﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  CURATOR. 
  11 
  

  

  sandstone 
  at 
  Middleville, 
  Herkimer 
  county, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  Such 
  specimens 
  

   are 
  extremely 
  rare, 
  and 
  its 
  chief 
  interest 
  is 
  from 
  the 
  fact, 
  that 
  

   pieces 
  of 
  the 
  carbonaceous 
  matter 
  are 
  included 
  in 
  the 
  quartz 
  crys- 
  

   tals, 
  showing 
  its 
  presence 
  in 
  this 
  condition 
  in 
  the 
  menstruum 
  from 
  

   which 
  the 
  quartz 
  was 
  crystallized, 
  while 
  both 
  quartz 
  crystals 
  and 
  

   lumps 
  of 
  the 
  carbonaceous 
  matter 
  are 
  embraced 
  in 
  the 
  crystallized 
  

   calcareous 
  spar. 
  These 
  specimens 
  will 
  be 
  arranged 
  with 
  the 
  

   Mi 
  nera 
  logical 
  Collection. 
  

  

  In 
  order 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  representation 
  of 
  the 
  class 
  Zoophyta, 
  in 
  the 
  

   museum, 
  the 
  Curator 
  has 
  procured, 
  by 
  exchange, 
  about 
  twenty- 
  

   live 
  species 
  of 
  recent 
  Corals. 
  These 
  specimens, 
  together 
  with 
  

   what 
  we 
  may 
  hope 
  to 
  add 
  from 
  time 
  to 
  time, 
  will 
  give 
  a 
  tolerable 
  

   exhibition 
  of 
  this 
  class. 
  

  

  A 
  considerable 
  number 
  of 
  rock 
  specimens 
  of 
  various 
  formations, 
  

   some 
  fossils, 
  plants, 
  shells 
  and 
  crinoidea, 
  of 
  the 
  Chemung 
  Group, 
  

   have 
  been 
  added 
  by 
  the 
  Curator 
  ; 
  also 
  some 
  glacial-marked 
  sur- 
  

   faces 
  of 
  the 
  Chemung 
  Group 
  at 
  Ithaca, 
  and 
  from 
  the 
  Hamilton 
  

   Group 
  at 
  Maiden, 
  New 
  York. 
  

  

  I 
  might 
  mention 
  that 
  among 
  the 
  minor 
  duties 
  and 
  occupations 
  

   of 
  the 
  Curator, 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  giving 
  information 
  upon 
  specimens 
  

   brought 
  in, 
  which 
  are 
  supposed 
  to 
  be 
  valuable 
  minerals. 
  In 
  far 
  

   the 
  greater 
  number 
  of 
  instances 
  the 
  specimens 
  are 
  iron 
  pyrites. 
  

   This 
  information 
  is 
  given 
  verbally, 
  in 
  many 
  cases, 
  but 
  of 
  those 
  

   sent 
  in, 
  or 
  left 
  during 
  absence, 
  the 
  information 
  has 
  been 
  given 
  by 
  

   letter, 
  of 
  which 
  many 
  have 
  been 
  written 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  year. 
  

  

  I 
  have 
  before 
  reported 
  the 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  shells 
  packed 
  in 
  

   drawers 
  and 
  for 
  which 
  there 
  are 
  no 
  cases. 
  With 
  the 
  best 
  arrange- 
  

   ment 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  made, 
  we 
  cannot 
  display 
  under 
  glass 
  more 
  than 
  

   one-third 
  of 
  the 
  Gould 
  Collection, 
  and 
  by 
  the 
  time 
  this 
  arrangement 
  

   is 
  completed, 
  we 
  shall 
  have 
  more 
  than 
  twice 
  as 
  many 
  shells 
  in 
  

   drawers 
  as 
  will 
  be 
  displayed 
  in 
  the 
  cases. 
  

  

  A 
  valuable 
  package 
  of 
  Ethnological 
  objects 
  and 
  implements 
  from 
  

   the 
  Polynesian 
  Islands, 
  sent 
  to 
  the 
  museum 
  by 
  the 
  Smithsonian 
  

   Institution, 
  cannot 
  be 
  displayed 
  for 
  the 
  want 
  of 
  space 
  (of 
  which 
  

   there 
  is 
  not 
  a 
  single 
  foot) 
  in 
  the 
  proper 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  museum. 
  

   Some 
  other 
  collections 
  of 
  similar 
  character 
  from 
  New 
  York 
  remain 
  

   packed 
  in 
  boxes. 
  

  

  