MUSEUMS. 41 



II. — Visitors. 



During' the year there has been some slight decrease in the 

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

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



11X)3. 1904. 



(263 Days) (-203 Days) 



Total Visitors 499,431 ... 482,910 



Weekly Average 9,604 ... 9,286 



Daily Average 1,898 ... 1,836 



The attendance of school children under the charge of teachers has 

 been well maintained, over 1,G00 children and 120 teachers having 

 availed themselves of the clause in the Education Code, whereby 

 time devoted to instruction in Museums reckons as school attend- 

 ance. 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. Occasional lectures and 

 demonstrations have been given by members of the Staff, on 

 arrangement having previously been made by the teachers with the 

 Director. 



Persons desirous of employing the Museums for the purpose of 

 research, reference or sketching may, by application to the Director, 

 and on giving satisfactory references, obtain tickets enabling them 

 to enter on Fridays, when special facilities are afforded to students. 

 Tickets were issued, as usual, during the year (chiefly) to Artists, 

 of whom a much larger number than heretofore have availed them- 

 selves of the advantages the Museum collections afford, and to 

 Students of Natural History, Osteology and Dental Anatomy, who 

 have made extensive use of the collections, mainly on the days when 

 the Museums were closed to the public. The pupils studying at the 

 Mount Street School of Art attend in a body, regularly once a week. 



The following, among others, have visited the Museums during 

 the year for the purpose of inspecting the collections or other special 

 object: -Dr. Storie Dixson, Sydney University; His Excellency, 

 Sir I. P. Rodger, K.C.M.O.. Governor of the Gold Coast, West 



