6 Thirty-third Annual Report of the 



tific knowledge among the people of the State, and for the credit and 

 respectability of the State museum. 



With my last report, I made a special communication, accompanied 

 by a letter from Mr. Andrew Sherwood relative to the completion of 

 the geological map of the Oatskill mountain region ; a map com- 

 menced in 1873, and nearly completed when Mr. Sherwood entered 

 the service of the Geological Survey of Pennsylvania, where he has 

 been occupied until last year. Having been employed in the adjacent 

 regions of Pennsylvania, which are of similar geological structure, his 

 experience has given him great advantages, and he will be prepared to 

 give a more satisfactory result, and to connect the work of New York 

 with the completed work of the adjoining State. Mr. Sherwood offers 

 to finish the map for a very moderate cost, and a single season of field 

 work will render it available for publication. I consider this as very im- 

 portant in every respect, and a work that should be no longer neglected. 



In order that the reports on the State museum might present evi- 

 dence of attention to matters of special economic interest, closely con- 

 nected with the immediate wants of an intelligent people, I communi- 

 cated, with my report of last year, a paper by Mr. 0. E. Hall, of the 

 Pennsylvania Geological Survey, upon the geographical and geological 

 distribution of the iron ores in portions of Northern New York. This 

 report is still in the hands of the printer. 



With a view to a farther exposition of this important subject, I have 

 made an arrangement with Mr. J. H. Case, civil and mining engineer 

 at Port Henry, to prepare a correct map of the mining region of that 

 part of the country, which will be accompanied by some account of 

 the history and progress of mining the magnetic ores, and the statis- 

 tics regarding the present production. I communicate with this report 

 an outline map upon which the positions of certain ore beds are laid 

 down. I believe that this work is of great importance, and would be 

 of general interest to the public, as giving reliable information con- 

 cerning this most important mineral resource of the State. At the 

 present time we have no publication which gives any complete account 

 of these mines, in their character or production. The report of Dr. 

 Emmons in 1843 was necessarily very incomplete ; the mines had not 

 been developed ; the knowledge then possessed was only from the initia- 

 tion of enterprises which have subsequently proved of great magnitude 

 and importance. 



The details of the additions to the museum in each of its depart- 

 ments will be found appended to this report. The donations have not 

 been as extensive as in some former years. 



To the Botanical department there have been thirty contributors of 

 an aggregate of one hundred and thirty-two species. The details in 

 regard to this department will be found in the report of the botanist. 



To the Zoological department, twenty-six contributors of an aggre- 

 gate of two hundred and thirty- six species. 



To the Mineralogical, Geological and Palseontological department 

 there have been seven contributors. 



To the Archaeological department one contributor is recorded. 



To the Library contributions have been received from thirty indi- 

 viduals and societies of forty-two miscellaneous pamphlets, eighty- 

 seven serials, and eighteen bound volumes. 



