sity to provide accoramodatiou for the increasing wants. The Museum is 

 greatly cramped for want of space. Tlie Mayer collection cannot at present 

 be displayed in the manner which its great value and historical interest 

 imperatively require ; and the Reference Library, both in tlie reading accom- 

 modation and the space for proper arrangement of the ever-increasing number 

 of books, demands a wider scope for usefulness. To combine these various 

 purposes the Committee instructed Messrs. Sherlock and Vale, the architects 

 of the new Gallery, to submit plans for a building which should contain a new 

 reading-room and library connecting the two buildings. The present reading- 

 room could then be devoted to the purposes of the Museum, and each branch 

 of the Institution would have its separate entrance, with internal communica- 

 tion. When the plans are complete they will be laid before the Council. 



The following are the statistics of the several departments. 



ART DEPARTMENT. 



The results of the Art Exhibition of this year have been far in advance of 

 those of its predecessors, as will be seen from the following report of the 

 Sub-Committee : — 



The Committee have now the pleasure to report the results of the late 

 Autumn Exhibition of Pictures at the Free Library and Museum. 



The Exhibition was opened to the public from Monday, September 7th, to 

 Saturday, December 5th, during the day, and in the evening during the Musical 

 Festival week, at a charge of Is., and from Monday, October 26th, to Friday, 

 December 4th, at 3d. 



The number of admissions by payments at the door amounted to 16,524 in 

 the morning and 19,905 in the evening, making a total of 36,429, besides 795 

 season tickets, and about 18,000 pupils of educational establishments of all 

 classes and denominations admitted gratuitously. 



The number of works exhibited consisted of 509 oil colours, 508 water 

 colours, 43 pieces of sculpture and other works of art, forming a total of 

 1,120. 



Of these, 1,036 were for sale, and 335 were actually sold for sums amount- 

 ing to £9,484 3s. Od., — £205 being expended by the Corporation in works of 

 Art for the permanent Gallery now in the course of erection. 



The Committee have much pleasure in drawing attention to the satisfactory 

 results embodied in the foregoing figures. They are again able to point to the 

 large increase in season tickets as evidence of a steady growth in the serious 



