REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1910. 15 



time as the fireproof furnishings were received. The construction of 

 exhibition furniture for the new building has thus far been hmited, 

 the current needs ha^'ing been mostly supplied from the older build- 

 ings, but during the present year it will be actively taken up. 



The moving of the natural history specimens from the older build- 

 ings was begun on August 11, 1909, and could readily have been fin- 

 ished within the year had the necessary furniture been on hand. As 

 it was, such of the laboratories and reserve collections as were trans- 

 ferred were at once installed in their new quartei-s, however adverse 

 the conditions might be. In respect to some divisions, however, the 

 accommodations were so incomplete that no changes were attempted. 

 The only exhibitions installed consisted of certain ethnological groups 

 and historical cases arranged in the middle hall and adjacent ranges, 

 in conjunction with the paintings of the National Gallery of Art, as 

 described under that head. All other exhibition collections taken 

 over were temporarily stored in their old cases. 



The reserve collections transferred either wholly or in greater part 

 were of the following subjects: Ethnology, prehistoric and historic 

 archeology, physical anthropology, mammals, birds, insects, mol- 

 lusks, geology generally, minerals, fossil vertebrates and inverte- 

 brates, and paleobotany. Those still remaining in their old quarters 

 consisted of the reptiles and batrachians, fishes, marine invertebrates, 

 and plants. The division of plants, for which sufficient space is not 

 available in the new building, will be accommodated in the upper 

 story of the main part of the Smithsonian building. 



The exhibition collections destined for the new building, which 

 at the close of the year were still displayed in the halls which they 

 have hitherto occupied, comprised the birds and marine invertebrates 

 in the Smithsonian building; and the American mammals, osteo- 

 logical specimens, invertebrate and plant fossils, minerals and gems, 

 a considerable part of the collection of applied geology, the material 

 illustrating historic religions and some branches of ethnology, in the 

 older Museum building. The other exhibits in the latter building, 

 including history, technology, art fabrics, ceramics, graphic arts, 

 medicine, musical instruments, etc., will be kept there permanently. 



The removal of collections and laboratories included the abandon- 

 ment of the entire double north tower of the Smithsonian building 

 above the main floor, thus relinquishing several suites of excellent 

 rooms to which the Bureau of American Ethnology was transferred 

 in December, 1909. 



A supplemental appropriation by Congress made near the close of 

 its last session provided for two important matters in connection with 

 the new building. One of these was the grading of the grounds about 

 the building and the construction of roads and paths leading to its 

 entrances. The other was the painting of the interior walls, required 



