4 MUSEUMS. 



The Museums are closed on Sundays and Fridays (except the 

 Fridays of Whit-, Easter- and Christmas-Weeks) throughout the 

 year, as well as on Christmas Day, and days of Public Fast and 

 Thanksgiving. 



The Museums were represented by the Director at the British 

 Association, which met at Southport under the presidency of Sir 

 Norman Lockyer, K.C.B., LL.D., F.R.S., in September, but through 

 ill-health he was unable to attend the Museums Association, which 

 met at Aberdeen in July. 



Since 1896, a period of eight years, •34,1!>!) specimens of Natural 

 History and 7,04-'i specimens of Ethnography, totalling (dose upon 

 01,242 specimens, have been added to the collection. 



II. — Visitors. 



During the year there has been a considerable increase in the 



number of visitors to the Museums, compared with that of the 



previous year, as shown by the averages in the following table : 



1902. 1903. 



(263 Days) (263 Days) 



Total Visitors 310,472 ... 499,431 



Weekly Average »,970 ... 9,604 



Daily Average 1,175 ... 1,898 



The attendance of school children under the charge of teachers has 

 been well maintained, over 1,000 children and 50 teachers having 

 availed themselves of the clause in the Education Code, whereby 

 time devoted to instruction in Museums reckons as school attendance. 

 School teachers are making increased use of the Museum theatre 

 to give special lessons to their pupils- specimens being brought 

 from the Museum cases for illustrating them. Such a course is 

 found to be of greater educational value than merely a general 

 visit with no specific object. On many occasions lectures and 

 demonstrations have been given by members of the Staff, on 

 arrangement having previously been made with the teachers and the 

 Director. 



