14 



ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



VIII. — General Progress at the Museum, Bloomsbury. 



The number of visitors to the Museum during the past year 

 has slightly declined, being 538,560, as against 558,548 in 

 1892. This diminution of 20,000 is accounted for by a 

 falling-ofF of upwards of 13,000 day visitors and of upwards 

 of 6,000 evening visitors. The grand total, however, is above 

 the average of the preceding five years. 



The reconstruction of the Assyrian Basement to serve as a 

 lecture-room as well as an exhibition gallery has been com- 

 pleted in a very satisfactory manner. The fine bas-reliefs 

 from Nineveh are now seen to the best advantage on the line 

 of the light gallery which has been carried round the room ; 

 and the floor of the room, which has been cleared of the 

 standard walls on which sculptures were formerly displayed, 

 affords ample accommodation for the audience at lectures. 



The rearrangement of the sculptures in the Mausoleum 

 Room has been completed; and the suite of rooms which were 

 formerly known as the Second Northern Gallery have been 

 now occupied by the Cyprian collections, by the Semitic 

 antiquities, and by exhibits illustrating various religions, 

 and have been opened to the public. 



The artificial lighting of the Reading Room has been 

 greatly improved by the installation of incandescent electric 

 lights fitted to the reading desks. The old system of arc 

 lamps is, however, still retained for the general lighting of 

 the room, but at a lower power. 



There has again been a slight reduction in the number of 

 persons using the Reading Room in 1893. The number of 

 visits to the room has been 194,102, as against 197,984 in 1892. 

 The average daily number of readers has been 645. 



The average numbers in the room counted at certain hours 

 in the afternoon have been : — 



4 P.M. 



5 P.M. 



6 P.M. 



6.30 P.M. 



7 P.M. 



7.30 P.M. 



355 



268 



185 



120 



140 



92 



The number of volumes supplied to readers was 1,402,815, 

 as a.gainst 1,366,596 in 1892. Thus it will be seen that, 

 although the number of readers has diminished, the number 

 of books demanded by them has increased. 



The numbers of students have increased in the Depart- 

 ments of Manuscripts and of Coins and Medals, and slightly 

 in the Department of Prints and Drawings. On the other 



hand 



