12 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



made to tell its fascinating story to the uninitiated. To consider 

 for a moment the demands of this science alone, and its place 

 in a museum : the people of the State have a right to know what 

 it is all about and why such extraordinary encouragement has been 

 given to its prosecution ; how it is that the State of New York 

 has acquired its repute as the exponent of this science, and, if it 

 is true that more is known of the paleontology of this State 

 than of any equal area of the world (as has been said by a dis- 

 tinguished French geologist), where is the proof of this outside 

 of published documents. There are no mysteries in science and 

 the fruits of this knowledge are the property of the people who 

 have paid for it. There is thus laid upon this division the acqui- 

 sition of materials in this field of science, that will tell the story 

 of the life in the seas and on the lands of ancient New York, its 

 beginning, its development and its outcome, and tell it in a way 

 so lucid and intelligible that the visitor to the Museum can read 

 it and learn it. No good thing, therefore, that can make clearer 

 the wonderful history of life in this part of our ancient earth, 

 and so help to enforce the broader lessons of the life from which 

 we have derived our own existence, can be sacrificed or neglected, 

 for so simply gross a reason as that appropriations for this work 

 are inadequate. A scientific specimen in a labratory and such a 

 specimen in a museum are of two vastly unlike qualities. The 

 one tells its story to the expert, the other must be made to tell 

 its simple and clear story to the larger world. 



What has thus been intimated with reference to this science 

 of paleontology may be said with equal appropriateness of all 

 cognate sciences. Each has its meaning as a factor in the edu- 

 cation of all the people. 



It is to this factor that the State Museum must now address 

 itself. In so doing, to effect the real educational purpose of this 

 Museum, to bring into sympathetic play w-ith the scientific pur- 

 pose of the organization the natural interests of the people in 

 the works of nature, to meet this enlarged opportunity for ser- 

 vice, substantial aid must be afforded. 



A half million citizens of this State visit the seat of govern- 

 ment every year, some on business and some on pleasure, and 

 the capital, among its other attractions, is now to present to 

 them a public museum — the museum of the people themselves. 

 It is needless to speculate as to what percentage of visitors will 

 direct their footsteps to this place. It is not the purpose of the 



