made an appendage to the upper, instead of the lower floor, and would furnish two convenient rooms for students, over those numbered 4 and 6 in Plan 17. The same staircase, falling in with one already existing between the entresol and Secretary’s Office, would supply a private communication between the upper and lower floors, in lieu of that abolished for the construction of the First Egyptian Room (III, 69). [Sidenote: SUMMARY OF SPACE FOR NATURAL HISTORY.] The total area of the apartments transferred to Natural History may be summarily stated thus:— ┌──────────────────────────────────┬─────────┬─────────┬─────────┐ │ │ │ Without │ With │ │ │ │Entresol.│Entresol.│ ├──────────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤ │Public Galleries: │ │ │ │ │ Present Galleries of Antiquities│ 19,185│ │ │ │ Proposed room over III (69) │ 2,660│ │ │ ├──────────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤ │ │ │ 21,845│ 21,845│ │Students’ Working Rooms │ │ 1,749│ 3,168│ │Officers’ Studies │ │ 868│ 868│ │Closets, Passages, and Staircase │ │ 936│ 1,557│ ├──────────────────────────────────┼─────────┼─────────┼─────────┤ │ Total addition │ │ 25,398│ 27,438│ └──────────────────────────────────┴─────────┴─────────┴─────────┘ [Sidenote: CONVENIENCE OF GIVING IT A DISTINCT FLOOR.] Independently of the increased accommodation, the advantage of acquiring for Natural History the exclusive possession of the upper floor is obvious and unquestionable, though the gain is not limited to that department. By separating its galleries entirely from those of Antiquities, the practical superintendence of each would be simplified; one department would no longer be a necessary thoroughfare to another; the confusion of ideas experienced by ordinary visitors from the juxtaposition of collections so incongruous would be avoided; and as each department would have a separate entrance, a facility would be given for varying their periods or regulations of admission, as the circumstances of each might at any time require; considerations which must hereafter acquire increasing weight in proportion to the increasing magnitude of the Museum. [Sidenote: ESTIMATE OF APPROXIMATE EXPENSE.]