. BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY). 89 



X. — British Museum (Natural History). ■ { 



STATEMENT of Progress made in the Arrangement and 

 Description of the Collections, and Account of 

 Objects added to them, in the Year 1897. ' 



General. 



Visitors. 



The visitors to the Natural History Museum in 1897 

 numbered 422,607, as compared with 453,956 in 1896. 

 The attendance on Sundays was well maintained, nearly 

 50,000 persons having in the course of the year availed 

 themselves of the privilege afforded them. The average 

 daily attendances for the year were : — For all open days 

 (including Sundays), 1,167; for weekdays only, 1,203 

 (nearly) ; and for Sundays, when the Museum is open only 

 during part of the day, 956*5. 



Structural Works. 



Provision has been made in the Estimates for 1897-8 for 

 the construction of an upper floor over the studies in the 

 building for specimens preserved in spirit. The work was 

 commenced in the autumn, and the much-needed new rooms 

 will be ready for the accommodation of students and other 

 workers in the summer of 1898. 



Electric Light. 



Application has been made to the Lords Commissioners of 

 the Treasury for funds for lighting the galleries and studies 

 of the Museum by the electric light. 



Owen Memorial. 



The statue of Sir Richard Owen, executed by Mr. Thomas 

 Brock, R.A., for the Owen Memorial Committee, has been 

 formally handed over to the Trustees, and has been placed 

 under the arch in the front of the Central Hall of the 

 Museum, facing the statue of Darwin. 



Swiney Lectures. 



The subject of Dr. Traquair's second course of Lectures on 

 Geology on this foundation was, " The Geological History of 



