ACCOUMTS, ^CC., OF' THE BRITISH MUSKUM. 11 



(i.) Catalogues of Books of Reference hi the Reading Room. — The collection of books la 

 the galleries of the Heading Room has been maintained by adding I o it new works of 

 interest and iraporLance, and by substituting new for older editions. The number of 

 additions to each of the interleaved copies of the Catalogue of this collection was 256. 



The interleaved copy of the Subject-Iudex of the modern works added to the Library 

 in the years 1880-1885 has been kept up to date by the insertion of the title-slips of new 

 books as soon as they are printed. 



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

 of the year was 14,671, including 1,137 volumes of newspapers. In consequence of the 

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

 bound volumes returned was 7,879; in addition to which, 922 pamphlets have becK 

 separately bound. 1,145 volumes have been repaired. 



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

 Library from use in the Eeading Room was 728,890; to the Royal Library, 14,185: 

 to the Grenville Library, 1,146 ; and to the presses in which books are kept from day 

 to day for the use of readers, 464,488 ; making a total amount of 1,208,709 volumes sup- 

 plied to readers during the year. 



The number of readers during the year has been 188,432, giving an average of nearly 

 622 daily ; and an average of about six volumes daily for each reader, not reckoning those 

 taken from the shelves of the Readins: Room. 



Newspaper Room. — The total number of readers during the year h;is been 14,499, giving 

 a daily average of nearly 48. 'Ihe number of volumes replaced after use was 47,146, 

 giving a daily average of more than three volumes to each reader. 



V. Additions. — («.) 29,225 volumes and pamphlets (including books of music) have 

 been added to the Library in the course of the year, of which 2,850 were presented, 

 10,459 received in jjursuance of the laws of English Copyright, and 283 received under 

 the International Copyright Treaties. (It is to be remarked that owing to the operation 

 of the Convention of Berne, by which the deposit of a foreign book at the Museum has 

 ceased to be a necessary condition of securing copyright in England, receipts by inter- 

 national copyright have almost entirely ceased.) 477 were received by international 

 exchange, and 15,156 acquired by purchase. 



(b.) 54,125 parts of volumes (or separate numbers of periodical publications, and 

 woi'lvs in progress) have also been added, of which 1,322 were presented, 27,375 received 

 in pursuance of the laws of English Copyright, 91 received under the International 

 Copyright Treaties, 370 received by international exchange, and 24,967 acquired by 

 purchase. 



(c.) Tiie number of sets of Newspapers published in the United Kingdom and i-eceived 

 under the provisions of the Copyright Act during the past year has been 2,244, com- 

 prising 157,166 single numbers. 557 of these newspapers were published in London 

 and its subixrbs, 1,338 in other parts of England and Wales, 206 in Scotland, and 143 

 in Ireland. Six volumes of old newspapers have beeri purchased; 71 volumes and 1,342 

 single numbers presented ; and two volumes and 14,685 single numbers of Foreign and 

 Colonial newspapers, belonging to 65 different sets, have been purchased. 



(d.) 3,336 pieces of Music have been acquired, each piece complete in itself; of which 

 2,794 were received by English, and 542 by international copyright. 



(e.) The number of distinct works comprised In the 29,225 volumes and pamphlets, and 

 54,125 parts of volumes already mentioned, amounts, as nearly as can be ascertained, to 

 27,399. Of these, 2,237 have been presented, 11,495 acquired by English, and 801 by 

 International Copyright, 99 by international exchange, and 12,767 by purchase. 



(/.) 4,818 articles have been received in the Department, not included in the foregoing 

 paragraphs, and comprising Broadsides, Parliamentary Papers, and other miscellaneous 

 items. The addition of this number to those already given produces a total of 93,813 

 articles received in the Department. 



(g.) The number of stamps impressed upon articles received is altogether 362,967, 



Acquisitions of rare and interesting books have been unusually numerous during the 

 past year. The most important opportunity of augmenting the Museum collection was 

 afforded by the sale, in June, of the first portion of the library of the late Robert 

 Samuel Turner, Esq., celebrated for its rich stores of early French, Italian, and Spanish 

 literature. On this occasion the Museum acquired the splendid edition of the Spanish 

 " Amadis of Gaul," printed at Rome by Antonio de Salamanca in 1519, of whichonly three 

 copies are known to be in existence ; a unique copy of the romance of Tablante and Jofre, 

 Seville, 1513; the "Decameron" of Boccaccio, Venice, 1525, also probably unique; the 

 comedies of Saa de Miranda and Antonio Ferreira, Lisbon, 1622, one of the rarest of 

 Portuguese classics ; " Cose vulgare del Polltiano," Bologna, 1490, the first edition, of 

 wbich'^only two other perfect copies are known ; " Novae Solymae librl sex," Londini, 

 1648, a very singular book, apparently quite unknown ; the Spanish romances of 



O 3l, B 2 Clamades 



