State Museum of Natural History. 2g 



lias been placed on exhibition, and six cut stones have been arranged 

 with the gem collection. 



Two large crystals of Pyroxene, from Ticonderoga, are also 

 worthy of special mention on account of their unusually large 

 size. One crystal measured fourteen inches in diameter, and a 

 smaller crystal has a diameter of ten inches. 



Since the^purchase of the Kunz collection of minerals a special 

 case has been provided for the gems, and they have been mounted 

 and arranged by Mr. Beecher in accordance with the publications 

 of the best authorities. During the past year twenty-four stones 

 have been added by purchase and by collection. The series is 

 now nearly complete, and only lacks about ten specimens in order 

 to have all the species of gems represented. The plan of arrange- 

 ment is to have each variety exhibited by a specimen in its natural 

 condition, and also by cut specimens showing its variation in color 

 and other features. 



As thus presented, the collection is instructive and of scientific 

 interest, besides being one of the most attractive features in the 

 Museum to the general public. 



State Hall. 



The Museum library having been moved from the building on 

 State street is arranged in cases in the offices of the State Geologist 

 and State Botanist, in the State Hall. In a report made to the 

 Bureau of Education at Washington in 1887,, the number of volumes 

 was stated to be 1,066 which is the result of an actual count. Of 

 this number 140 volumes, or one-eighth of the entire library, have 

 been added during the past year. In all 221 volumes and pam- 

 phlets have been received by donation, exchange and purchase 

 from sixty-six sources. 



In the arrangement and disposition of the Museum collections 

 by the Curator, in 1866 and onward an extensive series of selected 

 duplicates, especially of fossils of the lower Helderberg group 

 and Oriskany Sandstone was reserved for the future use of the 

 Museum, and with a view to meet the requirements of the plan of 

 arrangement recommended by the Board of Regents in 1865. 



This collection has now bieen removed to the State Hall and 

 placed in the type room at the south-east corner of the upper 

 story of the building, thus being separated from the duplicate col- 

 lections proper. I wish to call especial attention to this collection 



