5& new york state museum ■ 



valley at considerable expense, and the expense is further aug- 

 mented by the extreme percentage of waste of the raw material 

 in the process of button making. Indeed it often runs as high 

 as gofc, and averages more than 80^, upon all of which transpor- 

 tation charges have to be paid from the western source of sup- 

 ply. It is not unlikely that the natural supplies of the New 

 York streams would help to alleviate this situation, as experi- 

 ment has shown that several of the New York varieties are suit- 

 able for button manufacture. There is no obstacle to the arti- 

 ficial propagation of these varieties in the streams that are by 

 nature specially adapted to their growth. Indeed it is altogether 

 as practical a proposition as the artificial propagation of fish. 

 Probably all of the fresh-water mussels in our rivers are or may 

 be capable of pearl production, but it is an interesting fact that 

 the three or four varieties most suitable for button manufacture 

 are also those which have yielded most frequently the best grades 

 of pearls, and it is also entirely reasonable to assume that the 

 propagation of the pearls themselves is within the scope of arti- 

 ficial methods, though so far as experience in other countries 

 in this artificial creation of pearl secretions has gone, the results 

 are of inferior grade. It follows, however, as a natural conclu- 

 sion that if the number of mussels with pearl-producing possi- 

 bilities is increased by artificial propagation, the chances are 

 also greatly augmented for increase in the production of the 

 pearls themselves. 



This line of investigation has been taken up by Prof. Philip 

 F. Schneider and will be continued in the hope of bringing it to 

 a conclusion that may justify recommendations of public use- 

 fulness. 



Birds of New York. In several previous reports I have made 

 reference to progress on a monograph of the Birds of New York, 

 last year giving a summary statement of the contents of the 

 first volume. This volume is now leaving the press. Volume 

 2 is complete in manuscript and its printing will be forwarded 

 as rapidly as the character of the work justifies. 



On account of the widespread interest in this publication and 

 in view of the general demand for copies of it, this occasion is 

 taken to announce that, in accordance with the requirements of 

 the Department, the work will be held for sale at the following 

 price: 



