14 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Under these conditions I felt that I could no longer be justified in 

 going on with this work, and so notified Mr. Emmons. 



However there was certain work necessary, in the opening of boxes 

 and the selection of specimens to fill out the geological series in our 

 drawers that I continued Mr. Emmons' services until the first of March. 



The attention of your board is directed to the fact that these school 

 collections are still uncompleted and that the services of a good man, for 

 a few months only, would put them all in such condition that you 

 could respond to requests from schools for sets of the representative 

 fossils of our geological formations. 



At a later date, March 20th, I received the following from the office 

 of the regents : 



Regents Office, Albany, N. Y. 18 March 1895 



At a legal meeting of the regents of the University of the State of 

 New York, held at their office in the capitol in Albany, February 28, 

 1895, the following action was taken: 



Extracts from Official Minutes 

 Duplicate specimens. Resolved, That the requests of the University of 

 the City of New York, Union college and the Buffalo high school for a 

 collection of specimens from duplicates belonging to the museum be 

 granted, the selection to be made subject to the approval of the state 

 geologist and all the expenses to be borne by the institutions. 



A true record. Attest: 



MELVIL DEWEY 

 Secretary 



But one of these applicants has availed himself of this permission. 

 Prof. J. J. Stevenson of the University of the City of New York, has 

 secured a large and fine series of fossils, such as the institution has 

 seldom given away before, and could not part with again without incur- 

 ring material loss. Under the present conditions, while no provision is 

 made by the regents for additions to the collection of fossils, there can 

 be no doubt of the wisdom of the policy for discontinuing further distri- 

 bution of specimens, but there are certainly very grave doubts as 

 to the wisdom of permitting anyone to come into the stores of this 

 department and help himself to what he wants. Such a consideration 

 Cannot be often shown without seriously imparing the integrity and ful- 

 ness of our representation of the fossils of New York State. 



Since no means or authority are provided for making acquisitions by 

 exchange, collections in the field or by purchase, very i^^^ additions have 



