SIR IIANS SLOANE. 
59 
volumes in folio, and eight volumes in quarto.”* 
But these catalogues were stated, at the time of 
Sloane’s death, to be those of the whole museum 
as then existing ; and we know that, from many 
other sources, Sir Hans obtained augmentations ; 
and the account he himself gives of it after the 
purchase of Petiver’s collections, compared with 
that published immediately after his death, will 
shew that it was constantly increasing. 
Apologizing in 1725 for the delay in publishing 
the second volume of his Natural History of 
Jamaica, he says — “ The putting into some kind 
of order my curiosities, numbering them and 
entering their names, and accounts received with 
them, in books, which was necessary in order to 
their preservation and uses, hath taken me up 
some of the time I have had to spare from the 
exercise of my profession ; and because some 
people have represented me careless and negligent 
in not giving this second volume sooner, I think 
it proper, in my own justification, to acquaint the 
reader, that I have entered into books, and 
numbered these natural and artificial things 
following.” 
The numbers in the first columns are those he 
tliere gives ; those in the second column, are 
from the list as transmitted to the British Museum 
after his death. 
* Article Coubten, vol. x. p. 363. 
