FORTY -FOURTH CONGRESS, 1875-1877. 741 



For couipletion and equipment of laboratory of natural history, 



$5,000. 



This is for a separate building erected for curing and poisoning the skins and bones 

 of animals, making plaster casts of fishes, etc., and for photographing objects of nat- 

 ural history and ethnology, processes for which no adequate provision was made in 

 the original design of the Smithsonian building and of which some could not be car- 

 ried on in it without discomfort to the employees and visitors of the establishment. 



For completion of fitting up Armory building, $2,500. 



For fitting up the Armory building as a temporary place of storage for a por- 

 tion of the Centennial collections, an additional sum of $2,500 is needed for the fol- 

 lowing reasons: 



J'he simi previously appropriated of $4,500 was found insufficient, because the 

 building had long been unused, was in a dilapidated condition, the windows broken, 

 and the whole of the interior requiring renovation. The appropriation was expended 

 in repairs of a permanent character, and in a manner exhibiting marked economy. 

 The roof and gutters were repaired, the whole building painted, water introduced, 

 thorough drainage established, new sash, shutters, etc., provided. These necessary 

 repairs exhausted the small appropriation, leaving no provision for heating and ven- 

 tilating apparatus and other necessary arrangements. 



For lighting-, heating, and watching Armory building, $1,500. 



An appropriation is also asked for the armory of $1,500 for lighting, warmmg, and 

 watching the building, the necessity for which must be evident, and for which no 

 funds are available. 



For restoring cases moved to Philadelphia, and rearranging museum, 



$5,000. 



This is asked for restoring to proper place in the National Museum and repairing 

 the cases and fixtures removed from Washington to the International Exhibition, and 

 for the expense of rearranging the collections. 



In many instances cases erected in the halls of the Institution were transferred to 

 Philadeljahia and have since been returned. In consequence of this transfer to and 

 from Philadelijhia, extensive repairs of these cases are required, especially in the 

 renewal of plate glass. Again, cases which were constructed especially for the Cen- 

 tennial require modification to fit them to places in the Smithsonian Institution. 

 The specimens themselves also require more or less work for their restoration, for 

 labeling, etc. 



For packing, boxing, transporting 50 carloads of the exhibits of 

 thirt3"-three foreign nations presented to the United States, and arrang- 

 ing the same, $13,500. 



This is asked for the following reason: 



The sum appropriated by Congress was expended in the preparation and arrange- 

 ment of the specimens exhibited at Philadelphia in the United States Government 

 building, which illustrated, in a manner to challenge the admiration of all who were 

 qualified to judge of such matters, the mineral and animal resources of the country. 



At the close of this exhibition, however, on account of the popularity of the 

 Smithsonian Institution and the liberal donations it had made of books and speci- 

 mens to foreign museums, thirty-three out of forty-one foreign governments made 

 valuable presents to the United States National Museum, in charge of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution. These constituted in many eases nearly the entire exhibits of 

 the following countries: Argentine Confederation, Austria, Brazil, Bermuda, Canada, 



