92 ACOOUXTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



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 1894. 



General. 



Visitors. 



The large increase in the number of visitors to the Natural 

 History Collections recorded in the last Annual Return has 

 been more than maintained, the total during the past year 

 having reached 413,572, being an excess of more than 5,000 

 over the total in 1893, and giving a daily average of (nearly) 

 1,330 persons. 



Siuiney Lectures. 



The Swiney Lectures were again delivered in the lecture 

 theatre of the South Kensington Museum (by permission of 

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

 subject chosen by Professor Nicholson on this occasion being 

 " The Making of the Earth's Crust." The course, consisting 

 as usual of 12 lectures given in October, was attended by a 

 total of 2,840 persons, or an average attendance of 237 at 

 each lecture. 



As the term of five years for which Professor Nicholson 

 was appointed lecturer on the Swiney Foundation expired on 

 the conclusion of this course, the Trustees have selected 

 Dr. J. G. Garson as lecturer for 1895, and have approved 

 his proposal to take as his subject "The Geological History 

 of Man." 



Presents. 



A further increase is to be noted in the number of donations 

 to the Museum, some 1,450 separate presents having been 

 reported as received in the various Departments during the 

 year, many of them comprising a large number of specimens. 

 The more important of these are given in detail in the Reports 

 of the Keepers of the several Departments, but the following 

 xire mentioned here also as being of special interest : — 



From H. R. H. the Prince of Wales. — A light-grey variation 

 of the Common Hare, shot at Wolferton Marshes, near 

 Sandringham. 



From 



