12 Libraries. 



1880. 



In view of the approaching removal of the Natural History 

 Collections to South Kensington, and the consequent necessity of 

 founding a Library for the use of the officers and students, a 

 special grant, payable in yearly instalments, was voted by Parlia- 

 ment, the first instalment being granted for the following financial 

 year. 



It was decided that the several departments should continue 

 to purchase and hold such works as related to their special 

 subjects, while a fifth, the " General Library," under the charge 

 of a special Assistant, should be constituted to contain those 

 works containing matter common to two or more departments. 



L. 2,048 volumes were therefore purchased this year for the 

 General Library. 



B. 68 works from the library of John Miers, annotated by 

 him in relation to the Plants in his herbarium, were presented by 

 J. W. Miers. 



The collection of drawings and engravings formed by W. 

 Wilson Saunders, with 2,517 other drawings and engravings; 928 

 original water-colour drawings, by John Miller (otherwise J. 8. 

 Mliller), of the ramifications of Plants; and 25 original water- 

 colour drawings of Fungi, by W. G. Smith, were purchased. 



G. A fine copy of William Smith's geologically coloured map, 

 " A delineation of the Strata of England and Wales, with part of 

 Scotland," was presented by Mr. (afterwards Sir) A. W. Franks. 



The set of original pencil drawings by A. Watelet, for the 60 

 plates of his " Description des Plantes fossiles du bassin de Paris," 

 with those for 21 unpublished plates and their description in MS. 

 were purchased. 



M. The accessions numbered 603 volumes. 



Z. The first catalogue of the departmental library, contain- 

 ing 1,700 titles, was printed, and issued in November. 



1881. 



B. R. A. Salisbury's notes and drawings of Ericaceous Plants 

 were transferred from the Royal Gardens, Kew. 



M. The accessions numbered 860 volumes. The first catalogue 

 of this library, containing 1,297 entries, of which 39 refer to maps, 

 was printed. 



Z. The total number of works in this library was estimated 

 at about 1,500 ; the accessions for the year being 182 works in 

 377 volumes. 



