New York State Education Department 



New York State Museum 



The New York State Museum as at present organized is the outgrowth 

 of the Natural History Survey of the State commenced in 1836. This was 

 estabhshed at the expressed wish of the peoi)le 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 ^y 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 sec- 

 retary of state to report to that body a plan for "a complete geological 

 survey of the State, which shall furnish a scientific and perfect account 

 of its rocks, soils and materials and of their locahties; a list of its minera- 

 logical, botanical and zoological productions and provide for procuring 

 and preserving specimens of the same; etc." 



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

 presentee c le Legislature of 1836 a report proposing a plan for a com- 

 plete 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. DeRay, 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 gover- 

 nor 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 vol- 

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

 of agriculture, and eight of paleontology. 



