REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 35 



semi-circular projection at one end. 3. A connecting range of 60 feet long 

 by 37 wide. 4. In the second story a single large room of 200 feet long 

 and 50 feet wide. The large room on the first floor is not well adapted to 

 the display of specimens, since it is occupied through its whole length 

 with two rows of colossal columns. The upper room, however, as well 

 as that in the west wing of the building, is entirely free from all hin- 

 drance to an arrangement with a view to the best exhibition of the 

 collections. I have said that the rooms above mentioned constitute the 

 present available space for the accommodation of the museum. When, 

 however, more space is required, the eastern wing, now in part occupied 

 as a. residence by the Secretary, can be employed for the purpose. The 

 floor and partitions which separate the several apartments of this por- 

 tion of the building arc of a temporary character and can be readily 

 removed. The lower part of this wing and its basement are now used 

 for containing the exchanges and as store-rooms for duplicate specimens 

 of geology and mineralogy. In accordance with the views which have 

 been presented, it is intended to devote the whole of the large room in 

 the second story of the main building to archaeological objects with, 

 skeletons, life-size drawings, and restorations of the larger mainmals 

 contemporary with i^rimitive man, especially on the continent of America. 

 Second, to appropriate the wall-surface and a part of the floor-space of 

 the western wing of the building to mineralogy and geology. The por- 

 tions of the extensive wails of this room can be covered on the east 

 side, which presents an unbroken surface above the top of the cases of 

 05 feet by 10 feet, with a geological section across the continent, and the 

 opposite wall with drawings of the characteristic fossils of the strata 

 which are exhibited on the eastern wall. The side and mineral cases for 

 containing the specimens, besides exhibiting a characteristic series of 

 specimens, to represent general geology, mineralogy, and palaeontology, 

 will be occupied with full sets of specimens to illustrate the geological 

 formation of North America, and especially the mineralogical resources 

 of this country. 



The collection of objects to illustrate anthropology now in possession 

 of the Institution is almost unsurpassed, especially in those whicli 

 relate to the present Indians and the more ancient inhabitants of the 

 American continent. An artistic and scientific exhibition of these in 

 the large room we have mentioned, could not fail to be highly inter- 

 esting to the general public, the student of ethnology, and especially to 

 the many intelligent foreigners who visit the capital of the United 

 States. There are also in the collection of specimens in charge of the 

 Institution full sets of all the rocks and minerals collected by the 

 several exploring expeditions whicli have been sent out by the General 

 Government, besides those which have been presented as free gifts or 

 in exchange to the Institution from all parts of our continent. We can, 

 therefore, with scarcely any additional material, or only with such as 

 can be readily obtained, render the national museum much more 



