LETTER 



SECRETARY OF STATE AND SECRETARY OF T&E BOARD OF REGENTS. 



To Hon. ALLEN C. BEACH, 



Secretary of State, and 



S. B. WOOL WORTH, LL. D., 



Secretary of the Board of Regents : 



Gentlemen — By a law of the Legislature of the State of New York, all matters 

 relating to the publication of the Natural History of the State are committed 

 to your direction. In accordance with this law, and my own desire, I beg leave 

 to submit to you Volume V, Part II, of the Paleontology of New York, which 

 has been done and completed under your direction, and with your approval 

 during its progress. 



In submitting this part of the work, it seems proper that I should 

 accompany it with some statement of the present condition of the remain- 

 ing portions, and an explanation of the causes which have operated to 

 prevent an earlier appearance of the present volume. This explanation is due 

 from myself to you who have so kindly and efficiently sustained the work in 

 its progress through many untoward and discouraging circumstances. It is 

 due to the public of all classes who had a right to expect the publication of a 

 volume long before this time. It is due to myself, because having assumed 

 a position of responsibility, I should either perform the requirements as 

 expected, or offer some reasonable explanation for delay. 



