REPORT. 



To the Legislature : 



The Eegents of the University, as trustees of the State Museum of 

 Natural History, respectfully submit their Thirty-seventh Annual 

 Report, as required by law. 



The act of the Legislature constituting chapter 355 of the Laws of 

 1883, imposed new and important duties on the trustees of the museum. 

 They submit the following statement of their proceedings under this 

 law. 



The first section of this act directs the trustees to occupy the several 

 rooms of the State Hall for the purposes of the museum as they may 

 be vacated by the present occupants, and to lit up and prepare the 

 rooms in a suitable manner, and to remove thither all the State 

 collections. An appropriation of $20,000 was made for this pur- 

 pose. Under this authority the trustees have occupied the base- 

 ment for the storage of valuable plates belonging to the Palaeon- 

 tology, and for duplicate specimens. They have also used for tempo- 

 rary purposes the rooms in the second and third stories which have be- 

 come vacant. But until a larger number of rooms in the building is 

 vacated it has been found impossible to commence the work of fitting 

 up the building. The trustees have requested Commissioner Perry to 

 aid and advise them in the preparation of plans for the complete 

 adaptation of the building for the museum. He has accordingly care- 

 fully studied the building and has had plans for the work prepared. 

 The work of actual preparation will be begun as soon as any consider- 

 able portion of the building is vacated. 



The second section of the act provides for a reorganization of the 

 staff and work of the museum. In accordance with this section vest- 

 ing all the appointments of the staff in the trustees, they reappointed 

 all the members as follows : 



Professor James Hall to be State Geologist and Director of the 

 museum. 



James W. Hall, general assistant in charge of the zoological depart- 

 ment. 



John Gebhard, special assistant and guide to the museum. 



