ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



1,302,859, or about 4,477 for each of the 291 clays during which the room was open to 

 the public. 



The number of readers during the year has been 105,130, giving an average of 361 daily, 

 and, from the numbers above, each reader appears to have consulted on an average 

 12 volumes per diem. 



V. Additions. — (a.) 30,219 volumes and pamphlets have been added to the Library in the 

 course of the year (including books of Music and volumes of Newspapers), of which 1,119 

 were presented, 7,058 received in pursuance of the laws of English Copyright, 72 

 received under the International Copyright Treaties, and 21,970 acquired by purchase. 



(b.) 23,588 parts of volumes (or separate numbers of periodical publications, and of 

 works in progress) have also been added, of which 530 were presented, 14,317 received 

 in pursuance of the laws of English Copyright, 166 received under the International 

 Copyright Treaties, and 8,575 acquired by purchase. 



(c.) The passing of the Newspapers, &c. Kepeal Act, having necessitated arrangements 

 in order to receive as regularly as possible, under the provisions of the Cojiyright Act, 

 the Newspapers published in the United Kingdom, the number of sets received during 

 the past year has been as follows, viz. : For the year 1869, 259 published in London, 

 786 in other parts of England and Wales, 133 in Scotland, and 116 in Ireland. For the 

 year 1870, 275 published in London, 888 in other i^arts of England and "Wales, 138 in 

 Scotland, and 126 in Ireland. For the year 1871, 251 published in London, 866 in other 

 parts of England and Wales, 130 in Scotland, and 139 in Ireland. 297 volumes, and 653 

 numbers of old Newspapers belonging to 71 different sets, have been purchased. 



(fZ.) 2,683 pieces of Music have been acquii-ed, each piece complete in itself, of which 

 1,501 were received by English and 350 by International Copyright, and 832 purchased. 

 Of 1,201 portions of musical works in progress, 1,078 have been received by English and 

 123 by International Copyright. 1,594 works of greater extent than single j^ieces have 

 also been acquired, comprising 960 by English and 87 by International Copyright, and 

 547 by purchase. 



(e.) The number of distinct works comprised in the 30,219 volumes and pamphlets, and 

 23,588 parts of volumes already mentioned, amounted, as neai'ly as could be ascertained, 

 to 29,194. Of these, 1,009 have been presented, 7,091 acquired by English and 116 by 

 International Copyright, and 20,978 by purchase. 



10,916 articles have been received in the department, not included in the foregoing 

 enumeration of volumes and parts of volumes, comprising Playbills, single pieces of 

 Music, Broadsides, Songs and Ballads, Parliamentary Papers, and other miscellaneoiis 

 items ; the addition of this number to those already given produces a total of 68,579 

 articles received in the department. 



(/.) The number of stamps impressed on articles is altogether 210,224. In addition 

 to this, 7,771 extra stamps have been impressed on volumes of various collections for 

 further security. 



Among the more remarkable acquisitions the following may be mentioned: — 



(1.) Seventy-two leaves, on fifty-six half-sheets of paper, which, together with two 

 slips of parchment forming part of an Indulgence, were obtained from the covers of a 

 copy of Chaucer's translation of Boethius " Ue Consolatione Philosojihise," discovered by 

 Mr. W. Blades in the Library of the Grramniar School attached to the Abbey of St. 

 Albans. When the covers of the volume which had been long exposed to damp were 

 dissected by the binder, they were found to be composed entirely of waste sheets from 

 Caxton's press, an evidence that the book was bound in his shop. Among the fragments 

 are portions of 13 different works, three of which were previously quite unknown, 

 viz. : " Horse beatas Virginis," the " Indulgence," and " Pica sen DIrectorlum," which 

 contains eight leaves of the book referred to in Caxton's advertisement issued by him 

 before 1480, viz. : "If it plese ony man ... to bye ony -pyes of Salisburi use enpryntid 

 . . . late hym come to Westmonester into the almonesrye at the reed [red] pale and he 

 fihal have them good cheiae." 



(2.) A complete set of the uniiublished Manuscripts of Emanuel Swedeuborg, photo- 

 lithographed at Stockholm in 1869-70, under the supervision of the Rev. R. L. Tafel. The 

 edition consists of 10 volumes in folio, and covers 3,879 pages; being the largest work 

 executed by photo-lithography. 110 copies only were printed. 



Presented by the Greneral Conference of the New Church in Great Britain. 



(3.) An almost complete collection of the Journals, Broadsides, Proclamations, and 

 Caricatures published during the recent war between France and Germany, and also 

 during the ascendancy of the Commune in Paris. 



(4.) A copy of the earliest " London Directory " of the date 1677 : a small volume of 64 

 leaves, containing the names and addresses of the Merchants and Bankers, the latter desig- 

 nated " Goldsmiths that keep running cashes." In the list occurs the name of the father of 

 Alexander Pope. The author apologizes for undertaking such a work in the following 



terms : 



