10 ACCOUNTS, &C,, OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



of reference by the addition of new works, and the exchange of old for new editions, 

 amounts to 621 in each of these copies, and the necessary entries have been made in 

 the Hand-Cataiogue. 



(J.) Catalogue of English Books printed before 1640. — Progress has been made with 

 this Catalogue ; about 17,000 titles are now prepared for printing. 



III. Binding. — The number of volumes sent to be bound in the course of the year 

 amounts, to 18,046; including 1,046 volumes of newspapers ; and, in consequence of the 

 frequent adoption of the plan of binding two or more volumes in one, the number of 

 bound volumes returned is 10,134. In addition to this, 992 pamphlets have been 

 separatel}^ bound, and 727 volumes have been repaired. 



IV. Reading Room Service. — The number of volumes returned to the General 

 Library from use in the Reading Eoom, is 406,086 ; to the Eoyal Library, 12,320 ; 

 to the Grenville Library, 808 ; and to the presses in which books are kept from day 

 to day for the use of readers, 370,122. Adding the estimated number of volumes 

 returned to the shelves of the Reading Room, about 344,637, the Avhole amounts to 

 1,133,973, or about 3,887 for each of 292 days during which the room was open to the 

 public. 



The number of readers during the year has been 125,594, giving an average of 430 daily; 

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

 9 volumes per diem. 



V. Additions. — («.) 31,019 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 2,308 

 were presented, 9,000 received in pursuance of the laws of English Copyright, 1,219 

 received under the International Copyright Treaties, and 18,782 acquired by purchase^ 



lb.') 39,145 parts of volumes (or separate numbers of periodical publications, and 

 works in progress) have also been added, of which 790 were presented, 21,189 received 

 in pursuance of the laws of English Copyright, 405 received under the International 

 Copyright Treaties, and 17,761 acquired by purchase. 



(c.) Tlie number of sets of Newspapers published In the United Kingdom and received 

 under the provisions of the Copyright Act during the past year has been as follows, viz. : 

 328 published in London and its suburbs, 1,112 in other parts of England and Wales, 

 160 in Scotland, and 142 in Ireland. 51 volumes, and 23 numbers of Newspapers 

 belonging to difierent sets, have been purchased; and 1,172 numbers have been presented. 



(df.) 6,647 pieces of Music have been acquired, each piece complete in itself, of which 

 4,574 were received by English and 1,935 by International Copyright, and 138 by 

 purchase. 



(e.) The number of distinct works comprised in the 31,019 volumes and pamphlets, and 

 39,145 parts of volumes already mentioned, amounts, as nearly as can be ascertained, to 

 33,329. Of these, 1,934 have been presented, 8,896 acquired by English, and 855 by 

 International Copyright, and 21,644 by purchase. 



7,559 articles have been received in the Department, not included in the foregoing 

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

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

 items ; the addition of this number to those already given produces a total of 77,723 

 articles received in the Department. 



The number of stamps impressed on articles received is altogether 285,397. In addi- 

 tion to this, 2,144 extra stamps have been impressed on volumes of various collections 

 for further security. 



The most important acquisitions of the year are those made at the sale of a part of the 

 library of M. Didot in May last. 



Amongst these may be specially mentioned : — 



A magnificent copy, on vellum, of the Decretals of Pope Boniface VIIL, " Liber 

 sextus decretallum," printed at Mentz, by Fust and Schoelfer, in 1465. 



" Missale Romauum s'm consuetudine fratrum ordinis sancti hieronyml." A very fine 

 missal for the use of the HIeronymite Order, printed at Saragossa in 1510 by Gr. Coci, a 

 German settled In Spain. The HIeronymites were a powerful Spanish monastic order 

 established in 1374. The completion of their famous convent of St. Engracia at 

 Saragossa, was one of the first acts of Charles V. on his accession ; and it was to one of 

 their monasteries at Yuste that he retired when he abdicated. This copy is printed on 

 vellum. In a fine Gothic character, and is remarkable for the beauty of its type and 

 woodcuts, and Its sumptuous appearance. 



A very rare edition of Josephvis, printed at Lyons In 1566, with engravings by Pierre 

 Woelrlot de Bouzey. It is of great beauty and is the only copy known ; the others 

 having perished In the religious wars of the period. . 



" La somme des vices et des vertus" of Lorens, a Dominican Friar, who was Confessor 

 to Philippe le HardI : prnted at Paris, by Antoine Verard. This edition has been 

 hitherto unknown. 



"Liber 



