840 The American Naturalist. [September, 
music, with the bright dresses of the women and clergy, the gay uni- 
forms of the Civil, Military and Naval Authorities and Officers, with 
the decorations of the pavilion and throne-room in crimson velvet and 
magnificent tapestries, of which the Spanish government possesses so 
many specimens, conspired to make a brilliant and imposing scene. 
The Secretary, Senor Juan Zaragossa, was most effective in sécuring 
subscribers to the Congress of whom he had over 2,000, though only 
about 200 were in attendance, and but few of these were constant at the 
meetings or gave attention to its business. As a fete, it was a grand 
success ; as a congress, its benefits were few. 
The Exposicion Historico-Americano.—Madrid, Spain, 1892. 
—The Exposition was held in a permanent building, one which was 
new—just completed, and is intended as the home of the National 
Library, the Archeological Museum, and the Galleries of Sculpture 
and Modern Painting. It occupies the entire square between the Paseo 
de Recoletos and the Calle de Serrano for two opposite sides, and upon 
the other, the Calles Villa Neuva and Jorge Juan. The cornerstone 
of this building was laid in 1866, under the reign of Isabella II, and 
the building was intended for the Department of the Interior. Work 
progressed upon it until the foundations were laid and brought 
to the level of the ground, when the Revolution by which Queen Isa- 
bella was dethroned, brought it to a standstill. It thus remained until 
1884, when the project was again brought forward and the celebrated 
architect, Antonio Ruiz del Salces, presented new plans for the build- 
ing as a Library and Museum. 
On the 19th of January, 1887, the contract for the completion of the 
building was entered into with Don Juan ones bs de gue of 
10,000,000 pesatas. (A pesata i S u 
French or 20 cents American money. ) Two architects were ch osen,the one 
to represent the government, the other to represent the contractor, and 
they were made, jointly, superintendents of the building. Under their 
joint direction, the contractor performed his work. The sequel proves 
the wisdom of this arrangement, for the building is erected in a satis- 
factory manner and apparently without dispute or disagreement. It is 
the custom among the English and American visitors in Spain to point, 
with a certain degree of reproach, to the Spanish character as carrying 
its love of ease and good nature to such an extent as to sap their energy ; 
and to call them in derision, the “ Mañana people," because it is suid 
they propose never to do to-day what they can put off till to-morrow. 
But the erection of this palace, running over a period of time since 
