oe uy, 
~ amounted to £1452 18s. 1d.; leaving a balance to credit 
_ with fixed deposit, £419 3s. 7d. 
Museum. 
The Museum has undergone a change of government, in 
accordance with an Act passed during the recent session 
of Parliament. Having by that Act been incorporated, 
it is now a national institution, with an annual endowment 
of £500. ‘The management of its affairs is vested in a 
Board of Trustees, consisting of five officials, a Crown 
‘Trustee named by the Governor, and six others elected 
from the Council of the Society. 
The fact that the Museum has thus for the first time 
been placed on a secure and permanent basis will un- 
questionably exert a happy influence over its future 
development. ‘The number of visitors has been very large, 
including temporary residents from other colonies and 
passengers by the various steam routes who make a short 
stay on their way to and from New Zealand. 
The collection is still being steadily increased, chiefly, it 
is pleasant to remark, by specimens illustrative of the 
colony. In the geological collection special to Tasmania, 
printed tablets, compiled by the Curator, and explanatory 
of the various Orders and Families, have been placed. In 
an educational point of view these will be found to be of 
the greatest value. ° 
For a collection of New Guinea birds, in which visitors 
take a great interest, we are indebted to our excellent 
friends the Trustees of the Sydney Museum. The Trustees 
of the Brisbane Museum have also kindly contributed to 
our ornithological collection. Owing to the rapidly 
increasing number of specimens our space is becoming 
very limited, and it is therefore with great satisfaction that 
we have to acknowledge our obligation to Government 
and Parliament for a vote of £3000 for the purpose of. 
giving largely increased accommodation. 
The approximate number of visitors, including Sundays, 
was 27,069. 
