ACCOUNTS, &C., OF THE BRITISH MUSEUM. 45 



Depaktment of British and Medieval Antiquities and Ethnography. 



I. — Arrangement. 



Prehistiric Suluon. The arrangement of this Saloon has been continued and consider- 

 able progress has been made ; it was hoped that this section would have been completed; 

 but the tedious labour of carefully examining and incorporating the very numerous pre- 

 historic specimens in the older Museum Collection and the Christy Collection has caused 

 much delay, especially as it was found that only a portion could be exhibited in the limited 

 space available, and that the remainder would have to be arranged in drawers for students. 



The whole of the Greenwell Collection of sepulchral ui'ns, which had been temporarily 

 arranged, has been removed, the cases repainted, and the specimens replaced, the smaller 

 objects being arranged in 44 glazed boxes. The rest of the sepulchral urns from Britain 

 have been arranged in the adjoining cases, which have been painted, as have also those 

 containing the antiquities of the Bronze Period of Britain, and a portion of the Stone 

 Period. The fittings for the foreign Stone Age have been begun, and a number of speci- 

 mens mounted for exhibition, and the whole of the foreign urns have been arranged on 

 shelves, in Cases 31 to 36. The specimens for the table cases have been selected. The 

 fittings of the three central cases in the entrance portion have been made, and the collec- 

 tion of cave remains from Bruniquel has been amplified, as also that from the Swiss Lakes. 



In all 50 boards have been covered, and 1,167 specimens mounted upon them, and 50 

 temporary labels have been written. 



The glazed ends of four table cases have been lined with paper, and two new table 

 case desks have been received, which have been fitted to bases removed from the Ethno- 

 graphical Gallery. 



Ethnographical Gallery. It will be remembered that, as a matter of convenience, the 

 arrangements in this gallery and in the Asiatic Saloon, up to the 12th April of last year, 

 when they were opened to the public, were included in the last Return. 



The examination of specimens liable to decay has been continued, and, where necessary, 

 the objects have been treated with preservative preparations. Two new upright central 

 cases have been received, and a number of masks and models arranged in them. Two 

 framed photographs have been labelled, and thirty stone arrowheads from North America 

 have been mounted. 



Asiatic Saloon. Sixty-six terra cotta heads have been mounted on wooden blocks, 

 three plinths have been made tor large bronze bells, nine Indian sculptures have been 

 mounted on plinths, and six pedestals have been made for Buddhist figures. Fittings 

 have been made and covered with paper for a case of Javanese bronze figures. The 

 desks of three table cases have been re-lined, and the doors edged with ribbon velvet to 

 exclude dust. A number of temporary card labels have been written, and 25 general 

 labels have been painted. 



The wall cases of the new gallery intended for glass and majolica, and which forms a 

 portion of the White Building, have been completed. 



A marble bas-relief has been framed and placed on the wall of the Mediaeval Room; 

 the doors of the wall cases and of the table case cupboards in the Anglo-Roman and 

 Anglo-Saxon Rooms have been edged with ribbon velvet to exclude dust. 



A Roman drinking cup, two bowls, three Anglo-Saxon urns, and three wooden vessels 

 have been repaired. 



A Saxon shield boss, a leaden magical plate, and a Danish iron sword, have been 

 cleaned and waxed to arrest decay. 



Forty eight small objects have been mounted on tablets and labelled. 



The permanent catalogue on slips of the Ethnographical collections has been continued, 

 and 106 specimens described, with a careful sketch of each object. 



The registration has been continued and thirteen hundred and twenty-one specimens 

 have been registered. 



II. — Acquisitions. 



O-) Early British and Prehistoric Antiquities : — 



Seven flint implements from the Drift at Hitchin, Herts, presented by William 

 Ransom, Esq. 



Two Drift implements from Southampton Cemetery, presented by T. W. U. Robin- 

 son, Esq., F.s.A. 



Eighteen vessels of ancient British pottery, and other objects found with them, in 

 barrows in Yorkshire ; from the Londesborough Collection ; presented by the Rev. William 

 Greenwell, d.c.l., f.k.s. 



Flint knife found at Wolseys, Great Easton, Essex, presented by J. Pomeroj, Esq. 

 Stone axe-hammer of unusual size found near Stone, county Stafford. 



185. F 3 Polished 



