ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



VII. — General Administration. 



During the j^ast year progress has been made In arrangements for removal of the 

 Natural History Collections, and in preparations for their reception in the new building 

 designed for them at South Kensington. New cases and fittings have been provided and 

 erected for the departments of Botany and Mineralogy, and in part for that of Geology ; 

 and the transference of these three collections to the new Museum will probably be 

 effected in the course of the present year. The galleries vacated by them will be at once 

 made use of for the exhibition of objects of archasoiogical interest, which have been 

 accumulating for many years, and from want of space have been stored away in im- 

 perfectly lighted rooms in the basement. 



In consequence of coming into possession of a considerable sum of money,* accruing *^ee pages 4 and 5. 

 under the will of the late Mr. William "White, barrister-at-law, of Bedford-square, who 

 died in the year 1823, the Trustees have had it in their power to consider plans for adding to 

 the Museum building. These will include a substantial addition to the south-eastern side 

 of the Museum, and an extension of the gallery for exhibition of Greek sculj^ture. The 

 latter work will at ouce be proceeded Avith. Two buildings for the reception of the 

 sculpture hitherto placed in sheds under the Museum portico have been already erected. 

 A portion of the sheds thus vacated has been taken down, and the remainder will be re- 

 moved after having served the purpose of housing temporarily other sculptures recently 

 received. 



The whole of the Zoological and Geological portions of the India Museum at South 

 Kensington, together with the friezes from the Amravati Tope and other remains of 

 ancient sculpture, have been made over by the Secretary of State and Council of India 

 to the Trustees of the British Museum. The sculpture will be exhibited in the Museum; 

 the Zoological and other collections have been removed to the new Natural History 

 Museum at South Kensington. 



Special attention has been given to the service of the Reading Room. A check has 

 been given to the excessive growth of the General Catalogue by the substitution of print- 

 ing for the hand-copying of catalogue-titles. These will be printed in distinct sections, 

 viz. : — I. English and American books recently published. II. Books newly published 

 in foreign countries. III. Older English and American books newly purchased. 

 IV. Older foreign books of the same class. V. Titles taken from tlie old catalogue and 

 revised for the new general catalogue. VI. Cross references. VII. Titles of Oriental 

 works. The sections will be printed in parts, some at short, some at longer intervals; 

 and In each j^art the titles will be in alphabetical arrangement. Sections I. and II. will 

 be Issued from month to month, in order to give early reference to the newest English 

 and foreign literature. The advantage expected from the use of printing is not confined 

 to the reduction of bulk in the catalogue. The titles will be rendered available much 

 more expeditiously, will be rendered more correct, and will be more convenient for use. 

 When put into circulation by means of sale they will be available for bibliographical 

 purposes, and they will exhibit the recent acquisitions of both new and old books. 



The Increasing number of Readers has been provided for by the addition of sixty-two 

 seats In the Reading Room ; and In order to supply the want of a classed catalogue of 

 the library, a selection of bibliographies for the different subjects of literature and of 

 classed catalogues of other collections has been carefully made, and the volumes have 

 been arranged in separate cases placed conspicuously at the extremity of every alternate 

 table. In this position these cases of bibliographical works correspond Avith those of books 

 of reference arranged in classes round the room ; and will serve as guides to authorities 

 in the various branches of literature and science. 



By means of the Electric Light, worked by Messrs. Siemens and Company, the 

 Reading Room has been kept open until seven o'clock during the winter months, instead 

 of being closed tlu-ee hours earlier as heretofore, and has been fully lighted on several 

 occasions of darkness caused by the weather. 



The following are the publications of the year ; — 



Facsimiles of Ancient Charters. Part IV. Edited by Edward A. Bond, 

 LL.r>. (Autotype). Fol. 



Facsimile of the Codex Alexandrinus. [Vol. IV.] New Testament and 

 Clementine Epistles. Edited by E. Maunde Thompson, Keeper of the Department 

 of Manuscripts. (Autotype.) 4to. 



Autotype Facsimile of the Shakespeare Deed. Folio sheet. 



Catalogue of the Persian Manuscripts. Vol. I. By Charles Rieu, Ph.D., 

 Keeper of the Department of Oriental Manuscripts. 4to. 



207 — Sess. 2. A 4 



