* 
842 The American Naturalist. [September, 
guette and Velasquez. The palace is a magnificent building, plain, 
simple, in good style and good taste, solid, impressive, not over-decora- 
ted, and excellently arranged for its purpose. There are at present, 
housed and under its roof, three Expositions, one in each story, distinct 
from each other, and organized by different authorities. That in the 
basement is entirely Spanish, belongs to the War and Navy Depart- 
ment, and consists of objects furnished by these two departments. On 
the first or principal story, is the International Exposition Historico- 
Americano, in which all objects are supposed to have relations to 
America and belonging to a period prior to 1700. Senor Navarro- 
Reverter is Delegate-General. The second story contains the Exposi- 
tion Historico-European. Its objects relate entirely to Europe, but 
principally to Spain, and have a greater or less antiquity. Padre Fita 
is Delegate-General. He is a Jesuit Father, a very learned man, an 
ardent and wise Archeologist, and of unblemished character. His 
good qualities were such as that when his appeal was made to the 
church authorities throughout Spain for the loan of their treasures, 
assuring them of their safety and return, he received such offers of 
valuable objects as to enable him to fill his entire space with the richest 
and most interesting. 
Let us enter this building. The basement is 20 feet to the ceiling 
and it has 22 rooms. The first story is 27 feet to the ceiling and has 
46 rooms. The second story is 30 feet to the ceiling and has 49 rooms. 
The principal display rooms or halls form the outside of the rectangle. 
On the side toward the Calle de Serrano, these halls are 45 feet wide. 
On the other sides of the rectangle they are but 35 feet wide. The 
centre of the rectangle is devoted principally to the Library. The 
Reading Room is in the center, is a most excellent arrangement, and 
is magnificently decorated. The Standards and Coats of Arms of 
Spain, of all the Provinces aud the principal Cities are here displayed 
by frescoes upon the walls. Medallions of great scientists, historians, 
literati, form a part of the decoration. It is 95 feet square, without 
obstruction to the roof, from which it is lighted by sky-light. The 
books are to be arranged in stacks running out from this central room 
like the spokes of a wheel. As we enter the building from the Calle 
de Serrano, to visit the Exposition Americano in the principal story, a 
turn to the left takes us into the section occupied by the’United States, 
6 rooms in all. We can pass from one hall to the other half round the 
rectangle, and out upon the opposite side, or continue clear around to 
the place of entrance. The halls containing the displays of the various 
countries follow in this order :—Nicaragua, Guatemala and: Dominican 
