30 REPORT OF THE SECRETARY. 



United States, as well as collections of specimens. The academy has 

 expressed its grateful appreciation of the generous attitude of foreign 

 and American societies and of the aid offered by the International 

 Exchange Service of the Smithsonian Institution in rehabilitating 

 its library and collections. 



NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



The overcrowding of the present Museum building has necessarily 

 continued, so that in many places it presents almost the aspect of a 

 storehouse. Nevertheless, the collections can be viewed by visitors, 

 although not to the advantage which a freer installation would render 

 possible. Meanwhile the roof of the present building is being re- 

 paired and various exhibition halls have been isolated with a view to 

 obtaining greater fire protection. Exclusive of the subject of the fine 

 arts, the additions to the Museum during the year consisted of about 

 a quarter of a million of specimens representing all the subjects em- 

 braced in the Museum collections. Several expeditions for collecting 

 and observation were made by memhers of the staff. Many of the 

 collections were reclassified and numerous papers published. Of 

 duplicate specimens separated from the collections about 16,000 were 

 distributed in 208 sets to educational establishments in different parts 

 of the United States. The principal labor of representing the Insti- 

 tution and the Museum at the Jamestown Exposition,' and the Gov- 

 ernment, the Institution, and the Museum at the Bordeaux Exposition, 

 fell upon the staff of the Museum. Mr. W. de C. Ravenel, the ad- 

 ministrative assistant of the Museum, acted as representative of the 

 Institution for both these expositions with great ability and success. 



NEW BUILDING FOR THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



Although the new building for the National Museum has not pro- 

 gressed so rapidly as had been expected, due almost exclusively to 

 delays in the delivery of the granite, these conditions have now been 

 overcome, and it is confidently expected that the building will be 

 under roof by the spring of 1908 and be ready for occupancy by the 

 beginning of 1909, consuming a period of time not excessive in view 

 of the great, size of the building and of the solid and monumental 

 character of its construction. 



As the new building approaches completion certain questions con- 

 nected with the future administration of the Museum necessarily 

 press for consideration. It has been reasonably well determined that 

 the new building will be devoted to the scientific and historical col- 

 lections, and the present Museum building will be employed for the 

 development of the department of arts and industries; that the upper 

 exhibition hall of the Smithsonian building will be utilized to the 



