82 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



satisfactory to be able to record that this number is considerably 

 in excess of previous returns of attendance at these lectures, 

 yet it by no means represents the number of persons who 

 would have been present had the only room within the build- 

 ing available for the purpose been capable of holding a larger 

 audience. Reference to this subject was made in last year's 

 Return, and it is only necessary to state here that the 

 Trustees will consider in the ensuing summer what steps can 

 be taken to provide better accommodation, either at the 

 Natural History Museum or elsewhere, for those desirous of 

 hearing the course of lectures to be delivered in October next. 

 It may be added that Professor Nicholson has been appointed 

 Swiney Lecturer for a further term of two years. 



Proposed Building for Whale Skeletons. 



The recent acquisition of several skeletons of large whales, 

 desiderata to the collection, has caused the Trustees to make 

 a representation to the Treasury as to the extremely in- 

 adequate accommodation existing in the Museum for the 

 preservation and exhibition of this group of animals, of 

 peculiar interest to a maritime nation like Great Britain, 

 which has been for so long, and is still largely concerned in 

 the whale fishery. 



As there seems little prospect at present of the completion 

 of the permanent building by the erection of the wings which 

 form part of the original design, the Trustees, after consulta- 

 tion with the First Commissioner of Her Majesty's Works, 

 propose to obtain the sanction of the Lords Commissioners 

 of the Treasury to the erection of a temporary building for 

 the whale skeletons on some of the unoccupied ground at 

 the north-west angle of the Museum, and it is hoped that the 

 work may be commenced and completed during the financial 

 year 1894-95. 



Presents. 



Some 1,100 presents have been received during the year, many 

 of them embracing large numbers of specimens. All the more 

 important of these will be found detailed in the Reports of 

 the Keepers of the several Departments ; the following, 

 however, are mentioned here as being of special inter- 

 est : — 



From His Royal Highness the Grand Duke of Hesse. — A 

 fine specimen of the wild boar, shot by His Royal Highness 

 the late Grand Duke Louis of Hesse, in the park of Waldlein- 

 ingen, and by his desire presented to the Museum. 



From the Lords of the Admiralty. — Further valuable con- 

 signments of zoological specimens collected by Mr. J. J. 

 Walker, Chief Engineer, and Mr. P. W. Bassett-Smith, Sur- 

 geon, 



