THE ARCH KOLnC.lCAI. HISTORY OK N K\V YORK 449 



the collection and display of the natural resources of the State and 

 second, the prosecution of scientific research along the several lines 

 of natural history, so far as these subjects pertain to the area within 

 the boundaries of the State. These embrace geology, paleontology, 

 mineralogy, entomology, zoology, botany, archeology and ethnology. 



The present housing of the Museum is in the State Education 

 Building in Albany. Here are the offices of the Museum staff, and 

 here in the longest and largest exhibition halls in America are dis- 

 played the various collections of objects illustrating the geology, the 

 animal, insect, plant and the aboriginal phenomena of the State. 

 The Museum is a free institution devoted entirely to public instruc- 

 tion. It belongs to the people of the State and constitutes a unique 

 index to the natural products of the Empire State. 



Many thousands of citizens and indeed travelers from all over 

 the world have visited the exhibits. As many as six or seven thou- 

 sand have visited the halls on a Sunday, the yearly total of visitors 

 being from 200,000 to 300,000. 



The popularity of the institution is attested by the numerous 

 gifts it has received from public-spirited citizens. Among the 

 notable gifts since 1912 have been the Indian habitat groups, the 

 Dewey Iroquois Collection, the Fuertes bird paintings, the Clark 

 Reservation, the Cryptozoon Ledge, the Stark's Knob volcano, the 

 Squaw Island in Canandaigua lake, the Arnold bird-eggs, and the 

 Peck memorial collection of mushroom models. There have been 

 many smaller gifts, including individual specimens in all the various 

 departments. 



The section of archeology has undertaken a survey of the arche- 

 ological localities of the State and has conducted many excavat : ons 

 of various important sites. The collections occupy both mezzanine 

 halls running the entire length of the building. The west hall is 

 devoted to the ethnology of the Indians still living within the State. 

 Here are exhibits of the costumes and clothing of the Iroquois and 

 Algonkin, cases containing specimens of their domestic utensils, 

 weapons, Dairies, textiles, silver work, bead work and ceremonial 

 articles. Here also are the official wampum belts of the Iroquois 

 league. In the Myron H. Clark Hall of Iroquois Ethnology are six 

 habitat groups consisting of actual life casts of Iroquois and other 

 Indians. Each group represents some activities connected with the 

 culture of the aborigines. They are viewed through large glass 

 windows and the impression is that of looking directly out of a large 

 window and at a natural scene. These groups represent : hunting, 



