8 
work that I have yet had, but the whole has been done without any serious 
hindrance to the ordinary work of the Institution. In the preparation of 
the ‘‘ Devonshire” Catalogue, my assistant, Mr. W. H. Walton, rendered 
invaluable assistance, and dealt with the many details in a most careful and 
painstaking way. 
The last thousand of the new borrowers are thus distributed in the 
various wards, the second column showing the number that would be reason- 
ably expected per thousand, according to the number of householders. 
| Actual | Number 
| WARD. Number of according to 
Borrowers. Population. | 
Arboretum... on 143 160 
Babington ee os tee 153 126 
Becketya.. er AoE te 206 188 
Castles... 2: ee e 64 118 
lerwent a ee ane 53 64 
Friargate ‘ ASE ue 125 iTS 
King’s Mead ... bth ais 109 142 
Litchurch ag ass at 87 87 
Becket Ward furnishes far above its proper quota of readers, Babington 
and Friargate Wards are also considerably in advance. Litchurch Ward has 
exactly its right proportion, and the other wards fall below. Castle Ward 
supplies only slightly more than half its proper share. 
The news rooms are as fully used as ever, and I have not had any 
complaint of the conduct of those who frequent them, neither has there 
been the slightest difficulty in securing and maintaining orderly behaviour. 
Early in the year there was an epidemic of that petty pilfering, which is 
never entirely absert from our own and similar institutions, but a printed 
appeal to those using the rooms to protect their own pro-erty, had the 
desired effect, and I am glad to say that we have had no case now for some 
months. 
I am very glad indeed to report that the re-arrangement of the fossils 
in the Museum is at length completed. The work has been a long and an 
arduous one, and the Sub-Committee charged with this special work has 
spared neither time nor trouble in carrying it out. The collection now 
consists of about 3,600 specimens, local species being well represented, and 
the whole forms just such a collection of types as will be most useful to the 
