12 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



This catalogue is arranged as follows : 



The general classification is biologic and follows the broadest sub- 

 divisions. Each entry represents a single specimen and is accom- 

 panied by two numbers, the first serial, the second fractional and 

 corresponding to the number borne by the specimen. In this frac- 

 tional number the numerator carries the number assigned to the 

 major division, the genus and the species, while the denominator 

 indicates the number of the specimen of the species. Thus, the 

 sponge Dictyospongia sceptrum Hall (sp.) carries the 

 number ^-^^. 2000 is the number assigned to the Spongiae, 2260 

 that assigned to the genus Dictyospongia, 2264 the number for D. 

 sceptrum, the fourth species of that genus, and -\-— the num- 

 ber for the second specimen of this species. In the scheme of num- 

 bering the following is the allotment made for the major biologic 

 divisions. 



Plantae 



100 



Lamellibranchiata 



9000 



Protozoa 



I 000 



Gastropoda 



10 000 



Spongiae 



2000 



Pteropoda 



II 000 



Cnidaria 



3000 



Cephalopoda 



12000 



Echinodermata 

 Vermes 



4000 

 5000 



Crustacea 



j 13000 

 ( 14000 



Bryozoa 



6000 



Tracheata 



15000 



Brachiopoda 



7000 

 8000 



Pisces 



16000 



For ease of use it has been the purpose to keep these divisions as 

 broad as practicable, in order to avoid duplicating too often the alpha- 

 betic arrangement of the species and to maintain the elasticity of the 

 scheme in the incorporation of future additions. The work does not 

 purport to be one on taxonomy, but aims to present the arrangement 

 in the simplest form. During the progress of the printing of the cata- 

 logue, a period of 18 months, the continuous publication of paleon- 

 tologic researches and acquisitions to the collections by gift and pur- 

 chase have notably increased the number of type specimens and these 

 have been added in a supplementary list brought up to February 

 1903. 



