REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 29 



NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The appropriation by Congress of $15,000 for the support and exhibi- 

 tion of the museum was continued last year. This appropriation, how- 

 ever, was scarcely sufficient to defray the expenses ; but as Congress 

 within the last two years had also granted $12,000 for heating-apparatus, 

 and $25,000 for the fitting up with cases of additional rooms for the 

 accommodation of the collections, a larger sum than $15,000 was not 

 asked for the care of the specimens. During the last year a steam- 

 heating apparatus has been introduced under the direction of Lewis 

 H. Leeds, of New York, heating and ventilating engineer. /The contract 

 for the work was awarded to Messrs. Blake & Shotwell, of New York, 

 who have faithfully carried out the plan adopted. 



We regret to say, however, that the boilers, placed as they are in the 

 middle of the length of the building, are scarcely sufficient in size to heat 

 the extreme ends, and that during the coldest weather additional 

 apparatus will be required. In the appendix is given a report of the 

 engineer, with a plan of the several stories of the building. 



The contract for making cases for the mineralogical department was 

 given to John H. Bird, who has executed the work to the entire satis- 

 faction of the Institution. The contract for constructing the cases for 

 the large room of the upper story was awarded to James W. McKnight. 

 These cases are of pine, veneered with walnut and bird's-eye maple, 

 with large panes of English plate-glass, and are covered at the top 

 and bottom with zinc to render them dust-proof. They are much more 

 elaborately finished than museum-casesusually are, and this too at a much 

 less expense than that of the various cases in other public buildings of this 

 city. The plans and specifications of these cases, with a model case, were 

 prepared by Prof. H. A. Ward, of Bochester, N. Y., with some modifica- 

 tions by Mr. A. Cluss, who has for several years been the architect of the 

 Smithsonian building. The construction of the cases by Mr. McKnight 

 was completed to the entire satisfaction of Mr. Cluss, the architect, 

 not, however, without a complaint on the part of the contractor that 

 his estimate of the cost of the work was far from being at a remuner- 

 ative rate. The appropriation was sufficient to complete the cases, but 

 not to furnish them with shelves. For this, an additional appropriation 

 will be required. It is proposed to devote the large room, which is 200 

 feet long and 50 wide by 25 in height, entirely to ethnology, this being 

 a branch of science attracting perhaps at the preseut time more attention 

 than almost any other, and of which the illustrations at present in the 

 general collection of the National Museum are nearly sufficient to fill the 

 entire space and are rapidly increasing in number. 



The appropriation of $15,000 for the care of the museum has provided 

 for the employment of an additional assistant to take charge of the 

 mineralogical collections. The person appointed to this position is Dr. 

 F. M. Endlich, of Beading, Pa., who has lately completed his scientific 



