being an Increase over the previous year of 112,320 volumes, or about 

 24 per cent. 



The new building in Shaw's Brow is proceeding with vigour and 

 rapidity. The contracts have exceeded the £30,000 so nobly dedi- 

 cated to this purpose by Mr. Brown, but his generosity has removed 

 all difficulty by taking the matter entirely upon himself. The area 

 of the erection covers above 6,000 square yards on each floor, which 

 will give ample room for the full development of every branch of the 

 establishment. 



An opportunity occurred during the past year by which the Com- 

 mittee were enabled to purchase on very reasonable terms a collection 

 of Casts from some of the finest Statues of antiquity. These are at 

 present deposited in St. George's Hall, and are intended for the 

 Gallery of Art in the new Museum. 



In the scientific department, a fine collection of Fossils and Shells 

 has been obtained by purchase from ^Mr. Charlesworth, of York, 

 containing 350 species of existing Shells, principally British, and 

 about 1,500 species of Fossil Remains. Many of the tertiary fossils 

 in this collection were from the museum of the late Dr. Mantel, and 

 are specially worthy of notice. 



A very extensive series of Weapons of savage nations used in war- 

 fare, many of them unique, collected by the late Capt. Savage, R.N., 

 of Her Majesty's Dockyard, Portsmouth, has been purchased, con- 

 stituting one of the finest ethnological series existing. 



The pressure on the Lending Libraries has been so great as to 

 cause the utmost anxiety for an extension or enlargement. This has 

 now been happily accomplished. For the South Library two houses 

 in Parliament Street, opposite St. James's Church, have been pur- 

 chased, aud altered so as to form very commodious premises for the 

 Library purposes, with residence for the Librarian, &c. The entire 

 cost has been about £1,500, the greater part of which will be bon-owed 

 under the powers of the Library and ]\Iuseum Act. 



An arrangement is in progress for giving similar increased accom- 

 modation to the North Lending Library, by the enlargement of the 

 existing premises. 



The following particulars in each department will be found not 

 devoid of interest. 



