9 
less reason, of which at least 2,300 were done on our own premises. 
Table 7 simply gives general results summarised in such a form that 
the year’s work can be easily compared with that of its predecessor. 
The attendance in the Newsrooms shows no falling off, and although 
on the first opening of the Arboretum Branch some little difference was 
noticed, they are now fuller than ever. The average attendance at the 
Arboretum Branch has been 345 daily, that at the central Reading Rooms, 
at least four times the number. The behaviour of those who visit all the 
Reading Rooms leaves little to be complained of, and the petty pilfering 
I have often had to deplore has been all but absent during the year. 
Work in the Museum has progressed slowly and steadily. The sub- 
committee having charge of the re-arrangement has met weekly during 
the year, and their time has been principally devoted to the Invertebrates. 
They have carefully gone over all the specimens that existed in the 
Museum, have got rid of the imperfect and worthless, and have 
prepared a list of typical specimens to be obtained in the various classes. 
Some of these have already been obtained, others are on order, and in 
the course of a few months they will be available for the public. An 
important purchase of British Land and Freshwater Shells was made 
from the collection of the late Mr. Hagger, of Repton, and with the speci- 
mens already in stock, a tolerably complete case has been prepared, and 
these have been arranged and labelled, spaces being left for the species 
we do not possess. The Rey. Canon Carr, of Holbrook, has enriched the 
Museum by the presentation of a cabinet of Lichens and Mosses. 
The Annual Conference of the Library Association was held this year 
at Buxton, and in addition to attending it as the representative of this 
Institution, I was asked to perform the duties of Local Secretary. The 
meetings were exceedingly useful to those employed in Library work. I 
had the honour of being elected a member of the Council for the sixth 
year in succession, and have since been elected President of the North 
Midland Branch, which embraces the counties of Derby, Nottingham, 
Leicester, Lincoln, and parts of Yorkshire and Northants. 
An important change in our staff has taken place this year through 
the resignation of Miss Miller, who for very many years occupied an im- 
portant post in the Library, discharging its duties in a manner highly 
creditable to herself and acceptable to the public. Her departure necessi- 
tated a general re-arrangement of duties, but the other members of the 
staff have done their best to meet the circumstances, and I have no reason 
to believe that the interests of the Library or of the public will suffer. Of 
the zeal of the whole of the staff in your service I have spoken before in 
