Report of the Director. 13 



tution not belonging to the New York fauna, together with some 

 other contributions from foreign sources. 



In the wall cases vacated by the removal of the fishes, and in the 

 large case at the east end of the room, the highly instructive collec- 

 tion of skeletons, recently prepared for the Museum by Prof. Ward, 

 of Rochester, has been arranged. It embraces twenty specimens 

 of Mammals, ten of Birds, eleven of Fishes, and nine of Reptiles — in 

 all fifty specimens, representing forty-five species in the ISTew York 

 fauna. The present disposition of this collection is not a fully satis 

 factory one, but is as favorable as the means at our command will 

 permit. It is hoped that this valuable series may be hereafter mate- 

 rially extended until we have representatives of all the Mammals 

 mounted, and also of the other classes, in order to illustrate structure 

 and affinities. 



Preliminaky Work on Field Collections. 

 During the past three years collections have been accumulating 

 from the field work of the Director and Assistants, which have not 

 been properly cared for ; and as such collections would be compara- 

 tively valueless without proper marking and recording, additional 

 assistance has been employed for this work. At the present time 

 we have over 330 trays or drawers, of 20 x 24 inches, filled with 

 specimens which have been cleaned, assorted and ticketed ; a large 

 part of the work having been done during the past year. There are 

 also more than 100 boxes of fossils, the greater part of which have 

 been cleaned, ticketed and repacked ; the better specimens having 

 been selected for study in the palaeontology, and arrangement in the 

 State Museum. There are still a considerable number of boxes of 

 specimens of our field collections which require to be cleaned, ticketed 

 and arranged after the manner of the others. 



I have here enumerated the most important work done in and for 

 the Museum during the past year. The minor details, requiring 

 daily attention and much time in such an institution, cannot be 

 recorded. 



Shelving, Drawers and Cases added to the Museum. 

 In order that the Regents of the University may have a more clear 

 conception of what has been done in the Museum since it was. placed 

 in the hands of the present Director, I will here enumerate the addi 

 tions in case and drawer space since that period. 



