THIRTY-NINTH ANNUAL REPORT. 



In the Geological Department the Committee are anxious to 

 make the collection as complete as pf)Ssihle, and hoi)c, by the 

 regular addition of specimens from time to time, soon to have a 

 fairly representative collection. During the year. 290 specimens 

 have been purchased, particulars of which are given in the Curator's 

 Report. 



Thanks are again due to the Committee of Egypt Exploration 

 Fund for a valuable donation of ])re-historic articles found at 

 Diospolis, Upper Egypt. 



Several interesting additions have been made by donation 

 to the collection illustrating Ethnography. 



Attention may be called to the portraits which have recently 

 been purchased by the Committee, viz., a jjorlrait of Mr. John 

 Robertson, designer and constructor of tlie engines of the "Comet," 

 and miniature portrait of James Watt. 



One of the most interesting additions made to the Museum 

 during the year is an exquisitely-finished full model of the "Comet,'" 

 constructed by the Curator from ])articulars obtained from a reliable 

 source. The model recently attracted the attention of an official 

 from the Science and Art Department, South Kensington, who 

 expressed a desire to have such a model in the South Kensington 

 Museum. The Committee, accordingly, offered to present a 

 duplicate of the model to that Museum and, their offer having been 

 accepted by the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education, 

 the Curator is at present engaged in constructing a second model. 



The loans from South Kensington have again been renewed. 

 These consist of four cases containing exhibits of a most interesting 

 nature, also twelve oil paintings and four cartoons. Three valuable 

 paintings have also been received on loan from the National Gallery 

 collection. 



In last year's Report it was mentioned thai a joint memorial 

 by the Museum, Library, and Philosophical and Natural History 

 Societies had been made for a grant of volumes of the Report of 

 the Voyage of H.M.S. "Challenger," and the Committee have now 

 much pleasure in stating that the application has proved successful 



