REPORT OF ASSISTANT SECRETARY. 39 



The following abstract of the report of the Superintendent of Build- 

 ings for the year will serve to show the various ways in which the me- 

 chanics and laborers have been employed : 



July. — The unloading and storage of the metallurgical exhibits from Philadelphia 

 wero completed. The arrival from tho New Orleans Exposition of the Smithsonian col- 

 lections commenced, and tho boxes as soon as received were stored temporarily in the 

 lecture hall. This was a work of great labor, and demanded tho assistance of almost 

 tho entire laboring force. A portion of tho collection of fossil plants was removed to 

 tho northwest gallery in the Smithsonian building, which had been assigned as a lab- 

 oratory for the department. Tho Indian spears were removed from the Anthropolog- 

 ical Hall in the Smithsonian building to the northeast gallery, for classification and 

 re-arrangement. The exhibit of the Department of Agriculture at New Orleans was 

 received and placed in the Museum building. The shelving in the main hall of tho 

 Smithsonian building — devoted to tho display of mounted birds — was changed in 

 accordance with the wishes of the curator of birds. This work occupied the time of 

 carpenters and painters for several weeks. Five one-fourth unit sections were con- 

 structed for the Department of mammals, and the fiat-top cases in which the gem col- 

 lection had been exhibited at New Orleans were restored to tho Mineral Hall. 



August. — Tho carpenters commenced fitting and arranging shelving in the floor- 

 upright casos in tho west hall. Nine pedestals for tho Department of Comparative 

 Anatomy were finished and placed in the Exhibition Hall. 



September. — The erection of a new case for tho Department of Birds was commenced. 

 Tho work of making and fitting shelving for tho slopo cases in tho Department of 

 Minerals, and the construction of diaphragms for the cases in the Department of 

 Metallurgy were begun. The wooden annex building was moved GO feet towards the 

 west. Slope cases were arranged in the Gothic Hall, Smithsonian building, for the 

 reptile casts. Table-cases were arranged in the laboratory and exhibition hall of the 

 Department of Mollusks, and five hundred trays fitted for the same. 



October. — Screens were placed along the galleries in the Smithsonian building in 

 order to secure greater privacy to the curators to whom laboratories have been as- 

 signed there. The columns and walls of the main hall of the Smithsonian building 

 were cleaned and repainted. The boat models, returned from Now Orleans, were un- 

 packed and replaced on exhibition in tho hall assigned to the section of naval archi- 

 tecture. A portion of the metallurgical exhibit in the west hall of tho Museum 

 building was transferred from temporary pedestals to exhibition cases. The Mexican 

 casts were installed on pedestals prepared by tho carpenters for their reception. A 

 largo number of empty cases were removed from tho northeast court. The re-opening 

 of tho Exposition at New Orleans caused the repacking and reshipment thither of a 

 large portion of tho exhibit of the State Department, which had been transferred to the 

 custody of tho Museum. Shelves wero arranged in the balconies of the rotunda for 

 tho reception of living plants. 



November.- -The collection of musical instruments was removed from the east hall to 

 tho north hall, and tho ethnological exhibits were re-arranged. 



Models and relief maps, received from the Geological Survey, were placed upon ex- 

 hibition. Shelving was arranged around the west basement of the Smithsonian 

 building for the convenience of the department/ of fishes. The repair of cases in- 

 jured on the journey to and from New Orleans was commenced. The w T ork-rooms of 

 tho taxidermist and osteologist, in the annex building, were ceiled. The collection 

 of scientific instruments was removed from the east to the north hall. 



December. — Skylights were placed in two of tho rooms on the west balcony and in 

 one room on tho south balcony. Tho " knock-down" cases from New Orleans, which 

 had been temporarily stored in the lecture hall, were removed to the east entrance, 

 preparatory to being taken apart and placed in storage. Are-arrangement of tho 

 mass of material in the Armory building was effected, under the supervision of the 



