REPORT OF ASSISTANT SKCRKTARY. o9 



Tlio lollowinij;- abstract oi" the report of the Superintendent of Biiihl- 

 iny,s for the year will serve to show tlie. various ways in which the me- 

 chanics and hiborers have been employed : 



Jaiij. — The unlo:i(lii\i; iviid storage of the metallurgical cxliihUs fioiu riiil;uh-l])hi:i 

 were completed. The arrival from the New Orleans Exposition of the Smithsonian col- 

 lections commenced, and the boxes as soon as received were stored temporarily in (he 

 lecture hall. This was a worlc of great labor, and demanded the assistance of almost 

 the entire laboring force. A portion of the colhujtion of fossil plants was removed to 

 the northwest gallery in the Smithsonian building, which had been assigned as ii lab- 

 oratory for the department. The Indian spears were removed from the Anthropolog- 

 ical Hall in the Smithsonian building to the northeast gallery, for classification and 

 re-arrangement. The exhibit of the Department of Agriculture at New Orleans wa,8 

 received and placed in the Museum building. The shelving in the main hall of the 

 Smithsonian building — devoted to the display of mounted birds — was changed in 

 accordance with the wishes of the curator of birds. This work occupied the time of 

 carpenters and painters for .several weeks. Five one-fourth unit sections were con- 

 structed for the Department of mammals, and the flat-top cases in which the gem eol- 

 leclion had been exhibited at New Orleans were restored to the Mineral Hall. 



Angunl. — The carpenters commenced fitting and arranging shelving in the iloor- 

 upright cases in the west hall. Nine pedestals for the Department of Comparative 

 Anatomy were finished and placed in the Exhibition llall. 



September. — The erection of a new case for the Department of Birds was commenced. 

 The work of making and fitting shelving for the slope cases in the Department of 

 Minerals, and the construction of diaphragms for the ca.ses in the Department of 

 Metallurgy were begun. The wooden annex building was moved tJO feet towards the 

 west. Slope cases were arranged in the Gothic Hall, Smithsonian building, for the 

 reptile casts. Table-cases were arranged in the laboratorj' and exhibition hall of the 

 Department of Mollusks, and five humlred trays fitted for the same;. 



October. — Screens were placed along the galleries in the Smithsojiian building in 

 order to secure greater privacy to the curators to whom laboratories have been as- 

 signed there. The columns and walls of the main hall of the Smithsonian building 

 were cleaned and repainted. The boat models, returned from New Orleans, were un- 

 packed and replaced on exhibition in the hall assigned to the section of naval archi- 

 tecture. A portion of the metallurgical exhibit in the west liall of the Museum 

 building was transferred from temporary pedestals to exhibition cases. The Mexican 

 casts were installed on pedestals prepared by the carpenters for their reception. A 

 largo number of empty cases were removed from the northeast court. The re-opening 

 of the Exposition at New Orleans caused the repacking and reshipment thither of a 

 large portion of the exhibit of the State Department, which had beentran.sferred to the 

 custody of the Museum. Shelves were arranged in the balconies of the rotunila for 

 the reception of living plants. 



Korcmhcr .- -'Y\iG collection of musical instruments was removed from the east h:ill to 

 the north hall, and the ethnological exhibits were re-arranged. 



Models and relief maps, received from the Geological Survey, were placed upon ex- 

 hibition. Shelving was arranged around the west basement of the Smitli.sonian 

 building for the convenience of the department of fishes. The repair of cases in- 

 jured on the journey to and from New Orleans was commenced. The work-rooms of 

 the t;ixidermist and osteologist, in the annex building, were ceiled. The col led ion 

 of scientific instruments was removed from the east to the north hall. 



December. — Skylights were placed in two of the rooms on the west balcony .»nd in 

 one room on tho .south balcony. The "kno(;k-dowu " cases from New Orleans, which 

 had been temporarily stored in the Icctiiir, hall, were removed to the east entrance, 

 preparatory to being taken apart and })l;iced in storage. A rearrangement of the 

 mass of material in the Armory buihling was (Mlecieil, uii<l<'r the suprivisiou of the 



