REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I915 Ip 



III 



CONDITION OF THE SCIENTIFIC RESERVATIONS 

 BELONGING TO THE MUSEUM 



I Cryptozoon ledge or Lester Park. In order to make the 

 extraordinary interest of this place intelligible to the visitor, tablets 

 have been erected on the ledge and near entrances along the road. 

 This road branches off from the state highway leading from 

 Saratoga Springs to Luzerne, the branch of the road being about 

 3 miles due west from Saratoga. This branch runs through a 

 beautiful piece of rocky woodland, and turning upon itself, forms 

 a loop, joining the main highway again. On the Cryptozoon ledge 

 itself has been erected an iron tablet 2 feet 8j4 inches by i foot 7^ 

 inches, set on a concrete foundation and bearing this inscription : 



CRYPTOZOON LEDGE 



THE FOSSILS ON THE SURFACE OF THIS ROCK ARE REMAINS OF MARINE PLANTS 

 OR ALGAE WHICH GREW ON THE BOTTOM OF THE ANCIENT CAMBRIAN SEA. THEY 

 ARE AMONG THE OLDEST PLANTS OF THE EARTH. THEY GREW IN CABBAGE-SHAPED 

 HEADS AND DEPOSITED LIME IN THEIR TISSUE. THIS LEDGE HAS BEEN PLANED 

 DOWN BY THE ACTION OF THE GREAT GLACIER WHICH CUT THE PLANTS ACROSS, 

 SHOWING THEIR CONCENTRIC INTERIOR STRUCTURE. THE SCIENTIFIC NAME OF 

 THESE PLANTS IS CRYPTOZOON PROLIFERUM HALL. 



On the other side of the road at the limestone quarry now a part 

 of the reserve another iron tablet has been placed to indicate the 

 significance of this limestone formation in the New York geo- 

 logical series. It bears the inscription : 



HOYT LIMESTONE 



THIS IS THE TYPICAL SECTION OF THE GEOLOGICAL FORMATION KNOWN AS THE 

 " HOYT LIMESTONE " OF THE CAMBRIAN SYSTEM. 



At the approach to the reservation from the west is a tablet, 2 

 feet I inch by i foot 3 inches with the following legend : 



LESTER PARK 



PROPERTY OF 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



DO NOT INJURE THE PLACE 



