96 ACCOUJ^TS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



IX. — Beitish Museum (Natural History). 



STATEMENT of Progress made in the Arraj^gement and 

 Description of the Collections, and Account of 

 Objects added to them, in the Year 1899. 



General Progress. 

 Visitors. 



The total number of visitors to the Natural History 

 Museum in 1899 was 422,290, as compared with 419,004 in 

 1898. The increase in Sunday attendances is again to be 

 noted, 55,718 persons having visited the Museum on Sunday 

 afternoons as against 50,432 la«t year. 



The average daily attendance for all open days during the 

 year was 1,163; for week-days only, 1,182 ; and for Sundays, 

 when the Museum is open only in the afternoons, 1,051. 



Electric Light. 



Progress has been made with the installation of the electric 

 light in the Museum. 



Swiney Lectures. 



Dr. Traquair's fourth consecutive annual course of twelve 

 lectures on Geology, on the Swiney Foundation, was delivered 

 by him in the month of October, the subject being " The 

 Pleistocene Mammalia." On this occasion, owing to the 

 inability of the Science and Art Department to spare the 

 lecture theatre at the South Kensington Museum for 

 the purpose, the lectures were delivered, by permission of 

 the Lords of the Committee of Council on Education, in the 

 lecture theatre at the Jermyn Street Museum. The average 

 attendance for the course was 99 persons per lecture, as 

 compared with 132 for that in the preceding year, held at 

 South Kensington, 



