REPORT OF ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. 25 



trial art, for iustanco, the wealth of the Museum is exceedingly great, 

 but until cases have been built aud labels printed it is impossible prop- 

 erly to display it. 



Although very much has been done for the develo])ment of the exhi- 

 l)ition aud study series, it is certain that during the years 1885 and 188G 

 the jNluseum will improve in attractiveness to the visitor and general 

 student, and in convenience to the investigator and special student, to 

 a degree which has not in past years been in any way ap[)roximated. 



The exhibition series has been greatly extended during the year by 

 the work which h.as been done for the several expositions, numerous 

 specimens having been mounted and labeled, whfch after their return 

 may be placed at once on exhibition. Many objects have been acquired 

 especially for use in this exposition work, which are equally desirable 

 for the regular exhibition work of the IMuseura. 



During this year, special improvements have been noted in the exhi- 

 bition halls devoted to mineralogy, lithology and physical geology, 

 nu'tallurgy and economic geology, textile industries, fisheries, and na- 

 val architecture. 



(c) Construction of cases. 



It is hardly necessary to remark that no part of the work of the Mu- 

 seum at present occupies so much of my attention as the construction of 

 cases, since the supply at present on hand is far from adequate to our 

 needs. The " furniture and fixtures appropriation " which Congress has 

 made annually since 1880 permits each year the building of a large 

 number of cases. At the same time the capacity of the Museum build- 

 ing, with its laboratories and work-rooms, is exceedingly great, and up 

 to the present time certainly not more than one -half of the requisite 

 amount of case room has been obtained. In my previous rei)ort was 

 given a statement of the number of cases in the Museum at the begin- 

 ning of the year 1883. Appended is a list of the cases added during 

 the year 1884:* 



• Case C : ~ 



(1.3) Door-screen cases, 8.6 by 1.3 by 7 10 



(2.2) Door-screeu cases, 8.6 by 2.2 by 7 10 



(9 in.) Door-screen cases, 8.6 by 9 in. by 7 1 



Case D : 



(1.3) Slifling-screen oases, 8.6 by 1.3 by 7 10 



(2.2) Sliding-screen cases, 8.6 by 1.3 by 7 10 



(2.6) Sliding-screen cases, 8.6 by 1.3 by 7 4 



Ca«o F : 



Fold-screou cases (balf pillar) 10 



Fold-screen frames 300 



Slope-top cases r>o 



Slope-top cases 6 



Case H : 



Table upright cases 10 



Table upright cases 6 



Case I : 



Unit-table cases 40 



Unit-table cases 12 



