40 REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1886. 



registrar. A partition was built in the northeast end of the annex building, and the 

 gallery and ceiling extended. 



The hip-cases, returned from New Orleans, were placed in the hall devoted to the 

 fishery exhibit, and the fish-casts removed from the southeast court and arranged in 

 them. The radiators were removed from along the wall in the northeast court further 



V 



out into the hall, in order to admit the wall-cases intended for the display of furs. An 

 experiment was made in frosting one of the windows in the main hall, Smithsonian 

 building, in order to exclude the strong sunliglit from the bird exhibit. A new style 

 of case, resembling a bay window, was constructed for the northeast court, and 

 proved satisfactory. The locomotive "John Bull," presented to the Museum by the 

 Pennsylvania Railroad Company, was removed from the Armory building and placed 

 on exhibition in the north hall of the Museum building. Shelving for cases, the fit- 

 ting of locks and of trays, the construction of packing-boxes, the glazing of cases, 

 the erection of screens, i^ainting of walls, etc., the construction of new doors for some 

 of the cases used in the department of birds, the relaying of floors, the fitting up some 

 of the galleries in the Smithsonian building, and the construction of pedestals for 

 exhibition purposes, occupied a great deal of time. 



January. — The construction of a half-pillar case was commenced. The work of 

 making diaphragms for hanging photographs in the Fishery Hall was continued. A 

 small room on the south balcony was fitted up for the curator of plants. The long 

 hip-case in the Fishery Hall was painted and glazed. All the boxes, etc., which had 

 been stored in the Lecture Hall, were removed, and the hall prepared for the course of 

 Saturday lectures, to commence March 6. Pedestals were made for the Egyptian 

 li"uros in the north hall. Jluch time was spent by laborers in clearing snow from 

 the sidewalks. The dark room on the second floor of the northwest pavilion was 

 fitted with shelves. A flle-ca.se was constructed for the assistant director's office. 

 The large Indian canoe in the section of naval architecture Avas suspended from the 

 ceiling. Several of the doors leading to the vaults and storage-rooms in the Smith- 

 sonian building were lined with tin, with a view to rendering these apartments com- 

 paratively flre-proof. The totem-posts were removed from the statuary hall to the 

 south wall of the west hall. 



Fchrnary. — A portion of the annex building was partitioned off as a laboratory for 

 the Invertebrate Fossils. A railing was built in the Pottery Hall, thus cutting ofl';i 

 portion of the hall required for assorting and repairing specimens. The construction 

 of settees for the rotunda was commenced by the Museum carpenters. The shelving 

 in some of the cases in the Anthropologic:il Hall was refitted. 



March. — The tin roof over the Gothic Hall, Smithsonian building, was repaired. 

 A railing was built around the lecture hall to protect the Catlin pictures, and in 

 the section of naval architecture as a jirotcction to some of the boat models which 

 are fastened against the wall. An extension of the diaphragms to which the Catlin 

 pictures are fastened was commenced. A sloping map-case for the department of 

 lithology was completed. An old vault under the north entrance to the Smithsonian 

 building was fitted with shelving for the storage of fish-casts, molds, etc. The settees, 

 diaphragms, etc., already referred to, were painted, and also the five pine table-cases 

 for the department of invertebrate of fossils. The Peruvian jiottery was removed 

 from the Smithsonian building to the Museum. Two storage rooms in the west base- 

 ment of the Smithsonian building were arranged with shelving for the departments 

 of marine invertebrates and moUusks. The Indian pottery, which had been stored 

 behind the wall-case in the northeast court, was removed to the basement rooms in 

 the east wing of the Smithsonian building. Three arch-screens were finished by the 

 Museum carpenters. Unit table-cases were painted for the department of ethnology, 

 and a double arch-screen was erected at the entrance to the lecture hall. Work 

 upon eight settees for the Rotunda "ivere commenced by the Museum carpenters. 



April.— T]xo construction of a large open screen by the Museum carpenters for the 

 west entrance was commenced. The telephone room was frescoed and painted. A 



