GEOLOGICAL A>fD NATURAJ^ HISTORY SURVEYS. 355 



Kepiies to this were received from J. D. Dana, W. E. Logan, T. 

 Sterry Hunt, Alexander Winehell, Oren Root, Alexander Agassiz, 

 F. B. Hough, A. A. Gould, and J. J. Thomas/ As a result, the 

 regents, in the annual report for this year, submitted a " plan for 

 placing the State cabinet of natural history in the condition re- 

 quired by the jjresent state of science; to maintain it in full efficiency 

 as a museum of scientific and practical geology aud coiiipurative 

 zoology," communicating therewith the replies to their circular letter 

 from the various scientific men of eminence, noted above. 



In 18GG, again, in accorduiice with the plan and resolution:!, James 

 Hall was appointed by the regents to take the position of curator of 

 the State cabinet with a view to carrying out the recommendations 

 embraced in their report. During 1867, 1868, and 1869 fruitless 

 efforts w'ere made at each session of the legislature to secure the 

 passage of a suitable law, but action was not formally taken until 

 1870, when a law was passed organizing the cabinet as the " State 

 Museum of Natural History," and appropriating $10,000 annually 

 to provide for the salary of the director and his assistants and for 

 the increase and preservation of the collections. At this time also 

 the additional sum of $l,r)00 was appropriated for the annual salary 

 of the botanist. 



Following is the text oi the act : 



An act In relation to tlie Stato Cabinet of Natural History, passed May 2. 1870, tliree- 



flfths being present. 



The pr.opJe of the State of 'S'eio Ynrlc, represented in acnate and asfiembly, do 

 enact as folJotos: 



Section 1. The State cabinet of natural history is hereby established as a 

 inusenm of scientific nnd practical geology and general natural history, at tlie 

 capital of the State, under the care and custody of the regents of the ur.iversity, 

 to be known hereafter as "The New York State Museum of Natural History." 



2. The museum shall be organized in accordance with the plan recommended 

 to the legislature by the board of regents in their report of 18(36, and the present 

 curator shall act as director of the museum and shall supervise and direct all 

 Its .scientific and practical operations, and he shall appoint such assistants or 

 curators of departments as may be required for the accomplishment of said 

 plan, with the concurrence of the chancellor of the board of regents or the com- 

 mittee of the same having charge of the museum. 



3. It shall be the duty of the director of the mus(mni and the chaiicellor of 

 the board of regents to organize a plan and make the necessary arrangements to 

 establish an annual cour.se of free scientific lectures in cimnection wiih the mu- 

 f5eum as soon as practicable and within two years from the passage of this act. 



4. For the salary of the director as establi-shed in the appropriation bill of 

 1870, for three as.sistants as now employed by him, and for the increase and 

 preservation of the collection, the sum of $10,000 annually shall be, and is 

 hereby, appropriated, and all expenditures for compensation of assistJiuts or for 



' Printed In full in tbc Nineteenth .\nnual Report of the State Natural History Survey, 

 1866. 



