1873.] ^ SENATE— No. 252. 



11 



occurs on every floor below, and I would suggest that the 

 elevator in its present position is inconvenient on account of 

 loss of room, and would be very dangerous in case of fire. 



Much care has been taken in the arrangement of the cellars, 

 which were very much crowded until the new building was 

 erected. All the packages of specimens have been examined, 

 and many of the specimens have been removed from the 

 wooden barrels, or the earthen jars in which they have been 

 kept, and have been transferred to copper cans with screw 

 tops, in which the specimens cannot be injured either by 

 leakage or evaporation. There can be no doubt that the 

 only sure way * of preserving alcoholic specimens (especially 

 the fishes) , is to put them in vessels of glass or copper, and 

 to use the very best quality of alcohol. These materials are 

 undoubtedly expensive at first, but specimens once properly 

 packed are safe for many years, whereas the use of inferior 

 materials involves the risk of losing the specimens, with the 

 time, labor and nioney which has been spent upon them. An 

 especial room has been arranged for the proper care of the 

 glass jars and alcohol used in the establishment. By having 

 these expensive articles under the charge of one person, I 

 find the waste and breakage is much less than formerly. 



A carpenter has been at work for a year past making 

 models of cases for the exhibition rooms in the new building, 

 but, for the present, there is no possibility of making any 

 additions to the show-cases. The expenses of keeping the 

 Museum on its present footing, without adding to the capaci- 

 ties for exhibition or attempting to furnish any of the rooms 

 in the new part of the building, will require an addition of 

 at least fifty thousand dollars to our regular income of ten 

 thousand five hundred dollars. And in expending this ap- 

 parently large sum, the strictest economy would be required 

 to enable the Museum to retain the position which it has 

 gained. 



INIuch pains has been taken to give an appearance of neat- 

 ness and order to the grounds adjoining the Museum. These 

 improvements have been made at a very trifling cost. I 

 found it necessary to have two men to assist the janitor in 

 moving boxes of specimens, receiving collections, and in 

 doing all the drudgery of the establishment; and as the 



