REPORT OP ASSISTANT DIRECTOR. 17 



and periodicals, space is very much restricted, owing to the fact that 

 there are a number of large desks, tables, and stands, which are of 

 course necessary adjuncts to a library, but are greatly in the way in so 

 small a room. The shelves of the first floor and of the gallery are now 

 quite full. The periodical department, on the upper floor, is particu- 

 larly in need of more commodious quarters. The larger periodicals and 

 newspapers are packed away in inconvenient places, and some are quite 

 inaccessible. The overcrowded condition of this department is increased 

 by the cases and material of the Department of Labels stored in the 

 gallery of the library room. 



It is suggested that the present upper story of the library room could 

 be extended toward the north-west and west-north ranges. This change 

 could be made at comparatively small cost, and would not mar the 

 architectural effect of the interior of the Museum. Something might be 

 gained by building galleries on the west wall of the west-north range 

 and the north side of the north-west range, at the level of the floor of 

 the second story of the library. 



(b) Distribution of duplicates and exchanges. 



The following table represents the character and number of boxes 

 and packages of specimens distributed to museums and colleges and in 

 exchange with correspondents during the half year: 



Boxes and packages. 



Mammal skins and skeletons 12 



Birds' skins, nests, and eggs 27 



Minerals (more than 1,200 specimens) ., 19 



Reptiles 2 



Marine invertebrates (in sets) 16 



Marine invertebrates, miscellaneous packages 13 



Fossils ., „ 2 



Pottery 6 



Indian relics 34 



Fishes 2 



Plants 5 



Casts (plaster) , 2 



Rocks 4 



Shells 6 



Corals 1 



Insects 1 



Total 152 



The total number of packages sent out was 1,474, 152 of which (in- 

 cluding more than 15,000 specimens of all kinds) were, as shown in the 

 preceding table, in the form of gift or exchange with institutions or in- 

 dividuals. 



During the six months there have been recorded twenty-five applica- 

 tions for specimens, many of which have been attended to. 

 H. Mis. 15, pt. 2 2 • 



