22 Thirty- seventh Annual Eeport of the 



An arrangement similar to the above has been made with E. B. 

 Knapp, Esq., of the Skaneateles Library and Scientific Association, 

 who has sent a considerable collection of cyathophylloid fossils for cut- 

 ting, conditioned on receiving a portion of them in return, for the use 

 of the Library Association. Since this arrangement will accrue to the 

 advantage of students of natural science, the Curator has had no hesi- 

 tation in making the agreement. 



The entire collection of translucent sections of rocks and fossils, on 

 glass slides, has been numbered and labeled ; each section has the cata- 

 logue number and name written on the glass with a preparation of 

 asphalt. A catalogue of these specimens, numbering more than two 

 thousand, will accompany the present report as an appendix. 



L AMELLIB R ANCHI ATA. 



In the fossil Lamellibranchiata the duplicate specimens of the fami- 

 lies Pectinidje, Pterinid^:, Aviculid^e and Mytilid^; have been 

 arranged and labeled preparatory for selection and distribution, and 

 now await the publication of volume V, part 1 of the Palaeontology of 

 New York. The remainder of the collection of Lamellibranchiata will 

 be arranged and labeled during the present year. 



Brachiopoda. 



The application of photo-micrography has been made to the illustra- 

 tion of the microscopical sections of the fossil Brachiopoda, prepared 

 by Mr. 0. E. Beecher, and has been carried on by him far enough to 

 demonstrate its entire applicability to the objects sought to be ac- 

 complished. From what has already been done in this direction it 

 is evident that the results are very important to the study and 

 classification of the Brachiopoda, and that photography can be very 

 successfully applied in the representation of the minute structure of 

 fossil organisms. 



Already something more than three hundred of these microscopic 

 slides have been prepared, from which more than seventy photo- 

 micrographic illustrations have been made. The negatives are the 

 property of the State Museum. A print from each one will be 

 mounted in a suitable book for study and reference, and, with the 

 microscope slides will form the typical series for future reference in 

 all studies of the Brachiopoda. 



The success attending this experiment is already much greater than 

 I could have expected, and I confidently anticipate that the coming 

 year will show a greatly increased amount of material prepared, as 

 well as improved results from the application of the photo-micrographic 

 process. 



Distribution of Duplicate Collections. 



Collections averaging one hundred species each have been sent to 

 the following institutions : 



Port Byron Free School and Academy. 

 Glens Falls Academy. 



