These and the many other gifts enumerated in the 

 list of donations for the year, evince a desire on the part 

 of the donors, to add to the treasures of the Museum 

 and to increase its usefulness. To all the donors the 

 Committee have expressed their sincere thanks. 



ACQUISITIONS BY PURCHASE. 



During the year the Committee have been able to 

 make various purchases by means of which omissions 

 in several departments have been to some extent 

 supplied, and the collections made more representative. 

 This applies to the purchase of a number of local birds 

 in fine condition enabling; gaps to be filled up, and 

 inferior specimens to be discarded. 



The Curator was able to acquire in the neighbour- 

 hood of the quarries a large number of fossils from the 

 Great Oolite of Minchinhampton. 



The purchase of a cast of the Archaeopteryx, the 

 oldest known fossil bird, was also made, and the 

 specimen has been framed and mounted upon the wall 

 of the Upper Museum, where it has attracted consider- 

 able attention. 



In the department of local antiquities, an interest- 

 ing series of Romano-British objects found at Sea 

 Mills was acquired ; also some selected specimens 

 belonging to the earlier Bronze Age. 



The Committee have kept before them the inten- 

 tion to make a special feature of a department, in 

 which shall be exhibited such objects as illustrate the 

 past history and industries of Bristol. They found in 

 their endeavour to develop the Museum that this was 

 a department that had not received much attention, 

 but they believe the object they have in view will 

 meet with approval, while in carrying it out, what 



