ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 



VII. — General Progress. 



The removal of the Natural History collections to the new Museum in Cromwell-road 

 having been completed, the rooms in Bloomsbury in which the Zoological collections had 

 been exhibited have been applied to the accommodation of the Departments remaining 

 there. This has enabled the Keeper of the Department of Oriental Antiquities to make 

 f> more extensive exhibition of Egyptian objects of various characters in a system of 

 Instructive classification : the ancient vases and terra-cottas, the bronzes, and the ancient 

 paintings have been re-arranged and more fully displayed by the Keeper of Greek and 

 Roman Antiquities : British and Mediaeval collections have been placed on exhibition ; 

 the Glass and Porcelain collections have been brought together In one room ; and an 

 extensive Ethnographical collection, including the contents of the Christy Museum' 

 transferred from Victoria-street, is in jjrocess of geographical arrangement in the long 

 gallery formerly occupied by the collections of Birds. In the gallei'y lately occupied by 

 the British Zoological collection. Coins and Medals of all countries, together with pho- 

 tographs of Drawings of the Old Masters, and of Early Engravings of the Italian and 

 Flemish Schools, have been exhibited. 



Instructions have been given to keepers of Departments to put aside duplicate objects 

 and specimens for the formation of a collection to be lent for exhibition in the provinces. 



A selection of Printed Books, Manuscripts, Prints and Medals, specially connected 

 with Martin Luther and the Reformation in Germany, has been brought together and 

 exhibited, In honour of the commemoration In Germany of the fourth centenary of 

 Luther's birth. 



Owing to the refusal of the Porte to renew the firman under which excavations for 

 antiquities have been carried on since the year 1873 m Assyria and Babylonia, these 

 works have been discontinued; and, with the assistance of Her Majesty's Consuls at 

 Mossul and Baghdad, ai-rangements have been made for protecting as far as possible, from 

 encroachment, the sites opened in the neighbourhood of these cities, including that of the 

 ancient city of SIppara, only partially explored, but with important results. 



A subscription fund having been raised for renewing excavations on the site of the 

 Temple of Diana at Ephesus, under the direction of Mr. J. T. Wood, the Trustees of the 

 Museum have consented to his occupation of the site for this purpose, and the work of 

 excavation has been proceeded with. 



Negotiations entered into with the Earl of Ashburnham for the purchase of the collec- 

 tion of Ancient Manuscripts, State Papers, and literary correspondence formed by the 

 late Earl, have resulted In the purchase by the Government, from a special Parliamentary 

 grant, of the separate division of the collection known as the Stowe Manuscripts ; and 

 these, with the exception of the portion In the Irish language or directly connected with 

 that country, deposited In the library of the Royal Irish Academy in Dublin, have 

 been added to the Museum collection. A selection of Illuminated volumes, rare and 

 Interesting autographs, and oflficlal papers, has been placed on exhibition in the Kin<i's 

 Library. 



The annual course of Lectures on Geology, founded by the late Dr. George Swiney, 

 has been delivered at the British Museum (Natural History). 



Museum publications have been given to Free Public Libraries In the United 

 Kingdom. 



Electrotypes of Ancient Coins, reproductions of Early Prints, and duplicate specimens 

 of Natural History have been given to various institutions. 



The following are the publications of the year : — 



General Catalogue of the British Museum Library : Folio. 



Parts :— Add.— Agd. ; Ale.— All. ; AH.— Alt. ; Alt.— Amt. ; Amu.— Ang. 

 Ang. — Ant.; Bur. — Bzo. ; Mve. — Muh. ; Sue. — Swe. ; Swe. — Szy. ; Uni. — Vom. ; 

 Wan.— Wei. ; Wei.— Wes. ; WIm.— Wit. ; Wit.— Woo ; X.— Yzu. 



Catalogue 



