8 Thirty-fourth Annual Keport of the 



specimens of fossil Gasteropoda and Pteropoda, for which there is no 

 proper space in the cases . 



In my last report on the Museum, I called attention to a special 

 communication of the preceding year, regarding the completion of a 

 Geological map of the Oatskill mountain region, which was begun 

 many years ago. This work I considered as very necessary, and 

 though it may have been regarded as not strictly the legitimate work of 

 the Museum, it was nevertheless extremely important to the institution 

 in several aspects, and especially in the authenticity of some of its 

 collections. It is certainly of importance that the Geological collections 

 of the Museum should represent the true order and sequence of the 

 rock formations; and especially since we have undertaken to teach this 

 order of succession among the palsezoic rocks, and to give a nomencla- 

 ture of the same. Such work is qnite as germane to the object and pur- 

 poses of the Museum as the determination of the Geographical limits 

 distribution and habits of any living object within the State, and is 

 strictly within the requirements of the study of the fossil flora and fauna. 



With its usual liberality the Legislature of the State made an 

 appropriation ($1,200) for the completion of the field work — necessary 

 for the construction of the Geological map of the Catskill mountain 

 region and the southern counties of the State. This appropriation was 

 vetoed by the Governor, and no provision was left for the continu- 

 ance of the work. This action of the Executive was not known until 

 sometime in June ; and while not suspecting the possibility of such 

 action, I had authorized the prosecution of the work early in May, 

 and I could get no communication with Mr. Sherwood, who was 

 carrying on examinations in the mountain region, until July. At 

 this time the work had made considerable progress,and Mr. Sherwood's 

 other engagements having been given up for this work, I could not, in 

 good faith, do otherwise than continue his services for the season. The 

 result is that the map will be essentially completed, but in order to 

 verify former observations regarding the relations of the sandstones of 

 Oneonta and of the Oatskill mountains proper, it will be necessary to 

 revisit some of the localities formerly mapped to compare with our 

 more recent determinations. 



This work will be a valuable contribution to Geological science, both 

 as regards the structure and real topography of the Oatskill mountain 

 region, and also as concerns the true order of superposition in the 

 higher Geological formations of the State, and the. relations of the 

 fossil faunas of the later groups of strata below the coal formation . 

 The want of means for completing the work causes a serious embarass- 

 ment, and defers the publication of knowledge which would be 

 extremely welcome and of great service to all Geologists as well also 

 to all the people of intelligent communities within the State. 



It was during the collection of fossils for the Palaeontology of the 

 State in the early stages of that work that the writer became aware of 

 the misinterpretation of the order of succession among the strata, and 

 the erroneous reference of certain fossils. Feeling the necessity and 

 importance of presenting the true s'cratigraphical relations of these fos- 

 sils, which also involved the supposed determination of an entire group 

 of strata with its fauna and flora, he undertook the investigation as a 

 necessary part of the Palaaontological work. This investigation has 

 been carried on at intervals and continued after many interruptions 



