16 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1908. 
utilized to almost its entire capacity in the interest of the superb 
assemblage of laces, embroideries, fans, porcelains, and other kindred 
objects brought together by a number of the ladies of Washington, as 
explained below. The average daily attendance of visitors amounted 
to nearly 1,000, a number which would be greatly increased were it 
possible to extend the hours of opening to Sundays and evenings. 
About 26,000 duplicate specimens were utilized in making exchanges - 
and in supplying material to educational institutions. The publica- 
tions comprised 8 volumes and parts of 2 unfinished volumes, all of 
which, except the annual or administrative report, were descriptive of 
Museum collections. The lbrary, wholly restricted to subjects com- 
ing within the scope of the Museum, received 3,257 books, 4,470 
pamphlets, and 247 parts of volumes, a large proportion of which 
were acquired as gifts or in exchange. Interesting exhibits were made 
at the Jamestown Ter-Centennial Exposition and the International 
Maritime Exposition at Bordeaux, France, both of which were held 
during the summer and early fall of 1907. 
NEW BUILDING FOR THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 
The progress of the work on the new building for the National 
Museum was greatly hindered, as in previous years, by delays in ob- 
taining the white granite from Vermont within the time limits fixed 
by the contracts. The quarry, the cutters, and the railroads have 
all been at fault in bringing about this unfortunate condition, which 
has retarded the completion of the building for many months, and 
has caused a considerable extra expense. 
At the close of the year the exterior walls, except those inclosing 
the south pavilion and the dome, for which the stone had not been 
received, were finished, and the construction of the roofs was well 
under way. The interior structural walls and piers and the floors 
were also completed in the rough, and many of the metal window 
frames of the first and second stories were in place. Some of the 
latter had likewise been glazed. So much work still remains to be 
done in the interior, however, such as the building of partitions, the 
laying of floors, the plastering, the installation of the heating, ven- 
Ulating, and lighting plants, with their immense ramifications of 
pipes and wires, the completion of the windows, and countless lesser 
details, that the expectation held forth of being able to make some 
use of the building by January, 1909, has had to be abandoned. The 
best that can now be looked for is that the storage and laboratory 
quarters may be practically ready for occupancy toward the end of 
the fiscal year. 
This splendid large building, which covers a greater area than any 
other government structure in Washington except the Capitol, was 
