90 ACCOUNTS, 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 1895. 



General. 



Visitors. 



The number of visitors to the Natural History Museum 

 during the past year reached a total of 446,737 persons, giving 

 an average attendance on open days of 1,436 persons, and 

 showing an excess of more than 33,000 over the total in 

 1894. This is the largest attendance recorded in any one year 

 since the opening of the Museum to the public on April 18th, 

 ]881. 



Siuiney Lectures. 



The use of the lecture-theatre at the South Kensington 

 Museum was again granted, by the kindness of the Lords of 

 the Committee of Council on Education, for the delivery of 

 the annual course of lectures on Geology on the Swiney 

 Foundation. The lectures, 12 in number, were delivered by 

 Dr. J. G. Garson in October, the subject being "The 

 Geological History of Man." They were attended by a total 

 of 2,736 persons, or an average of 228 at each lecture. 



The Trustees have appointed Dr. R. H. Traquair lecturer 

 for the three years 1896-98. 



In consequence of the difficulty experienced in obtaining 

 candidates for the Lectureship, representations were made last 

 year to the Scottish Universities Commission, then sitting, 

 with the view of widening the qualifications, the terms of 

 Dr. Swiney's will restricting the appointment to Doctors of 

 Medicine of the University of Edinburgh. An Ordinanccy 

 concurred in by the Trustees, has since been issued by the 

 Commissioners and submitted to Parliament, by which it has 

 been made competent for the Trustees to appoint to the 

 Swiney Lectureship any graduate in any Faculty in the 

 University of Edinburgh who has obtained his degree after 

 examination. 



