BRITISH MUSEUM. 



The figures for the several Departments are as follows : 

 Printed Books : 



Books and Pamphlets 33,703 



Serials and Parts of Volumes 109,481 



Maps and Atlases 2,234 



Music 10,974 



Newspapers (single numbers) ... ... ... 286,861 



Miscellaneous 5,825 



Manuscripts 676 



Oriental Printed Books and MSS 1,787 



Prints and Drawings 3,396 



Prints and Drawings (Oriental) 353 



Egyptian and Assyrian Antiquities 931 



Greek and Roman Antiquities ... 212 



British and Mediaeval Antiquities 1,327 



Ceramics and Ethnography ... ... ... 1,350 



Coins and Medals 3,132 



Total ... 462,242 



The two outstanding acquisitions of the year were the gold medal 

 commemorating the marriage of Queen Mary to Philip of Spain, and the 

 first edition of Christopher Smart's Song to David. These are men- 

 tioned below, with the other principal acquisitions of the several 

 Departments. 



At the sale of the last portion of tlie great Britwell Library, Mr. 

 Christie-Miller, the owner, bought in at the amazing price of £590 his 

 copy (one of only five known) of Smart's Song to David (with the author's 

 signature), and presented it to the Museum. This formed a fitting 

 climax to the series of Mr. Christie-Miller's benefactions to the Museum 

 in connection with the sales of his library. From the Britwell Library 

 came also, by purchase, an unique Church Brief inviting, under authori- 

 sation from Henry Vlll, subscriptions for the building and maintenance 

 of a Chapel of St. James on Bos worth Field, to receive the remains of 

 those slain in the battle there. Other accessions to the Department of 

 Printed Books incliuled the only known copies of two books printed 

 by Pynson in 1496 and 1497, and the only books printed at Nozzano 

 and at the press of Pasquinus de Fontenesio at Bologna. Among 

 notable gifts were a collection of 32 theological tracts of the Tudor 

 period, presented by Sir Leicester Harmsworth ; Monumenta Carto- 

 graphica Africae et Aegi/pii, ]jresented by H.H. Prince Youssouf Kamal 

 of Egypt : and a massive album of prints, autographs, drawings, etc., 

 entitled La France, a V Empire. Britannique, presented by the French 

 Government. 



The Department of Manuscripts acquired a further selection of Greek 

 papyri, ranging from the third century B.C. to the eighth century after 

 Christ ; the private chartulary of the Rideware family, of the fourteenth 

 century ; an autobiographical memoir of Thomas Bewick, in his own 

 hand ; the Martin Papers of the well-known naval family of that name, 

 in 130 volumes, ranging from 1748 to 1863, presented by General Sir 

 Francis Davies, K.C.B. ; and the diplomatic jjapers of the first Lord 

 Heytesbury, in 40 volumes, 1814-1822. 



In the Department of Oriental Printed Books and MSS. special men. 

 tion has to be made of the unique manuscript of the poems (Divan) of 



