12 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1904. 



the collections. The Proceedings and Bulletins are almost exclusively 

 technical, the shorter papers being - assigned to the former and the 

 larger and more exhaustive works to the latter. Of the Proceedings 

 tweifty-four complete volumes have been issued, and of the Bulletins 

 fifty-two numbers. 



THE NEW MUSEUM BUILDING. 



As stated in the last report, Congress, in its session of 1903, had 

 authorized the erection of an additional building for the National 

 Museum at a cost not to exceed $3,500,000, and tin 1 Board of Regents 

 had appointed a committee to have charge of this important work. 

 The superintendent of construction, Mr. Bernard K. Green, had been 

 designated in the act of Congress, and the architects, Messrs. Horn- 

 blower & Marshall, who prepared the tentative sketches, had been 

 selected by the Regents. 



By the close of that year the architects had begun upon the elabora- 

 tion of their plans, a work of slow progress, since the building is not 

 for an object with which that profession, in an} T part of the world, has 

 had much to do. There is no fixed pattern to follow, but it is hoped to 

 correct some of the faults shown in buildings heretofore put up for 

 the same purpose; to correct them all is beyond expectation. It has 

 been the task of the Museum expert to explain his needs; it is now for 

 the architect to express them in a definite and practical form. It is 

 expected that this work will be satisfactorily accomplished, and a 

 building produced meeting the requirements of science and the arts, 

 as well as those proposed for architectural improvement at the national 

 capital. 



It is still too early to discuss the details of the plans. It may oe 

 said, however, that the building will be effective in appearance, sub- 

 stantial, and fireproof. It will have an abundance of light and be 

 well ventilated and well heated. The reserve collections and the labor- 

 atories of each division will be in relatively close proximit}^ to the 

 corresponding exhibition collections, insuring convenience of study 

 and oversight. Several elevators will connect the different stories, 

 and the comfort of visitors will be fully providedfor. Congress has 

 called for plans for a central power and heating plant for the buildings 

 on the Mall. The benefits of such a feature can not fail to be appre- 

 ciated, but as some dela} T must occur in carrying out this measure, it 

 is expected that the new Museum building will need to have its own 

 separate plant installed in the basement to meet at least its preliminary 

 wants. 



By the beginning of the calendar year 1904 the plans had been suffi- 

 ciently advanced to fix definitely the main lines, the general dimensions, 

 and the architectural design, though requiring still further study to 



