STUDIES ON MUSEUMS AND KINDEED INSTITUTIONS. 601 



the world being utilized only so far as they are necessary to a proper 

 understandino- of this nucleus. With this in mind he has coniprehen- 

 siV'Oly arranged the researches according to a detinite plan, and has 

 recently included the Kongo State as Belgian. He regards the work- 

 ing up of the collections as a less important function of a nuiscnun 

 than the procurement of the materials, in which latter respect he has 

 been very successful, as is evidenced by the famous Iguanodons 8 

 meters high, 10 meters long, the fossil crocodiles, tortoises, sharks, 

 whales, elephants, giant deer, rhinoceroses, etc. All of these, in 

 addition to the extensive cave finds, will be installed in an intelligent 

 wa}' in the basement hall. In the rear portion of the hall of 84 meters 

 length a herd of Iguanodons will be installed in many different posi- 

 tions, for which purpose the model is already prepared. As a parallel 

 representation of animals now living, there will be shown a herd of 

 elephants from the Kongo. The difl'erent elevations in the hall, rising 

 by steps, will be utilized for separating the different epochs of the 

 earth's histor}" and the general view of the installation in this immense 

 space promises to be most magnificent, provided it is not detracted 

 from by the cases. 



In view of the fact that the staff of seven museum experts must 

 divide its time between exploring tours and the conduct of the nniseum, 

 the assistance of outside experts, who are paid $5 a da}' and travel 

 ing expenses, is obtained to identity and work up the collections. 

 For this same purpose many specimens are sent out of the nuiseum to 

 receive attention. Scarcel}' any other natural history museum in the 

 world is so uniformly planned and managed, but Mr. Dupont has been 

 successful only after withstanding the greatest opposition and battling 

 for decades. He insisted so tirmly upon his well-considered plans that 

 at one time for a year and a half his authority as director of the 

 museum was suspended because he would not submit to the regulations 

 promulgated by the minister. Finally, however, he carried his point. 

 He also had a desperate struggle to reserve to himself the choice of 

 the architect, who has constructed the museum entirely in accordance 

 with his own personal directions. The cost of the building has been 

 estimated at $215,000, the cases, etc., $40,000 — remarkably small sums 

 compared Avith the cost of construction of other nuiseums. 



The rooms of the old nmseum will later be used for the non-Belgian 

 portions of the collections, but since they are manifestly not suited for 

 nuiseum purposes, the erection of a second new building is even now con- 

 templated, for which purpose — which is of the greatest importance in 

 the development of ever}^ nuiseum — an abundance of space is available 

 on the museum grounds. Little, however, can be said iti praise of the 

 present museum. The reconstruction of the monastery could have 

 been better arranged so far as regards the lighting. The cases are 

 those of the old nuiseum, not answering modern requirements. The 



