REPOUT OF THE CHANCELLOR. 



To the Legislature of the State of JSfeiu York : 



The Regents of the University, as Trustees of the State Museum 

 of Natural Histor}', respectfully submit their thirty-ninth annual 

 report as required by law. 



The ordinary operations of the Museum have been conducted 

 without specjal incident, but with much activity and with substantial 

 results. More than the usual amount of field-work has been under- 

 taken, with a double view of settling certain important geological 

 questions, and increasing the collections of the Museum in needed 

 directions. For a fuller account of the purpose and results of these 

 geological excursions the Trustees refer to the report of the Director, 

 which is hereto appended. The international geological congress, 

 held this year in Berlin, seemed an occasion of such importance as 

 to justify the attendance of the Director. Accordingly, under leave 

 of absence from the Trustees, he attended the sessions in October 

 last, returning after an absence of only a few weeks from a most 

 profitable and interesting conference. Acting in connection with 

 other scientific bodies located in Albany, the Trustees joined in an 

 invitation to the National Academy of Sciences to hold their 

 autumn meeting in Albany. The meetings were held in rooms in 

 the new Capitol, placed at their disposal by the trustees of public 

 buildings. The sessions were well attended and were full of scientific 

 interest, especially in those sciences represented by the State Museum. 



The work of fitting up the State Hall for the purposes of the 

 State Museum has been carried forward as far as the release of the 

 rooms by the State officers will permit. The suite of rooms on the 

 east side of the upper story has been fitted up with about two thou- 

 sand drawers, and with tables and platform cases. These have been 

 partially filled with material taken from the old Museum build- 

 ing, and from the State collections stored in rented build- 

 ings. The south-east basement room has also been fitted up and 

 used for the storage of specimens. The north-east basement room 

 has also been fitted up for the purpose of carrying on the work of 



