REPORT ON NATIONAL MUSEUM. 171 



The whole system, as completed at the end of the year, consists of 

 the following* apparatus : One 50- drop telephone annunciator. One 100- 

 drop burglar alarm annunciator, connecting three hundred windows and 

 85 doors. One time and watch-clock which is connected with 1 4 stations, 

 and records the time and place of the watchmen patroling the Museum 

 building and its annexes. There are also 50 electric push-buttons, sit- 

 uated in different parts of the building, connected with a 100-drop annun- 

 ciator for the use of floor inspectors, watchmen, and others who may be 

 in need of assistance. 



There is one standard-time clock connected with the Naval Observa- 

 tory. This is regulated every day at noon. There has also been erected 

 one control-clock giving standard time to six 30-inch dials in the differ- 

 ent exhibition halls, and seven 15-inch dials in various offices. 



In addition there are eight 10 inch electric bells for general calls; 12 

 test-boards to facilitate testing and putting in wires in different parts 

 of the building ; 1 watch-box, which records the watchmen's signals on 

 the watch-clock dial, and in the offices of the police and messenger com- 

 pany ; 40 incandescent lamps ; 10 call bells worked from the telephone 

 office ; 250 feet of wire cable have also been used in connection with the 

 outside telephone service. 



The Brush Swan Electric Light Company have placed a storage bat- 

 tery in the lecture room and put in 43 burners for the use of the Mu- 

 seum. 



The electric light service consists of one 6-light Brush-dynamo and 

 one 1-light Brush-dynamo, which are driven by a 20 horse-power engine. 

 There are also six arc lamps of 1,500-candle power, and three electric 

 focusing lamps of 2,000-candle power. These are used for photographic 

 purposes. In addition there are forty incandescent lamps of 10-candle 

 power, and a Brush storage battery of 03 elements. All of the exhibi- 

 tion halls are furnished with wire for electric light, and in such a man- 

 ner that one or all can be illuminated at a given time. It is estimated 

 that 75,000 feet of insulated wire are required to carry on these systems 

 in both the Smithsonian and Museum buildings. At least eight miles 

 of wire are in use for the outside connections. 



Department L : Preparation. — The efficiency of the various taxider- 

 mists has undoubtedly increased during the year. A number of very 

 excellent pieces of work were -prepared for the London Fisheries Exhi- 

 bition. 



The Museum has adopted the plan of printing upon the labels of large 

 pieces of taxidermic work the names of the preparators, and is doing all 

 jm its power to encourage the taxidermists of the country in improving 

 their standard of work. To this end it has offered to the Society of 

 American Taxidermists the privilege of exhibiting in the Museum, in 

 a section devoted especially to taxidermy, examples of the finest work 

 which may from time to time be produced in connection with this col- 

 lection. Mr. W. T. Hornaday is in special charge of this matter, and has 



