4 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



lack of other accommodations for the oflQces housed therein ; esi)ecially 

 that of the chief taxidermist and his assistants; the chief osteologist 

 and his assistant; and other persons connected with the work of pre- 

 paring and mounting specimens; and the preparators of the Ethnolog- 

 ical Bureau charged with the reproduction of miniature models of the 

 various Pueblo villages in Arizona and New Slexico. This building is 

 also used for the storage of vast numbers of collections, including hun- 

 dreds of tons of fossils collected by the United States Geological Sur- 

 vey. 



The erection of a building for the accommodation of the Library, Mu- 

 seum, and Eecords of the Medical Department of the Army, renders it 

 very desirable that provision should be made elsewhere for the service 

 of this Annex building, as it is extremely combustible, and should it 

 take fire, with the wind blowing from the westward, the flames would 

 actually come in contact with the Army Medical Museum, and could not 

 fail to penetrate the windows and doors, with great danger to its con- 

 tents. Unfortunately such is the present crowded condition of all our 

 receptacles, that it is impossible to find quarters elsewhere, either for 

 the ofiices mentioned or for the collections. 



Some years ago, the Board of Eegents authorized the application to 

 Congress for an appropriation for the construction of a second Mu- 

 seum building, to be placed on the west side of the Smithsonian resei*v- 

 ation, and to correspond with the present building on the east side- 

 the object being to accommodate, in i)art at least, the enormous accu- 

 mulations of valuable material partly acquired at the Centennial, and 

 in i)art obtained at the New Orleans Exposition, and under other cir- 

 cumstances. A new building equal in size to the present one would 

 scarcely furnish the accommodations needed ; and, as the Government 

 collections are increasing year by year, by donations of foreign govern- 

 ments, «&c., it is difficult to express with sufficient force the necessity 

 for additional quarters. 



The National Museum building was erected within the original esti- 

 mate, at a cost of $250,000. It would be impossible at the present time 

 to duplicate this building at that figure, and as special provision is de- 

 sired for laboratories and offices, and to give suitable quarters to the 

 U. S. Geological Survey and Ethnological Bureau, an estimate has been 

 made of the sum of $250,000 for the purpose of constructing one wing 

 and pavilion to accommodate the collections, leaving the remainder to 

 be constructed hereafter, should Congress so approve it, at a cost of, 

 Xierhaps, an additional $250,000. 



An estimate has been presented to Congress for several years, with- 

 out receiving any attention, for the construction of a fire-proof build- 

 ing for the accommodation of the alcoholic collections of fishes, rep- 

 tiles, &c., belonging to the National Museum. 



Within a few years past the principal museums of Europe have been 

 putting up such buildings, in view of the danger of destruction, not 



