﻿No. 
  30.] 
  145 
  ' 
  

  

  Many 
  of 
  the 
  drawers 
  contain 
  the 
  specimens 
  just 
  as 
  they 
  have 
  

   been 
  distributed 
  from 
  the 
  boxes, 
  no 
  selection 
  or 
  separation 
  having 
  

   yet 
  been 
  made. 
  These 
  drawers 
  have 
  a 
  label 
  of 
  the 
  locality 
  from 
  

   which 
  the 
  specimens 
  have 
  been 
  collected. 
  

  

  I 
  would 
  beg 
  leave 
  to 
  call 
  your 
  attention 
  to 
  the 
  fact, 
  that 
  the 
  

   present 
  situation 
  of 
  these 
  specimens 
  is 
  very 
  unfavorable 
  to 
  their, 
  

   safety. 
  Those 
  in 
  the 
  smaller 
  drawers 
  are, 
  in 
  a 
  high 
  degree, 
  from 
  

   their 
  exposure, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  room 
  being 
  used 
  as 
  a 
  general 
  lum- 
  

   ber 
  room, 
  exposed 
  to 
  dust 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  dampness 
  of 
  the 
  room 
  is 
  so 
  

   great 
  that 
  I 
  suppose 
  the 
  shaly 
  specimens, 
  and 
  those 
  containing 
  

   any 
  iron 
  pyrites 
  will 
  soon 
  go 
  into 
  decomposition. 
  

  

  Besides 
  these 
  specimens 
  there 
  are 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  slabs 
  

   containing 
  fossils 
  lying 
  in 
  the 
  basement 
  rooms, 
  and 
  many 
  similar 
  

   ones 
  in 
  the 
  yard 
  and 
  in 
  the 
  shed. 
  The 
  grouping 
  of 
  different 
  

   species, 
  or 
  of 
  a 
  single 
  species 
  over 
  large 
  surfaces, 
  show 
  their 
  

   habits 
  while 
  in 
  a 
  living 
  state. 
  The 
  same 
  species 
  in 
  rocks 
  of 
  

   different 
  character, 
  and 
  in 
  different 
  conditions 
  of 
  preservation, 
  

   have 
  been 
  collected, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  show 
  the 
  physical 
  conditions 
  

   under 
  which 
  the 
  fossils 
  became 
  imbedded. 
  These 
  have 
  been 
  

   collected 
  with 
  much 
  labor 
  and 
  expense, 
  and 
  in 
  a 
  large 
  collection, 
  

   should 
  be 
  considered 
  very 
  important 
  and 
  interesting 
  specimens. 
  

   I 
  regret 
  to 
  say, 
  however, 
  that 
  many 
  such 
  specimens 
  have 
  been 
  

   either 
  partially 
  or 
  entirely 
  destroyed, 
  since 
  they 
  were 
  deposited 
  

   on 
  the 
  premises. 
  

  

  The 
  collections 
  include 
  the 
  folllo 
  viing 
  : 
  

  

  1. 
  One 
  temporary 
  case 
  containing 
  ninety-six 
  drawers 
  filled 
  

   with 
  specimens 
  from 
  different 
  rocks 
  and 
  groups. 
  

  

  2. 
  Nine 
  similar 
  drawers 
  filled 
  with 
  specimens, 
  not 
  in 
  a 
  case. 
  

  

  Three 
  drawers 
  filled 
  with 
  specimens, 
  belonging 
  to 
  new 
  cases. 
  

  

  Forty-five 
  large 
  drawers 
  in 
  close 
  cases, 
  filled 
  with 
  specimens 
  

   of 
  the 
  fossils 
  of 
  the 
  lower 
  limestones, 
  Helderberg 
  limestones, 
  

   Hamilton 
  and 
  Chemung 
  groups. 
  

  

  Fourteen 
  boxes 
  of 
  specimens 
  of 
  fossils 
  and 
  minerals 
  from 
  the 
  

   Niagara 
  group. 
  

  

  [Senate, 
  No. 
  30.] 
  10 
  

  

  