66 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



Ethnographical Gallery . — The tops of the wall cases and' 

 the specimens upon them have been twice cleaned. A portion 

 of the New Zealand and the Tahitian sections, as well as the 

 Oriental arms in table cases, have been re- arranged. 



The arrangement of the table cases in the gallery has been 

 changed to provide more floor space, and running numbers 

 have been painted on them. The African section has been 

 entirely re-arranged, a great many objects being withdrawn 

 from the exhibition cases for want of room. The large series 

 of bronze plaques from Benin has been removed from the 

 Assyrian basement and placed in the middle of the African 

 section. 



Six table cases and one central case have been lined with 

 velvet, the objects re-arranged, and many new labels written. 



American Room. — The wall cases and the specimens in 

 them have been cleaned and in part re-arranged. 



The registration of current acquisitions has been continued, 

 and 851 objects have been registered, while 79 ethnographical 

 specimens have been drawn and described for the slip cata- 

 logue. The slip catalogue of the Franks Collection of finger 

 rings has been continued, and will form the basis of the 

 printed catalogue to be published by the Trustees. A similar 

 catalogue of the English pottery has been commenced, and 

 864 specimens have been described ; and the collection of 

 Pilgrims' signs has been catalogued in the same manner. 



A publication to be issued by the Trustees early in 1899 

 has been prepared on the objects obtained by the recent 

 expedition to Benin, which have been given to the Museum 

 by Her Majesty's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign 

 Affairs, and on other objects from the same locality which 

 have been given or sold to the Museum by private individuals. 



A large collection made by the late Hugh Nevill, Esq., of 

 antiquities from Ceylon has been classified with expert 

 assistance, and a considerable portion arranged in the 

 exhibition cases. 



A new series of Guides to the various sections of the 

 Department has been commenced, and those to the Ethno- 

 graphical, Ceramic, Anglo-Roman, and Anglo-Saxon rooms 

 have been completed in manuscript. 



The cataloguing and press-marking of the Departmental 

 library of works on antiquities, &c., have been completed. 



A collection of 251 pieces of Pacific bark-cloth has been 

 mounted ; and step-fittings for the bronzes from Benin, as well 

 as a case for storing African specimens, have been made ; 352 

 miscellaneous objects have been mounted on boards, and 

 there have been prepared 4 frames, 202 stands, 120 blocks 

 and pedestals, 16 shelves, and 73 mahogany mounting boards. 



Seven hundred and sixty-five impressions have been taken 

 from wood-blocks in the Department, and 204 labels have 

 been painted. On the hand-press 180 headings for slips and 

 1,650 labels have been printed. 



