REPORT. 



To the Legislature of the State of JYew York: 



The Regents of the University 

 Respectfully Report : 



The efforts of the Regents, as trustees of the State Cabinet, 

 have been principally directed during the past year to enlarging 

 the collections, and rendering them a better exponent of the 

 Natural History of the State. The labors of the Curator, during a 

 few weeks of the summer, when he could take the field, have sup- 

 plied many deficiencies, and have contributed essentially to the 

 value and perfection of the Geological department. While the 

 first object is to gather whatever may illustrate the Natural His- 

 tory of this State, it has been regarded as proper and desirable, 

 whenever the opportunity has presented, to place with our own 

 productions, for study and comparison, those of other localities. 

 The Cabinet is thus rendered valuable to the general student, and 

 will furnish him the means of comparing the Fauna of different 

 latitudes ; of tracing their range of habitation, and determining 

 their specific analogies and differences. 



Among the contributions, it is proper specifically to mention, 

 some fifty beautiful African birds, presented by George Benedict, 

 Esq., through the Hon. Erastus C. Benedict, a member of this 

 Board. They have been prepared with his accustomed skill, b}^ 

 the Taxidernlist, and are placed in the case which contains the 

 De Rham collection. In the last report, allusion was made to a 

 collection of shells, which was expected from Mr. Cuming, the 

 distinguished English conchologist. These have been received, 

 and properly arranged, and labelled by Dr. Newcomb, of this city, 

 to whom we have been formerly indebted for similar favors. 



A large collection of fossils, from the Eocene Tertiary of the 

 Paris basin, have been presented by W. A. Johnson, Esq., of Utica. 



An offer was received, several months since, from Mr. Philip C. 

 Carpenter, of Warrington, England, to present to the State Cabi- 



