University of the State of New York 



New York State Museum 



The New York State Museum as at present organized is the out- 

 growth of the Natural History Survey of the State commenced in 1836. 

 This was established at the expressed wish of the people to have some 

 definite and positive knowledge of the mineral resources and of the 

 vegetable and animal forms of the State. This wish was stated in 

 memorials presented to the Legislature in 1834 by the Albany Institute 

 and in 1835 by the American Institute of New York city and as a result 

 of these and other influences the Legislature of 1835 passed a resolution 

 requesting the secretary of state to report to that body a plan for " a com- 

 plete geological survey of the State, which shall furnish a scientific and 

 perfect account of its rocks, soils and materials and of their localities ; a 

 list of its mineralogical, botanical and zoological productions and provide 

 for procuring and preserving specimens of the same; etc." 



Pursuant to this request, Hon. John A. Dix, then secretary of state, 

 presented to the Legislature of 1836, a report proposing a plan for a 

 complete geologic, botanic and zoologic survey of the State. This 

 report was adopted by the Legislature then in session and the governor 

 was authorized to employ competent persons to carry out the plan which 

 was at once put into effect. 



The scientific staff of the Natural History Survey of 1836 consisted of 

 John Torrey, botanist; James E. De Kay, zoologist ; Lewis C. Beck, 

 mineralogist; W. W. Mather, Ebenezer Emmons, Lardner Vanuxem and 

 Timothy A. Conrad geologists. In 1837 Professor Conrad was made 

 paleontologist and James Hall, who had been an assistant to Professor 

 Emmons, was appointed geologist to succeed Professor Vanuxem, who 

 took Professor Conrad's place. 



The heads of the several departments reported annually to the 

 governor the results of their investigations, and these constituted the 

 annual octavo reports which were published from 1837 to 1841. The 

 final reports were published in quarto form, beginning at the close of the 

 field work in 1841, and 3000 sets have been distributed, comprising four 

 volumes of geology, one of mineralogy, two of botany, five of zoology, 

 five of agriculture and eight of paleontology. 



