No. 115.] 17 



Westfield Academy, Westfield, N. Y. 

 Norwich Academy, Norwich, N. Y. 



The following institutions have received a general collection of 

 fossils from the State Museum : 



Canisius College, Buffalo, N. Y. 

 Normal School, Potsdam, N. Y. 

 Normal School, Brockport, N. Y. 



The purchase of the Kunz collections of minerals will supply a 

 long-felt want in the museum, and will give a means of a popular 

 exhibition in this department not before possessed. The original 

 collection of minerals of the State of New York was made during 

 the years 1836-1841, and under circumstances not favorable to the 

 accumulation of the better specimens from our State localities. 

 Good mineral specimens had, even at that period, a special money 

 valuation which has greatly increased in later years. In procuring 

 specimens for the original collection of New York minerals no 

 money was expended by the State and, consequently, the collection 

 acquired was an inferior one, and it has so remained to the present 

 time. The authorities of that period believed that the possessors 

 of fine specimens would willingly contribute them to the State, but 

 experience proved quite the contrary ; and when it was understood 

 that the State wished to procure specimens a higher price was asked. 

 By reference to some communications accompanying the annual 

 report you will obtain a more distinct idea regarding this matter. 

 The minerals constituting the general collection consist largely 

 of donations which have been recorded and acknowledged in pre- 

 vious reports. 



During the earlier years of the museum administration a con- 

 siderable part of this general collection thus acquired had been 

 incorporated with the old State collection, as arranged by Dr. Beck, 

 thus destroying the original intention of the State Mineralogist, 

 who had arranged the minerals of the State of New York as a 

 strictly local collection. In 1866, when the present director entered 

 upon his duties as curator of the State Museum, it became one of 

 his first objects to restore this State collection to its original arrange- 

 ment, and to arrange a general collection of minerals from the 

 materials in the State collection cases and from the material stored 

 in the basement of the building. 



[Assembly, No. 115.] 2 



