Report of tbe Director. 7 



A duplicate list of these articles, with a receipt for the same, was 

 given by Miss Elizabeth Dempsey, in charge of the B. M. S., and is 

 placed on file in the Museum. 



The Gebhard Collection. 



The Legislature of the State, by an appropriation of $3,500, 

 authorized the purchase of the collection of Mr. John Gebhard, of 

 Schoharie. This collection is mainly a local one, consisting chiefly 

 of the fossils of the Schoharie Yalley formations ; and the minerals 

 of the water-lhne formations, and the calcareous minerals of the Scho- 

 harie caves. 



There were also some specimens in Zoology which will be found 

 enumerated under the list. 



The collection is containedin one hundred and twelve (112) boxes 

 and fifteen barrels. It will afi'ord a large number of duplicate speci- 

 mens, which may be made available either in exchanges, or for the 

 collections contemplated for distribution. 



It is on many accounts important that we have means provided 

 for arranging and labeling this collection, which will require much 

 time and labor. It is, moreover, important that this work be done 

 while I can supervise it, as there are no labels accompanying the 

 specimens ; a general label on the outside of each box indicates a 

 formation only, while, in some instances, the box contains specimens 

 from two or more formations. 



Some of the boxes of fossils have been opened to ojbtain specimens 

 for study and comparison, and other boxes to obtain the Ball's Cave 

 specimens for exhibition in the cases. The contents of these boxes 

 not so appropriated have been ticketed (Gebhard coll.) and placed in 

 drawers in the back room, conveniently arranged for examination. 



The Yan Kensselaek Collection. 

 This collection of rocks, minerals and fossils was received at the 

 Museum in a bad condition, having been loosely placed in boxes 

 and barrels and long exposed to the dust and dampness of a cellar. 

 The collection has been cleaned, and the specimens wrapped and 

 packed in twenty-one boxes, properly labeled and temporarily stored 

 in the basement, awaiting the rearrangement of the miscellaneous 

 mineralogical collection of the Museum, when the better specimens 

 will be incorporated and the remainder set aside for distribution. 

 The fossils are chiefly European, and of J^irassic, Cretaceous and 

 Tertiary formations. ' 



