BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY). 81 



VIII. — 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 1898. 



General Progress. 



Visitors. 



The total number of visitors to the Natural History 

 Museum in 1898 was 419,004, as compared with 422,607 in 

 1897. It will be observed that the slight falling off shown 

 in these figures has taken place in the week day visitors, the 

 Sunday attendance for the year (50,432) being a little in 

 excess of that for 1897. The average daily attendance for all 

 open days during the year was 1,151 ; for week-days only, 

 1,181 ; and for Sundays, when the Museum is open only in 

 the afternoons, 970. 



J^e^v Whale Room. 



The new Whale Room was opened to the public on Whit- 

 Monday, oOth May, 1898, and has been much appreciated by 

 visitors. Since it is almost impracticable to preserve the 

 skins of the larger whales, owing to the oil with which they 

 are saturated, the exhibition of these animals has been effected 

 by means of models, casts, and skeletons. Half models have 

 thus been constructed round the skeletons of the Sperm 

 Whale, the Common Rorqual, Rudolphi's Rorqual, and the 

 Southern Right Whale. 



Photogr.iphic Studio. 



A photographic studio has been erected in the rear of the 

 Museum. 



Electric Light. 



Renewed application has been made to the Lords Commis- 

 sioners of the Treasury for funds for lighting the galleries 

 and studies of the Museum by the electric light, and a sum 

 of 2,000L has been provided in Class I. of the estimates for 

 1899-1900 for the introduction of the light into the work- 

 rooms and studies. The installation will be carried out by 

 the Department of Works. 



130. F 



