The contents of these two 

 very interesting and instructive halls are due almost exclusively to 

 the generosity of Mr. Stanley McCormick, whose purchase of the 

 Voth collections was noted in my last report. Owing to the provision 

 of Mr. McCormick's gift, the services of Mr. Voth were continued 

 until May of this year. This made possible not only a very complete 



