89(> REPORT OF NATIONAL MUSEUM, 1903. 



of stones; minerals and fossils; the fossil invertebrates; the collection 

 of general mineralogy and lithologic g-eology; the selected specimens 

 of nuunmals and birds (also the other animals of the State); an excel- 

 lent assortment of domestic fowls, with their eggs shown alongside; 

 the Gould collection of shells; and, linally, the relief maps of the State 

 (1 mile to the int-h). 



The furniture for many years has been of wood. 



As a special feature 1 may mention that schools in the State of 

 New York may borrow for a short time small collections for purposes 

 of instruction." 



The New York State Museum, established in a spacious up-to-date 

 building, will certainly in the future assume a connnanding place 

 among the museums of the country. 



NEW YORK STATE LIBRARY. 



The New York State Library is located in the third, fourth, and 

 fifth stories of the west wing of the capitol, and ought to atlord space 

 for 3,000,000 of 1)ooks. The space has, however, from time to time 

 been otherwise occupied, so that now 150,000 volumes have to be 

 stored in boxes. The library consists of 300,000 volumes, 125,000 

 bound duplicates (over 200,000 unbound), 250,000 manuscripts,'' and 

 150,000 pamphlets — a total of over 1,000,000. As already remarked, 

 plans have been drawn for a great new building for the liln-ary and 

 nmseum combined. The university, together with the librar}^ and the 

 other collections, now occupies about one-third of the great capitol 

 building, which I must first mention for it holds a place among the 

 most remarkable buildings of the United States. 



E. A. Freeman, of Oxford, writes:'' 



But on the whole the American city which struck nie most was Alljany. Rising 

 grandly as it does on both sides of the noble Hudson, it suggested some of the ancient 

 cities on the Loire. It has the advantage, rather rare in American cities but shanMl 

 with Albany by the Federal capital, of having one dominant building. The general 

 look of the city carried me so completely into another part of the world that, if any 

 one had come up and told me in French, old or new, that the new capitol was "le 

 chateau deMonseigneurle due d'Albanie," I could almost have believed him. * * * 

 The building has a most successful contour; in its details it is a strange mixture of 

 styles, not so much confounded as used side by side. This is accounted for by tlic 

 history of the building, and by the employment of more than one architect. * * * 

 There are parts which I can not at all admire; but there are other parts, those in 

 which the column and round arch are employed, which certainly pleased me as 

 much as any modern building that I have seen for a long time. When I say that 

 the arches of the senate chamber seemed to me, as far as their general conci'ptiim 

 goes, worthy to stand at Ragu.sa, some will understand that I can saj^ no more. 



« See the small handbook of the Home Education Department: Loans to academies, 

 p. 4, section of Museum illustrations (1898). With the loans of books and i)lioto- 

 graphs mentioned in the chai)ter on traveling libraries these loans of objects are 

 connected. 



''These are docnincnts such as we pri'serve in our archives. 



'Some iinj)ressions of the United States, New York, ISS.'!, ]>. 245. 



