PREFACE. xi 



dian of the entire collections of the Geological Survey, which constituted the 

 State Cabinet of Natural History ; to the latter position he had been appointed 

 by Governor Seward. 



Mr. Timothy A. Conrad, who occupied the position of Palaeontologist to the 

 Geological Survey from 1837 to 1842, had published only such preliminary 

 annual reports as were required of each department. At the latter date (1842) 

 so little progress had been made in the work that only a small proportion of 

 the characteristic fossils had been named or described. The Geologists there- 

 fore found it necessary to give names to most of the fossils used in illustrating 

 their reports, these species being the more common and characteristic forms of 

 each group of the New York geological series. 



In the spring of 1843 the writer was placed in charge of the Palaeontology 

 of the State, while still retaining his position as State Geologist.* At that 

 time there were practically no collections of fossils available for use in the 

 work, nor appropriations of money for making such collections. There were 

 no artists, either for original drawings or for lithography, and there was very 

 little in the way of books on Geology and Palaeontology. 



Mr. Conrad had estimated that a volume of one hundred quarto plates would 

 be required to properly illustrate the fossils of all the formations in the State 

 of New York. After the first year of exploration by myself and personal 

 assistants, covering the entire series, from the Potsdam sandstones to the Che- 

 mung group inclusive, it was found that no satisfactory a-ccount of the fossils 

 of the whole series could be given in a single volume, and that it would be 

 necessary to confine attention to those coming from the lower rocks.f From 

 that time forward efforts were directed to the preparation of descriptions and 

 illustrations of fossils characterizing the lower division of the " New York 

 system," which appeared in the first volume, published in 1847, containing 362 

 pages and ninety-nine plates of illustration. 



In that volume due recognition was made of the sources from which 

 material had been obtained for illustrating the work. Since that time 



* See Preface to vohune I, Palaeontology of New York. 



t At the end of the first year (in 1844) the question of continuing' the Departments of Agi-iculture and 

 Pal.-Eontology wa-s bi-ought before the Legislature, and ;in extension of time allowed for the completion of 

 the work, but no appropriation beyond the salaries of the officials was granted. 



