REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 



Albany, January, 1884. 



To the Honorable the Board of Regents of the University of the State 

 of New Yorh : 



Gentlemen — I have the honor to communicate herewith the an- 

 nual report upon the State Museum of Natural History for the year 

 1883, being the thirty-seventh in consecutive order,, together with a 

 statement of the condition of the collections in the several depart- 

 ments, with the additions made thereto, and a general account of the 

 work done in the institution during the past year. 



Since the communication of the thirty-sixth report considerable 

 progress has been made in the publication of the reports subsequent 

 to the thirty-first. The thirty-second report had already been is- 

 sued as a legislative document, but no copies have been published for 

 the use of the Regents or of the museum. The thirty-third and 

 thirty-fourth reports have been printed and delivered at the museum 

 and State library for general distribution. The thirty-fifth report 

 is nearly printed ; already more than four hundred pages are in type 

 and it will speedily be issued. This report will contain several 

 scientific papers, which were communicated with the thirty-third and 

 thirty-fourth reports, and will also include the several catalogues of 

 shells which had been communicated with preceding reports and not 

 heretofore printed. The thirty-sixth report will follow without de- 

 lay, and we have reason to believe that within the present year the 

 reports will be printed up to date. This work once accomplished 

 will relieve the museum of much unpublished matter which has ac- 

 cumulated from year to year, and has left the actual work and con- 

 dition of the museum unrepresented in the printed reports. 



The collections of the museum have been preserved in their usual 

 good order and condition, and all available space and facilities have 

 been given to their exhibition. The anticipated early removal of the 

 collections to the State Hall has rendered it undesirable to make any 

 unusual plans for placing material on exhibition, which at best could 

 only be of temporary service. 



The skeleton of the whale mentioned in my two preceding reports 

 has been received in good order and is now stored in one of the base- 

 ment rooms of the State Hall. The specimen is ready for mounting 

 and placing on exhibition as soon as a suitable place can be provided. 



