REPOET. 



TO THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF NEW-YOEK. 



The Regents of the University 

 Respectfully Represent : 



That the additions made to the State Cabinet of Natural History, 

 and the Historical and Antiquarian Collection annexed thereto, 

 during 1853, have been numerous and valuable. 



The publication of the Catalogue of its contents explained, more 

 fully than could otherwise be done, the deficiencies still existing j 

 and the Committee of the Regents, specially charged with its care, 

 have endeavored to supply these gradually as well as permanently. 



A few mammalia and birds have been furnished by the author- 

 ised collector, and also some by donation ; but as these departments 

 are comparatively complete, the number thus obtained has been 

 small. Attention may be here directed to the plaster cast of one of 

 the molar teeth of the American Elephant, presented by Dr. Green 

 of Cortland county. 



The collection of Fishes and Reptiles, however, from untoward 

 circumstances occurring several years since, was small, imperfect, 

 and not sufficiently named. Advantage was taken of an offer from 

 the Smithsonian Institution at Washington, to furnish, at a liberal 

 price, specimens of those native to our own State, duplicates of 

 which had been collected, preparatory to a museum of those in the 

 United States generally. The number purchased (63 fishes and 36 

 reptiles), properly named, and referring when necessary to the 

 nomenclature used by Dr. Dekay in his " Ichthyology of New- 

 York," will be seen in the appendix to this report. 



Professor Spencer F. Baird, an eminent naturalist, has, also, by 

 request, forwarded a monograph of the serpents found in this State 



