No. lOi.] 13 



Numerous slabs of fossils from various geological formations, on 



shelves and tables. 



Besides the above collections and others not enumerated, there 

 are about 200 boxes tilled with fossils from various geological 

 formations, which have been removed from Mr. Hall's premises, 

 and are now stored in the basement of the State Hall. 



The two basement rooms in the south-east corner of the State 

 Hall are 80 filled with boxes and casks of specimens that we are already 

 greatly inconvenienced in any attempt at working. The room in the 

 south-east corner is partially occupied by our boxes of fossils, but we 

 have not control of the same, and it cannot be used as a working- 

 rouiu. 



The collections of specimens representing the fossil Lamelli- 

 branchiata of the Upper Helderberg, Hamilton and Chemung 

 groups have now been pretty thoroughly studied, and the species 

 are separated and arranged iu drawers in the private museum of the 

 Director. Altogether, these fossils occupy about 800 drawers, and 

 number more than 30,000 specimens. The second volume 

 of the work, describing these fossils, being now completed, it is 

 important that the specimens be correctly labeled before being 

 removed from their present arrangement to the State Hall. As soon 

 as this labeling can be completed, I would recommend that selections 

 of specimens be made sufficient for any future use of the Museum, 

 both for its collections and for exchanges ; and that the remainder 

 bo arranged in series for distribution to the educational institutions 

 of the State. This work will require much time and careful 

 attention on the part of the Director and his special assistant, as well 

 as additional assistance. 



I would most earnestly recommend that the Director be authorized 

 to employ competent assistants beyond the present Museum staff, 

 and begin the work of distribution of all the duplicate fossils. If 

 this work be not undertaken pretty soon, and while the services of 

 persons competent for the work are available, I am quite sure it will 

 never be done. The fossils in the unarranged and duplicate collec- 

 tions amount to nearly half a million of specimens, and to dispose 

 of this enormous amount of material in a judicious manner will 

 require most vigorous and earnest work, combined with knowledge 

 of the subjects. 



The* details of this work and the disposition of the collections to 

 result therefrom may be a subject for special future discussion and 

 determination ; and while the educational institutions of the State 

 deserve the first consideration, I believe that it is due from the 

 New York State Museum of Natural History, that authentic collec- 

 tions of these fossils shall be presented, or given in exchange, to the 

 Bcientilic museums of this country and Europe. 



The Palaeontology of New York has presented much that is new 

 and very interesting to the science; these volumes are in all the 

 scientific libraries of the world, and I believe it our duty to supple- 

 ment this source of information with the more tangible evidence 



