﻿B.EP0RT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIRECTOR. 
  9 
  

  

  taining 
  minerals, 
  the 
  Simms 
  and 
  Gebhard, 
  and 
  numerous 
  dona- 
  

   tions 
  have 
  been 
  made. 
  Notably 
  among 
  the 
  latter 
  was 
  the 
  

   collection 
  of 
  the 
  late 
  Dr. 
  Jeremiah 
  Van 
  Rensselaer, 
  which 
  

   has 
  added 
  greatly 
  to 
  the 
  extra-limital 
  species. 
  In 
  order 
  to 
  

   preserve, 
  in 
  each 
  of 
  the 
  departments 
  of 
  the 
  Museum, 
  the 
  evi- 
  

   dences 
  of 
  its 
  origin 
  in 
  the 
  Geological 
  survey 
  of 
  the 
  State, 
  the 
  

   director 
  has, 
  to 
  the 
  best 
  of 
  his 
  ability 
  and 
  the 
  means 
  at 
  his 
  dis- 
  

   posal, 
  taken 
  care 
  that 
  the 
  original 
  collection 
  of 
  Dr. 
  Beck 
  shall 
  

   remain, 
  with 
  many 
  additions 
  as 
  representing 
  the 
  mineralogy 
  

   of 
  the 
  State, 
  according 
  to 
  the 
  intention 
  of 
  that 
  author. 
  

  

  In 
  order, 
  however, 
  to 
  utilize 
  and 
  exhibit 
  the 
  specimens 
  

   derived 
  from 
  purchase 
  and 
  many 
  donations, 
  the 
  General 
  collec- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  minerals 
  has 
  been 
  organized, 
  and 
  is 
  now 
  presented 
  in 
  

   its 
  arranged 
  condition, 
  and 
  disposed 
  in 
  such 
  a 
  manner 
  as 
  to 
  

   render 
  it 
  accessible 
  and 
  useful 
  to 
  all 
  students 
  in 
  Mineralogy. 
  

   This 
  collection 
  is 
  still 
  very 
  incomplete, 
  but 
  this 
  plan 
  of 
  double 
  

   arrangement 
  will 
  permit 
  the 
  incorporation 
  of 
  any 
  specimens 
  

   or 
  collections 
  which 
  may 
  be 
  acquired, 
  from 
  within 
  or 
  beyond 
  

   the 
  limits 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  York. 
  The 
  arrangement 
  is 
  satis- 
  

   factory 
  and 
  instructive, 
  and 
  I 
  would 
  beg 
  leave 
  to 
  invite 
  the 
  

   Committee 
  of 
  the 
  Board 
  of 
  Regents, 
  having 
  charge 
  of 
  the 
  

   Museum, 
  to 
  examine 
  the 
  Mineralogical 
  collection. 
  

  

  Section 
  preparation 
  of 
  Fossils 
  and 
  Rocks. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  progress 
  of 
  the 
  Museum 
  work, 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  frequently 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  cut 
  and 
  polish 
  specimens 
  of 
  fossils, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   study 
  the 
  organic 
  structure, 
  and 
  to 
  present 
  them 
  in 
  a 
  proper 
  

   manner 
  for 
  investigation 
  and 
  for 
  arrangement 
  in 
  the 
  collections. 
  

   Until 
  the 
  past 
  year 
  this 
  work 
  was 
  done 
  at 
  the 
  marble 
  cutting 
  

   establishments 
  which 
  afforded 
  proper 
  facilities. 
  This 
  mode, 
  

   however, 
  became 
  too 
  expensive 
  and 
  uncertain 
  as 
  to 
  time, 
  and 
  

   the 
  requirements 
  of 
  the 
  subjects 
  also 
  demanded 
  that 
  more 
  

   delicate 
  and 
  perfect 
  adaptations 
  should 
  be 
  at 
  command. 
  It 
  

   became, 
  therefore, 
  necessary 
  that 
  we 
  should 
  have 
  the 
  means 
  at 
  

   hand 
  within 
  the 
  Museum 
  building. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  first 
  place, 
  an 
  ordinary 
  turning 
  lathe, 
  operated 
  by 
  a 
  

   treadle, 
  was 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  requirements 
  of 
  such 
  work, 
  but 
  

   this 
  was 
  found 
  unsatisfactory, 
  and 
  the 
  labor 
  of 
  cutting 
  large 
  

   specimens 
  too 
  severe. 
  At 
  the 
  present 
  time, 
  a 
  small 
  steam 
  boiler 
  

   and 
  the 
  necessary 
  machinery 
  have 
  been 
  adapted 
  to 
  the 
  lathe. 
  

  

  H 
  

  

  