vi LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE AND 



It lias unfortunately happened that the direction and progress of the work 

 have never been fully within the control of the author, and this has resulted 

 from various causes, as you will see from the following circumstances attending 

 it* pursuance: 



In 1855, after a virtual suspension of the Palaeontology for five years, a 

 contract was made for its continuation, and for its completion in five volumes — 

 two volumes having already been published. Under the conditions of this contract 

 Volumes III and IV were published ; and in accordance with the specified condi- 

 tions of this agreement, the manuscript of the fifth volume was placed in the hands 

 of tin- Commissioners in charge of thework, in September, 1866. This manuscript 

 contained the descriptions of all the species of Crinoidea, Gasteropoda, Pteropoda, 

 Cephalopoda, and Crustacea, then known to me. This act constituted the fulfill- 

 ment of the duties imposed upon the author by the original agreement of 1855. 



In the final arrangement regarding the completion of this work, made in 

 1855, the then Secretary of State, Hon. E. W. Leavenworth, had very properly 

 provided that a certain sum of money should be annually expended in making 

 collections of fossils from the rocks of New York, for the more complete illus- 

 tration of its Natural History in the department of Palaaontology — the collections 

 having previously been made at the personal expense of the author. These 

 collections, thus provided for, were continued for eight years, and a large "amount 

 of material was brought together for study ; but the want of proper working- 

 rooms prevented it from being made immediately available. 



Since no suitable rooms for the purpose were then in the control of the Com- 

 missioners, or of the Regents of the University, the author erected a large 

 building especially adapted to this object, and finally a second building became 

 necessary; and to-day these are both filled to overflowing with collections of 

 fottila belonging to the State of New York. 



From the completion of Volume IV in 1867, the work of printing and litho- 

 graphy remained entirely at a stand-still. The existing contract for the execu- 

 tion of the work having been made many years previously, when prices of 

 labor and material were much lower, it could not be continued without a loss 

 to the contractor. This condition had in fact existed during the preparation 



