GENERAI^ PROGRESS AT THE MUSEUM. 17 



For many years serious defects have shown themselves 

 in the facing stones of the Museum buildings, being chiefly 

 due to the employment, during construction, of iron plugs 

 instead of copper plugs for bonding ; with the result that a 

 very large portion of the surface has been cracked and burst 

 by oxidation of the iron. Repairs have been in progress 

 since 1905, and will be continued until the injuries have been 

 made good. 



As a further precaution against fire, the interior of the 

 roof has been divided into smaller "risks" by the introduc- 

 tion of sectional walls ; an elaborate system of lightning 

 conductors has been installed ; and the opportunity has been 

 taken to bring the fire-staff, formerly lodged some distance 

 away, into residence in a spare house in Montague Place. 



The planing and polishing of all the wooden floors of the 

 Museum galleries has now been completed, the floor of the 

 Ethnographical Gallery having been treated during the year. 

 The improvement in the cleanliness of the galleries, and even 

 of the interiors of the show-cases into which, under the old 

 system, the floating dust continuously raised by the traffic 

 of visitors penetrated in spite of all precautions, is ample 

 compensation for the time and money expended on the work. 



In the Sculpture Galleries, the Ephesus Room and Ante- 

 Room, and the Phigaleian Room ; and, on the Upper Floor, 

 the North Gallery, have been re-painted. Im r ements 

 have been eff'ected in the ventilation and lighting of some of 

 the exhibition galleries by the introduction of electric fans 

 and additional skylights. 



In consequence of the largely increasing number of appli- 

 cations for leave to make photographs from the collections, 

 and the excessive demand upon the time of the superintending 

 staff, the Trustees have been constrained to impose fees of a 

 small amount for the privilege. 



Among the more important additions to the several 

 Departments the following may be specially noticed : — 



The Department of Printed Books has been fortunate in 

 acquiring as many as 246 Incunabula, or books printed before 

 the year 1501, chiefly of German and Italian origin. This 

 accession brings the Museum collection of Incunabula into 

 the front rank, if it does not actually place it at the head of 

 all collections in national libraries, duplicates being excluded 

 from calculation. To the liberality of Lord Strathcona, the 

 Hon. Walter Rothschild, and others, the Department also 

 owes the possession of a collection of 158 works or editions 

 hitherto unknown, including Incunabula and many books of 

 the 16th century. Among single volumes of special interest 

 added to the Department are " The Book of Good Manners," 

 a very rare work, printed by Caxton in 1487 ; and seven 

 early English plays and interludes printed between 1560 and 

 1580. 



The Department of Manuscripts has made notable addi- 

 tions to its collections. By gift of His Majesty the King 

 105, B 



