THE MUSEUMS. 



The Director of Museums furnishes the Forty-Fourth Aunual Report 

 upon the conduct and peogress of the Museums. 



I. — General. 

 The Free Public Museums comprise (A) the Derby Museum, of 

 which the nucleus was the collections bequeathed in 1851 to the City, by 

 the Fourteenth Earl of Derby. It contains The British Collections, and 

 the general Zoological, Geological, Mineralogical and Botanical Depart- 

 ments, besides which there is an Aquarium, containing both Fresh and 

 Salt Water Animals ; (B) The Mayer Museum, the larg'er part of 

 which was collected and presented to the Corporation by Joseph 

 Mayer, Esq., F.S.A. These collections are specially rich in (a) Egyptian, 

 Babylonian, and Assyrian Antiquities ; (b) Mediceval European Ivories, 

 Bronzes, and Illuminated Manwcripts ; (c) The unrivalled Faussett 

 Anglo-Saxon Collection ; (d) The Mather Miniatures ; and (e) the very 

 important Pottery Collections, conspicuously rich in Wedgwood and 

 Old Liverpool Wares. Associated with this Museum, as belonging 

 more nearly to the subjects illustrated by it, though not forming to any 

 large extent part of the Mayer Bequest, are (f) the Ethnographical 

 Collections, chiefly of barbaric races. 



The building in which these collections are housed was erected at the 

 cost of the late Sir William Brown, in October 1860. 



The Exhibition Galleries are open free to the public, as under : — 

 During January, November, and December ... from 10 to 4 

 „ February ... ... ... „ 10 to 4-30 



,, March and October ... ... „ 10 to 5 



„ April to September ... ... „ 10 to 6 



Also on Monday Evenings during January to] 



March, and October to December 



The Museums are closed on Sundays and Fridays (except those of 

 Whit and Easter Weeks) throughout the year, as well as on Christmas 

 Day, and days of Public Fast and Thanksgi\'ing. 



