REPORT OF NATIONAL MUS?:UM, 1!>07. 19 



by fireproof inateriiil, and the installation of electric lamps for suit- 

 ably li<rlitino- the pictures and for the oeneral illumination of the hall. 



Tho only further advance made in the isolation of" (he dillerenl 

 halls, as a measure toward i)reventin<>- the spread of lire, was the 

 lillino- ill of several of the la rye openiuiis between the piers on the 

 south side of the southwest court. 



There were accjuired (luriii<i- the ycai". both by construction in the 

 shops and by outside contracts, 8 e.\hil)iti()n cases, 122 storage cases, 

 89 miscellaneous pieces of furniture, and 1,721 standard drawers, 

 of which '5(»<» were of metal. The number of articles of furniture 

 now on hand, many bein<r of very large size, is as follows: 2,342 

 exhibition cases, 2,401 storage cases, 1,()7(') pieces of miscellaneous 

 furniture, and ;iT,r)81 drawers, boxes, etc., used in connection with 

 both the exhibition and storage of specimens. There has been the 

 customary amount of repair and renovation of cases, addition and 

 improvement of fixtures, etc. The experiments looking to the intro- 

 duction of metal or fireproof storage furniture was continued during 

 the year, and important conclusions were reached in several direc- 

 tions. This work has special reference to the fitting up of the new 

 building, in which it is desirable to provide for the absolute safety 

 of the national collections. 



The appropriation for the heating and lighting of the buildings 

 has, as in previous years, proved inadequate, causing much incon- 

 venience. Steam was first raised in the boilers on October 2, 1906, 

 and was shut down on May 12, 1907, but since it could not be main- 

 tained, on an average, more than about twelve hours a day, it has 

 been impossible during the colder weather to bring the large halls 

 to a proper temperature at the time of opening in the morning. 



Changes in the electric installation begun the previous year were 

 continued and completed. The means have not permitted the use of 

 electric lights beyond the most ordinary needs, however, and during 

 many afternoons in winter extensive parts of the exhibition halls 

 become so dark at an early hour as to prevent the collections they 

 contain from being examined. 



ADDITIONS TO THE COLLECTIONS. 



The number of accessions received during the year, not including 

 the subject of the fine arts, was 1,398, comprising a total of about 

 250.000 specimens, of Avhich nearly 4.000 were anthropological, about 

 145,000 biological, and over 100,000 geological and paleontological. 

 A complete list of these additions is given in the latter part of this 

 report ; the more important ones Avere as follows : 



Anthropology. — In physical anthropology one of the principal 

 accessions was a unique series of about 100 human long l)ones and 



