26 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



in the population of the coasts. It is recognized that the better 

 sense and the finer taste of the community requires that these beauti- 

 ful creatures be protected from any such destruction as has already 

 befallen the other nesting places of the gulf and other members of 

 the bird fauna of the Atlantic coast. Lively interest in this pro- 

 cedure has been taken by the Canadian Commission of Conservation, 

 as well as by private individuals, and in such hands it seems pre- 

 determined that the effort will come to a successful issue. Because 

 of the interest which we have taken in this matter through many 

 years of personal acquaintance and association with these colonies, 

 it seems appropriate to introduce here some illustrations of the 

 birds nesting on these extraordinary cliffs. 



What New York State is doing for science. It is probably true 

 that very few of our citizens have had the opportunity to acquaint 

 themselves with the ramifications of the State's business throughout 

 all the magnitude of the various interests of this Commonwealth 

 and its people. " This certainly is a wonderful State," a visitor to 

 the State Museum was recently overheard to remark after looking 

 over some of the evidences there assembled of its natural resources; 

 indeed so great a State is it that only great, elaborate and costly 

 machinery is competent for the performance of its gigantic business. 

 Its functions extend in every direction, cover seemingly every phase 

 of our community relations wherein aid, supervision or expert 

 counsel is required. 



The purpose of this statement is to indicate how completely the 

 State of New York cares for its scientific interests, and I presume 

 what is true of science is equally true of its other concerns: educa- 

 tional, charitable and corrective. The list that follows shows the 

 detail into which the supervision and development of the scientific 

 interests have now extended, and these functions reach not to super- 

 vision alone, but to research, investigation and application. It is a 

 very noteworthy fact that there is little if any duplication in these 

 activities; that is to say, no two departments are doing the same 

 work. From my own long experience I know that this has not 

 been the case for very many years. Only as the departmental 

 activities become more closely analyzed and perfected has 

 the danger of overlapping or duplication become practically 

 removed. 



Perhaps a word of explanation is needed to explain certain 

 instances that may seem to be duplications ; for example, the State 

 maintains an official entomologist. This official is attached to the 



