528 REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1903. 



there has been published, for example, a three- volume subject catalogue 

 in octavo, embracing the additions from 1880 to 1895, comprising over 

 120,000 works. The library receives all volumes cop3^righted in Great 

 Britain and Ireland and in the British colonies, and expends about 

 $50,000 yearly each for purchases and for binding. As to the number 

 of volumes erroneous reports are generally circulated. It is claimed 

 that the National Library in Paris is the largest, with 3,000,000 volumes; 

 then follows the British Museum, with over 2,000,000; then the Berlin 

 RoA^al Librar}', with 1,000,000. As a matter of fact the British Museum 

 is the richest, with from four to five millions, of which perhaps half 

 a million are periodicals that occupy 12 straight miles and embrace 

 over 30,000 different journals (exclusive of newspapers), in which 

 respect no other library in the world even approximately approaches 

 it. In wealth of books, therefore, the library of the British Museum 

 in London is unequaled, though the number of readers is compara- 

 tively small— in 1899, 188,551.« 



The total number of visitors to the British Musenm in 1900 was 

 689,249 persons, of which 43,892 came on Sundays.* 



19. OTHER LONDON MUSEUMS. 



MUSEUM OF THE ROYAL COLLEGE OP SURGEONS OF ENGLAND. 



This famous museum of comparative anatomy, whose directors in 

 recent times have been, in succession, Owen and Flower, can perhaps 

 be regarded as the best natural-science museum in the world, even 

 though it does not entirely correspond to the modern standard. It 

 consists of a series of large halls with skylights and two or three gal- 

 leries one above the other (Plate 35 represents one of these halls). On 

 account of this arrangement the light is sometimes insufficient; there 

 are corners and spaces underneath the galleries which are completely 

 dark, and the reflection from the glass desk cases in the galleries is 

 very annoying. The general effect, however, is noble and beautiful. 

 Much stress is laid upon the admirable method of installation, though 

 it does not alwaj^s in every respect I'epresent the highest advances. 

 The anthropological collection is, in particular, not so carefully and 

 scientificalh" installed as far-reaching demands would necessitate, and 

 the whole museum could be kept much cleaner. There is, however, 

 not a sufficient labor force for this purpose. 



Although the disadvantage of high halls and galleries lighted from 

 above was known, in order not to depart from the uniform plan of the 

 interior of the museum a similar large hall has lately been added. 

 The cabinets and cases are, as is almost uniformly the case in England, 

 constructed of mahogany — antiquated and clumsy, and not dust proof. 



« In 1900, 198,566; in 1901, 200,035. «> In 1901, 718,614, of which on Sundays 48,895. 



