NEED FOR A NEW BCILDING 67 



Owing to lack of an appropriation, no additions have been made 

 to the Museum building for the past ten years, and although a new wing 

 was authorized and the excavation for the basement actually made, 

 work was stopped in 1912. 



Due to this fact, and the continued work of the Museum expedi- 

 tions, all space in the Museum, and especially the storage rooms and 

 work rooms, have become badly congested. When Mr. Akeley began 

 the preparation of the group of African Elephants, intended as the 

 central piece for the projected African Hall, it was necessary to clear out 

 the Southeast Pavilion in order to provide necessary space; when the 

 collections were received from the Congo Expedition, the collection of 

 fishes was removed from the Central Corridor to the Bird Hall to furnish 

 a little storage room. The beautiful Reptile Groups are installed in 

 temporary quarters in the Central Pavilion, Second Floor, while nothing 

 can be done toward exhibiting the collection of Mammals of the Sea, 

 and the African Hall — the most beautiful and comprehensive museum 

 exhibit yet devised — is still in the future. 



Return to the Elevators and ascend to the Third Floor. 



THE PROJECTED AFRICAN HALL 



The plans for the future extension of the Museum include a hall 

 with gallery, devoted to Africa, in which the characteristic mammals 

 will be shown in groups amid their natural surroundings; in the center 

 of the hall will be placed a monumental group of African Elephants. 

 This hall both from an educational and artistic viewpoint will be the 

 greatest and most instructive exhibit ever planned, the object being to 

 give and preserve a comprehensive view of the wonderful mammalian 

 life of Africa, which for numbers, variety and size of individuals sur- 

 passes all other portions of the world combined. 



The plans for this hall as well as for the groups have been drawn by 

 Mr. Carl E. Akeley, and include many new features in the way of con- 

 struction, arrangement and lighting. This great undertaking will 

 naturally require many years for its completion, and in view of this fact, 

 although no appropriation has as yet been made for the building, the 

 I preparation of the groups has been commenced. As the work progresses, 

 examples of the animals to be included in these groups will be tempo- 

 rarily displayed, commencing with the elephants. 



