REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I913 73 



down of the shale particles and the hydration and oxidation of their 

 constituents, specially the iron compounds, exercise a beneficial 

 change upon the material. The subject needs further study, how- 

 ever, in order to ascertain the specific effects wrought by the differ- 

 ent agencies. 



Miscellaneous. Field investigations other than those incident to 

 brief trips for collecting purposes have been suspended during the 

 year. 



The office work has involved the usual extensive correspondence, 

 of which a large part is concerned with the statistical canvass of 

 the mineral industries. There has been a very active interest shown 

 in the various undeveloped resources of the State, and numerous 

 inquiries were received for advice as to possible locations for enter- 

 prise. These have related to almost all departments, but there 

 seems to be particular interest at present in natural gas, iron ores, 

 and high-grade limestones. It is aimed to give all possible assistance 

 to legitimate requests of this character. The office has also been 

 frequently called upon to identify and value samples of minerals, 

 a function that is well within its province so long as there is not 

 involved any elaborate chemical analysis or assay, in which case 

 commercial laboratories must be consulted. 



MINERALOGY 

 The time of the mineralogist has been given exclusively to the 

 arrangement of the mineralogical collections, which is now well ad- 

 vanced. Reference has already been made to the acquisition of the 

 Silas A. Young collection of minerals of Orange county which has 

 been incorporated in the general arrangement. The mineral col- 

 lections as now displayed constitute a double series, one being the 

 general collection which has been made as complete as circumstances 

 permit, and the other a series of New York State minerals which 

 is undoubtedly the best of its kind. 



PALEONTOLOGY 

 The attention of the paleontological staff has also been almost 

 exclusively given to the arrangement of the paleontological collec- 

 tions. This work has been carried well forward, but the prelim- 

 inary arrangement must of necessity be succeeded by a more per- 

 manent and carefully selected one. Into this collection of materials 

 from the old Museum has had to be incorporated a large amount of 

 material obtained by the purchase of the Gebhard collection. In 

 addition to this work of arrangement of fossils, much has been done 



