BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL HISTORY) 21 



GENERAL PROGRESS AT THE BRITISH MUSEUM (NATURAL 



HISTORY). 



The total number of visitors during 1938 was 528,183, an increase of 

 7,720 on the figure for 1937. The visitors on Sunday afternoons numbered 

 117,381, as compared with 109,463 for the previous year. The number of 

 persons attending the tours of the Official Guide Lecturers during 1938 

 was 22,901, a decrease of 990 on the figure for 1937. 



The weekly biology broadcasts for school children, received in the 

 Board Room, and followed by short tours of the galleries to illustrate 

 the lectures, were attended by 1,234 children during the year. Special 

 " follow-up " tours were also arranged for 398 children who had listened 

 to the broadcasts elsewhere. 



Dr. Frederick Walker gave the annual course of Swiney Lectures at 

 the Imperial College of Science and Technology, from 28th November to 

 23rd December, 1938, taking as his subject " The Evolution of Scenery." 

 The average attendance at the lectures was 51. 



Dr. C. Tate Regan, F.R.S., retired from the Directorship, and was 

 succeeded by Dr. C. Forster-Cooper, F.R.S., at the beginning of February. 



Mr. W. N. Edwards was appointed to the Keepership of the Depart- 

 ment of Geology, on the retirement of Dr. W. D. Lang, F.R.S. Mr. G. J. 

 Arrow, Deputy Keeper in the Department of Entomology, retired ; and 

 Dr. E. I. White and Mr. F. A. Bannister, Assistant Keepers, were appointed 

 Deputy Keepers in the Departments of Geology and Mineralogy, 

 respectively. 



The British Museum Act, 1938, empowered the Trustees to accept 

 the late Lord Rothschild's bequest of his Museum at Tring, and the 

 administration of the Tring Museum, with its former staff, was taken 

 over by the Trustees on 21st September. 



The removal of the fish collections from the old to the new Spirit 

 Building was completed in November, 1938. The old building thus 

 became available for demolition to make way for the completion of the 

 North Block, but in the meantime is being used temporarily for various 

 purposes. 



Plans have been approved by the Trustees for the completion of the 

 West Block which was to have been begun in December, but owing to 

 the pre-occupation of H.M. Office of Works with defence services, the 

 constructional work had not been started by the end of the year. The 

 question of the use to which the building will be put is closely bound up 

 with the way in which the Tring Museum is to be used, and a scheme of 

 transference of material between South Kensington and Tring has been 

 approved by the Trustees. Among other important changes proposed 

 are the transference of the entomological collections at Tring to the 

 West Block, which would then be entirely devoted to entomology ; and 

 the transfer of the study collections of mammals and of birds to Tring. 



Much time and thought were devoted during the year to the elabora- 

 tion of plans for the protection of the Museum collections in the event 

 of war. 



Exhibition Galleries. 

 Since taking up his appointment the Director has given personal 

 attention to measures designed to meet the serious need for the moderniz- 

 ation and improvement of the exhibition galleries, and arrangements 



