DISCOURSE OF W. B. TAYLOR: NOTES. 421 



"Anticipating the necessity of increased accommodations for the 

 Centennial collections and accessions, the Smithsonian Institution 

 in 1875 made application to Congress for the use of the Armory 

 building in the square between Sixth and Seventh streets, an 

 edifice 100 feet by 50, having four floors. This it was supposed 

 would be adequate at the close of the Centennial, for the reception 

 and exhibition of at least the fishery exhibit and that of economical 

 mineralogy. So great however was the surplus of Centennial 

 material to be provided for, that the building is now filled with 

 boxed specimens, occupying for the most part the entire space from 

 floor to ceiling of each room. The building is not fire-proof, and 

 although the specimens in it represent some of the most valuable 

 and important of the series, there is nothing to prevent their destruc- 

 tion by fire, or their injury from damp, vermin, or other causes; 

 a result which would constitute an irreparable loss. As the four 

 floors of the Armory referred to, present 20,000 feet of area, an 

 estimate of 50,000 feet for the proper display of the specimens now 

 stored in them cannot be considered extravagant; thus making the 

 entire additional space required, 75,000 square feet. Only one- 

 fourth of the specimens in charge of the Institution are at present 

 on exhibition, the remainder being entirely withdrawn from public 

 inspection; so that the necessity for prompt effort to secure the 

 proper accommodations will be readily understood. - - - In 

 view of the fact that the collections for which provision is needed 

 represent a bulk of at least three times the present capacity of the 

 Smithsonian building, it is evident that to accommodate these, and 

 to make reasonable provision for probable increase in the future, a 

 building of great magnitude will be required." * 



Nate N. (From p. 309.} 



INVESTIGATION OF ILLUMINANTS. 



"At the commencement of the operations of the Light-House 

 Board in 1852, sperm oil was generally employed for the purpose 

 of illumination. This was an excellent illuminant; but as its price 

 continued to advance from year to year, it was thought proper to 

 attempt the introduction of some other material. The first attempt 

 of this kind was that of the introduction of colza oil, which was 

 generally used in the light-houses of Europe, and is extracted from 

 the seed of a species of wild cabbage known in this country as 

 rape, and in France as colza. For this purpose a quantity of rape- 



* Smitfisonian Report for 1876, pp. 45, 50. 



