MUSEUM. 



VISITORS. 



The experiment of opening the Museum on Monday evenings during the 

 winter months having proved successful as regards the number of visitors, and 

 no injury to the specimens from the use of gas having been detected, as stated 

 in the previous Annual Report, the same course has been pursued during the 

 last winter. The attendance has been more than equal to that of the previous 

 winter, as will be seen from the figures given below ; no damage to the speci- 

 mens has been detected, but in proof that the use of gas is not wholly free from 

 injurious results, it may be stated that a hundred young salmon (a few days 

 old) died after one Monday night's exhibition, scarcely any until the following 

 Monday, night when sixty died ; but no deaths took place on the next Monday 

 Avhen the Aquarium room was not lighted up. 



The statistics are as follows : 



18G3-4. 1864-5. 



25 Nights. 26 Nights. 



Total evening Visitors, 23,868 24.361 



Greatest attendance in one evening, 1,437 1,419 



Smallest attendance in one evening, 395 570 



Average per night, 954 937 



Total day Visitors, 464,255 438,287 



Average per day, 2,109 2,048 



Total day and evening Visitors, ... 488,123 462,648 



During the past year the interior of the building has been cleaned and 

 painted and the great hall handsomely decorated. The expense of this, amount- 

 ing to about £1,000, has been defrayed by a grant from the Borough Fund. 

 The partial closing necessary for this purpose, lias affected tlie number of 

 visitors to the Museum as well as to the Library. 



