356 BULLETIN 109, UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 



the lucrease and preservation of the collections shall be made by the director, 

 with the approval of the chancellor of the board of regents. 



5. The botanical department as now organized shall be continued, as originally 

 contenii)!ated, for three years from the end of the present year. 



6, This act shall take effect upon its final passage. 



This was supplemented the following year as below : 



An act to amend an act entitled "An act in relation to the State Cabinet of Natural 

 History," passed May 2, 1870; passed April 25, 1871, three-fifths being present. 



The people of the State of Ncic York, represented in senate and assemhJi/, do 

 enact as foltoios: 



Section 1. The assistants and curators of departments provided for by the 

 second section of the act entitled "An act in relation to the State Cabinet of 

 Natural History," passed May 2, 1870, shall be appointed by the director of the 

 State Museum of Natural History, with the concurrence of the board of regents 

 of the university. 



2. Tlie annual course of free scientific lectures authorized by the third .section 

 of said act shall be organized under the direction of the board of regents and 

 the director of the State museum. 



3. The moneys appropriated by the fourth section of the act above named shall 

 be expended by the director of the State Museum of Natural History, with the 

 approval of the board of regents of the university. 



4. This act shall take effect immediately. 



For James Hall, as State geologist, for the use of working rooms, 

 fuel, lights, and other expenses incurred, for the yjreparation of the 

 paleontology of .New York, and for the distribution of duplicate 

 fossils, as provided by law, to the 1st of January, 1871, there was 

 appropriated $1,000. 



The following letter illustrates pretty clearly the disadvantage.^ 

 under which Hall had been laboring and the necessity for such 

 action : 



AiKANY, March 27.' 1871. 

 Hon. De Witt C. Little.tohn. 



Deab Sib: I send you with my sincere regards volume 4, Paleontology of Nexr 

 York, and I hope I may have the pleasure of sending you the succeeding vol- 

 umes, though I learn that the committee of ways and means at its last session 

 struck out the appropriation for the original drawings for the work. 



I have yet to come before the committee of ways and means to ask for a sum 

 to defray in part the expense of working rooms and other expenses while en- 

 gaged in this work and I bespeak your patience and forbearance. For all my 

 own labor upon this work in superintending drawings and engravings I have 

 received nothing since 1S66. Three .separate laws have been passed requiring 

 that I arrange and label a collection of duplicate fossils for several institutions. 

 There are no working rooms at the State museum adapted for this work and 1 

 have been compelled to furnish them. In order to have greater conveniences I 

 have begun and nearly completed the fitting up of the principal part of an entire 

 building of 30 by 45 feet, two-thirds of the basement and all of the principal 

 and part of the second story being devoted to this work. Between November of 

 last year and the month of May, 1871, I shall have expended at lea.«t $l.r)0(> U> 

 prepare working rooms, drawers, etc.. required for this work. 



