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



The number of new entries made in the Hand-Catalogue of the Periodical Publications 

 is 276, and in that of Academies, 123. 



(d.) Music Catalogue. — 18,335 title-slips have been written for this Catalogue. 6,340 

 titles (accessions) have been printed, and 1,790 title-slips have been incorporated into 

 each of the two copies of the Catalogue. 



(e.) Hebrew Catalogue. — 360 title-slips have been written for this Catalogue. 



(y.) Oriental Catalogues. — -The number of titles written is 7,701, of which about 

 420 were for Sanskrit books; 2,984 for Arabic, and Persian; 1,500 for Hindustani 

 and Bengali ; and 2,734 for works in Tamil, Telugu, and other South Indian languages. 

 A catalogue of tlie liengali books was printed and published during the year. 



^^.) Hand- Catalogue. — For this Catalogue, in which the title-slips mounted on cards 

 are arranged in order of the press-marks, 72,000 have been ari-anged, and 159,200 partially 

 arranged, preparatory to incorporation, and 77,100 have been incorporated, 



{Ji.) List of Boohs of Reference in the Reading Room. — The number of alterations and 

 additions in each of 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 477, and the necessary entries have been made in the Hand-Catalogue. 



The collection of books in the galleries of the Reading Room has been maintained 

 by adding to it new works of interest; and importance, and by substituting new for older 

 editions. The number of alterations has been 525. A catalogue of these books, with a 

 full index of subjects, was published early in 1886. 



The special collection of l5ibliographies has also been kept up by adding to it such 

 new books as appeared suitable. 



A subject index of the modern ivorks added to the Library in the years 1880-1885 was 

 published during 1886; and an interleaved copy of it placed in the Reading Room for 

 reference is kept up to date by the insertion of the new books as soon as the titles are 

 printed. 



IIL Binding. — The number of volumes and pamphlets sent to be bound in the course 

 of the year amounts to 24,432; including 1,142 volumes of newspapers; and, in con- 

 sequence of the frequent adoption of the plan of binding two or more volinnes in one, 

 the number of bound volumes returned is 8,730. In addition to this, 1,408 pamphlets 

 have been se2)arately bound, and 698 volumes have been repaired. 



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

 Library from use in the Reading Room is 707,659; to the Royal Library, 13,118; 

 to the Grenville Library, 801 ; and to the presses in which books are kept from day 

 to day for the use of readers, 468,102 ; making a total amount of 1,189,680 volumes sup- 

 plied to readers. 



The number of readers during the year has been 176,893, giving an average of nearly 

 584 daily ; and, from the numbers given above, each reader appears to have consulted 

 about 7 volumes per diem, not reckoningr those taken from the shelves of the Readino^ 



oom. 



Newspaper Room. — The total number of readers during the year has been 9,152, giving 

 an average of about 30 daily. The number of volumes replaced after use is 72,613, so 

 that each reader would appear to have consulted about 7 volumes per diem. 



V. Additions. — (a.) 33,844 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 3,946 

 were presented, 11,548 received in pursuance of the laws of English Copyright. 1,397 

 received under the International Copyright Treaties, and 16,953 acquired by purchase. 



(i.) 50,796 parts of volumes (or separate numbers of periodical publications, and 

 works in progress) have also been added, of which 1,629 were presented, 27,520 received 

 in pursuance of the laws of English Copyright, 577 received under the International 

 Copyright Treaties, and 21,070 acquired by purchase. 



(e.) The 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. : 

 486 published in London and its suburbs, 1,369 in other parts of England and Wales, 

 201 in Scotland, and 136 in Ireland. 92 volumes, belonging to 28 different sets, have 

 been purchased; and 1,919 numbers have been presented. 



{d.) 5,296 pieces of Music have been acquired, each piece complete in itself; of which 

 2,993 were received by English, and 2,170 by International Copyright, and 133 by 

 purchase. 



(e.) The number of distinct works comprised in the 33,844 volumes and pamphlets, and 

 50,796 parts of volumes already mentioned, amounts, as nearly as can be ascertained, to 

 35,475. Of these, 3,575 have been presented, 11,469 acquired by English, and 1,294 by 

 International Copyright, and 19,137 by purchase. 



(/■) 15,249 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, 



