REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1901. L9 



by fireproof material, and the installation of electric lamps for suit- 

 ably lighting the pictures and for the general illumination of the ball. 



The only further advance made in the isolation of the different 

 balls, as a measure toward preventing the spread of fire, was the 

 filling in of several of the large openings between the piers on the 

 south side of the southwest court. 



There were acquired during the year, both by construction in the 

 shops and by outside contracts, 8 exhibition cases, 122 storage cases, 

 89 miscellaneous pieces of furniture, and 1,721 standard drawers, 

 of which .'500 were of metal. The number of articles of furniture 

 now on band, many being of very large size, is as follows: 2,342 

 exhibition cases. -2.401 storage cases, 1,676 pieces of miscellaneous 

 furniture, and 37,581 drawers, boxes, etc., used in connection with 

 both the exhibition and storage of specimens. There has been the 

 customary amount of repair and renovation of cases, addition and 

 improvement of fixtures, etc The experiments looking to the intro- 

 duction of metal or fireproof storage furniture was continued during 

 the year, and important conclusions were reached in several direc- 

 tions. This work has special reference to the fitting up of the new 

 building, in which it is desirable to provide for the absolute safety 

 of the national collections. 



The appropriation for the beating and lighting of the buildings 

 has, as in previous years, proved inadequate, causing much incon- 

 venience. Steam was first raised in the boilers on October 2, 11)06, 

 and was shut down on May 12, 1D07. but since it could not be main- 

 tained, on an average, more than about twelve hours a day, it has 

 been impossible during the colder weather to bring the large halls 

 to a proper temperature at the time of opening in the morning. 



Changes in the electric installation begun the previous year were 

 continued and completed. The means have not permitted the use of 

 electric lights beyond the most ordinary needs, bowever, and during 

 many afternoons in winter extensive parts of the exhibition halls 

 become so dark at an early hour as to prevent the collections they 

 contain from being examined. 



ADDITIONS TO THK COLLECTIONS. 



The number of accessions received during the year, not including 

 the subject of the fine arts, was 1,398, comprising a total of about 

 250.000 specimens, of which nearly 4,000 were anthropological, about 

 145,000 biological, and over 100,000 geological and paleontological. 

 A complete list of tbese additions is given in the latter part of this 

 report; the more important ones were as follows: 



Anthropology. — In physical anthropology one of the principal 

 accessions was a unique series of about 100 human long bones and 



