30 ACCOUNTS, ETC., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



15. Consultation of MSS. — The number of MSS. consulted 

 in the Students' Room attached to the Department was 31,426, 

 and of those delivered to the Reading Room 394. 



The number of Charters and Rolls consulted by the 

 Students was 2397. 



The number of Students working in the Department during 

 the year was 9445. 



Magna Charta has been exhibited to 2,618 visitors in the 

 Department. 



16. Books of Reference. — One hundred and fifty-five 

 newly-acquired volumes and parts have been catalogued. 

 The third copy of the Catalogue has been completed, the 

 fourth copy commenced, and the whole is under revision. 



17. The following publication has been issued during the 

 year : — 



Illuminated Manuscripts in the British Museum : 

 Facsimiles in gold and colour, with descriptive text. Third 

 Series. 



18. Acquisitions. — The number of Manuscripts and Docu- 

 ments acquired during the year is : — 



General Collections of MSS. - - - - 111 



Charters and Rolls 602 



Detached Seals, Casts, &c. _ _ - . 114 



Papyri -------- 410 



Egerton MSS. 8 



During the past year the Department has acquired a large 

 number of Greek papyri, and a group of fine mediseval MSS. 

 formerly belonging to the Earl of Ashburnham. 



The Greek papyri fall into two groups. The first, consisting 

 of 46 documents, was presented by the executors of the late 

 Major William Joseph Myers, F.S.A., through R. Taylor, Esq., 

 and includes miscellaneous non-literary documents, ranging 

 from the 1st to the 7th century after Christ. Twenty-seven 

 bear precise dates, which adds greatly to their palseographical 

 value. The remaining papyri include over 360 documents, 

 acquired by purchase in Egypt. Only a very few contain 

 literary texts, the most interesting of which is a small 

 fragment giving the concluding words and the title of an 

 otherwise unknown oration of Hyperides. The non-literary 

 texts range in date from the 3rd century B.C. to the 7th 

 century of our era. One hundred and fourteen bear precise 

 dates, six belonging to the 2nd century B.C., two to the 1st 

 century B.C., nine to the 1st century after Christ, 35 to 

 the 2nd century, 33 to the 3rd , eight to the 4th, one to 

 the 5th, 18 to the 6th, and two to the 7th. The early 

 part of the third century is particularly well represented by 

 a fine group of documents from Hermopolis, and another from 

 Antinoe. The texts are mainly of legal or official character, 



