ars 

Marcu 4, 1915 | 
NATURE 9 

As I was unable at the time to reiresh my memory 
en the subject, I wrote guardedly, ‘* Unless we have 
misunderstood.” A fitter expression would have been, 
“If we remember aright.’ It is satisfactory to know 
that my recollection was substantially correct. To 
object to the theory being called a “ suggestion” 
seems fastidious. As to Prof. MacBride’s suggestion, 
Mr. Elliot’s reference was to a proof of vol. i. of ‘A 
Treatise on Embryology.” {fds eel Ge 
THE NATURAL HISTORY BUILDING OF 
THE UNITED’ STATES NATIONAL 
MUSEUM.} 
iovd ae RATHBUN has done well to publish a 
1 full technical account of this building, 
“to be greatly in advance of all 
which claims 
Fic. 1.—United States National Museum, Natural History Building, viewed from S.E. 
g 
and, by giving exceptional width to the main 
mass, the floor area is large in proportion to the 
extent of outer wall. The plan, which covers 
nearly four acres, shows a large pavilion sur- 
mounted by a rotunda facing south, and from it 
three wings extending towards the east. west, and 
north; the latter are connected near their outer 
ends by two L-shaped ranges, completing the 
enclosure of two large uncovered courts. 
The length of the southern facade, shown in 
perspective in our Fig. 1, is 561 ft.; the greatest 
north and south measurement, which is along the 
middle block, is about 264 ft.; each 
128 ft. The wings have a 
court 1s 
square. width of 
116 ft.; and the L-shaped ranges a width of 6r ft. 

of the East range. 
other museum buildings intended for a similar 
purpose.” The three objects aimed at have been 
storage, usable exhibition space, and laboratory 
accommodation. The epithet “usable” is import- 
ant, for in exhibition galleries dark corners and 
obtrusive architectural details are worse than 
useless. “Usable” also implies facility of accom- 
modation to growing and changing needs. With 
this in view, the building has been planned as a 
great shell, with few permanent division walls; 
1 “A Descriptive Account of the Building recently Erected for the Depart- 
ments of Natural History of the United States National Museum. 
By Richard Rathbun. U.S. National Museum, Bull. 80. Pp. 132-+xxxiv 
plates. (Washington, 1913.) 
NO. 2366, VOL. 95] 
This great width and the fact that the building 
is four storeys high might lead one to expect a 
deficiency of light. The modern classic style, 
however, has permitted exceptionally large win- 
dows (Fig. 1) in all but the upper storey, where, 
of course, skylights are available. Moreover, in 
these windows a maximum of glass surface has 
been secured by the use of light metal framing. 
Light is also furnished to the wings by light-wells 
50 ft. wide, which break through the upper storeys 
and light all except the basement or ground storey. 
The floor of the first storey is thus all available, 
but the top-lit area is usually separated by glazed 
, Showing the South front, the outer end of the East wing, and the beginning 
