Staten Island’? which We also hope to 
publish under the same conditions as 
the paper previously mentioned, Mr, 
Delavan’s researches into the Colonial 
history of Staten Island have been 
painstaking and accurate in the ex- 
treme, and any paper from him may be 
relied upon by the historian of the fu- 
ture. Other members have contributed 
to our entertainment during the year, 
by the exhibition of specimens and in- 
teresting discussions, among whom I 
may specialy mention Messrs. L. W. 
Freeman and John T. Fetherston. 
Thisreport would be incomplete with- 
out mentioning the movement in the di- 
rection of securing permanent and ade- 
quate quarters for the museum of the 
Association, where we propose that our 
collection may be displayed for the in- 
struction and entertainment of the pub- 
lic, and where accomodations mzy be 
had for public, special and such other 
meetings as we may wish to hold. 
This subject has received consider- 
ation for a long time, but necessarily 
progress on practical lines has been 
delayed on account of the numerous 
other more pressing calls upon the 
people in their municipal as well as in 
their individual capacity. We have, 
since the consolidation of our commun- 
ity withthe greater City, been passing 
through a period of development and 
construction, along lines requiring the 
expenditure of much money and effort 
to secure those conveniences of trans- 
portation and other public utilities 
which are necessary in the pursuit of 
our daily avocations. Concessions from 
the municipal authorities in excess of 
those necessary demands have seemed 
impracticable, so long as we are still 
without those conveniences and neces- 
saries Which are essential to our com- 
fort and safety in the daily walks of 
life. To be too insistent and pressing 
would perhaps defeat the very object 
we have in view, but the time is ap- 
31 
proaching when we may safely under- 
take to bring the requirements of our 
Association and the possibilities of its 
resources in the direction of public in- 
struction and entertainment, to the at- 
tention not only of the authorities, but 
also to our fellow citizens of Staten 
Island. This matter, however, is in 
the hands of a committee of the Associ- 
ation, from whom a report may be ex- 
pected to-night. 
The social features of our meetings 
have been most agreeable and satisfac- 
tory, and Iam sure that I record the 
feeling of the Association as a whole, 
when I express the appreciation of the 
members to those of our number who 
have entertained us at their homes: 
during the past year. 
In review of the year, I think we may 
congratulate ourselves that it has been 
a most profitable and pleasant one to 
us all, and that our Association has 
held its own in the esteem of the com- 
munity and in the respect and good will 
of the outside world. The reports of 
the respective officers of the Association 
will inform you more particularly in 
regard to the details of its affairs. 
In concluslon, I wish to express to 
the Association my appreciation of the 
courtesy and the kindness with which 
I have been uniformly treated by the 
members, as its presiding officer, 
Dr. Arthur Hollick exhibited speci- 
mens of amber and fossil leaves, from 
the Kreischerville clays and read the 
following paper: 
A RECENT DISCOVERY OF AMBER AND 
OLFHER FOSSIL PLANT REMAINS AT 
KREISCHERVILLE. 
In the published Proceedings of our 
meeting of December 12th, 1885, may be 
found a short paragraph by the writer 
to the effect that fossil plant remains 
were found on November 15th of that 
year in the Cretaceous clays of Kreisch- 
erville. This discovery was described 
more at length in the Proceedings of 
