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



marks, 93,940 have been mounted on cartridge paper, 84,255 have been arranged, and 

 208,586 partially arranged, preparatory to incorporation, and 132,625 incorporated. 



(i.) List of Books of Reference in the Reading Room. — The number of alterations and 

 additions in the interleaved copies of this List, made to record the changes in the books 

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

 amounts to 793 in each of these copies, and the necessary entries have been made in 

 the Hand-Catalogue. 



A Hand-List of Bibliographies, Classed Catalogues and Indexes, placed in the Reading- 

 Koom for reference, was compiled, and the printing of it nearly completed during the 

 year. 



(_/.) Catalogue of English Books printed before 1640. — Further progress has been made 

 •with this Catalogue. The number of titles prepared for printing is about 25,000. 



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

 amounts to 21,468; including 1,123 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 9,931. In addition to this, 1,003 pamphlets have been 

 separately bound, and 853 volumes have been repaired. 



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

 Library from use in the Reading Room, is 410,824; to the Royal Library, 11,989; 

 to the Grenville Library, 437 ; and to the presses in which books are kept from day 

 to day for the use of readers, 378,885. 



The number of readers during the year has been 133,842, giving an average of 458 daily; 

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

 about 6 volumes per diem. 



V. Additions. — (a.) 27,543 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 2,379 

 were presented, 8,857 received in pursuance of the laws of English Cojjyright, 941 

 received under the International Copyright Treaties, and 15,361 acquired by purchase. 



(5.) 39,873 parts of volumes (or separate numbers of periodical publications, and 

 works in progress) have also been added, of which 1,120 were presented, 21,792 received 

 in pursuance of the laws of English Copyright, 433 received under the International 

 Copyright Treaties, and 16,498 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. : 

 355 published in London and its suburbs, 1,241 in other parts of England and Wales, 

 174 in Scotland, and 143 in Ireland. 85 volumes, and 10 numbers of Newspapers 

 belonging to different sets, have been purchased ; and 1,120 numbers have been presented. 



{d.) 5,911 pieces of Music have been acquired, each piece complete in itself, of which 

 3,340 were received by English and 2,213 by International Copyright, and 358 by 

 purchase. 



(e.) The number of distinct works comprised in the 27,543 volumes and pamphlets, and 

 39,873 parts of volumes already mentioned, amounts, as nearly as can be ascertained, to 

 27,537. Of these, 2,097 have been presented, 9,144 acquired by English, and 831 by 

 International Copyright, and 15,465 by purchase. 



9,358 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, Parliamentary Papers, and other miscellaneous items ; the 

 addition of this number to those already given produces a total of 76,774 articles 

 received in the Department. The number of stamps impressed upon articles received is 

 altogether 263,922. 



Amongst the acquisitions of interest during the year may be noted : — 



1. A considerable number of rare Mexican books, bought at the sale of the remarkable 

 collection formed by the late Don Jose Fernando Ramirez, President of the Emperor Maxi- 

 milian's first Ministry. Amongst them are a few of the earliest productions of the Spanish 

 American Press, and some very curious and rare works in the various native languages, 

 of the latter may be cited : — " Gilbert!. Thesoro Spiritual de Pobres en legua de 

 Michuca. Mexico, 1575." " Molina. Confessario breve en lengua Mexicana y Cas- 

 tellana. Mexico, 1565."' '•' Quintana. Confessionario en lengua Mixe. Pueblos, 1733." 

 " Aravjo. Manual de los Santos Sacramentos en el Idioma de Mechoacan. Mexico, 

 1690." " Thomas de Guadalaxera. Compendio del Arte de la lengua de los Tarahu- 

 mares y Guazapares. Puebla de los Angeles, 1683." 



Perhaps tlie most cui'ious book is a volume containing two works by Alonzo Gutierrez, 

 called De Vera Cruce, a Spanish Missionary, entitled respectively : " Recognltio Summu- 



larum," 



