BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY). 121 



ascertaining their worth in modifying the deleterious effects of 

 light on specimens. 



Spirit Building and Western Extension. 



The Trustees have given further consideration to the question 

 of the site for the new building to contain specimens preserved 

 in spirit. They never regarded with favour the proposal to 

 place an underground building between the main structure and 

 Oromwell E.oad. After conference with the First Commis- 

 sioner of His Majesty's Works, &;c., that project has been 

 abandoned. The position now proposed for the new spirit 

 museum is on tlie north side of the western ground. 



The Office of Works has been asked to prepare a plan for 

 the western extension of the Natural History Museum, of 

 which the new spirit building would form the northern side. 

 The growth of the Museum in every direction, which is only 

 partly reflected in the congested state of the exhibition 

 galleries, makes it necessary to proceed without delay with a 

 scheme to provide additional accommodation, not only for the 

 collections, but also for study and research purposes. The want 

 of room is being seriously felt in all the Departments, but is 

 a matter of urgency especially in the Departments of Zoology 

 and Entomology, which, under present conditions, are not 

 able to provide adequate study accommodation or tables for 

 research work either for the staff or for students. The Trustees 

 are anxious, therefore, that the building of the West Wing of 

 the main Museum intended for the extension of the two 

 Departments should be commenced as soon as possible. 



Ghent Exhibition. 



As mentioned in the last Annual Report (1913), the Trustees 

 agreed, on the invitation of the Board of Trade, to the Natural 

 History Museum participating in the organisation, by that 

 Department, of a Tropical Diseases Section in the British 

 Pavilion of the International Exhibition held at Ghent. The 

 Museum exhibits were intended to illustrate by means of 

 specimens, drawings, «fec., some of the species of animals which 

 are known to have, or are supposed to have, an influence on 

 the spread of human diseases. 



Certain species of antelopes and other " Big Game " were 

 represented in the Exhibition as examples of the animals which 

 are believed by some inquirers to act as the "reservoir" con- 

 taining the deadly species of Trypan osomes whicli give rise to 

 Sleeping Sickness. It has been maintained that the extermina- 

 tion of the big game in areas infected by Tsetse-flies would 

 result in a diminution, or even in the disappearance, of Sleeping 

 Sickness. Opinions on this subject are, however, divided, and 

 the British Museum (Natural History) by exhibiting specimens 

 of the species in question, must not be considered to have given 

 its assent to the view that the extermination of big game is 



