No. 115.] 13 



proportion of them have been selected and made up into a series 

 of collections for distribution to the colleges, normal schools and 

 academies of the State. A list of the institutions receiving these 

 collections is herewith appended. 



Early in the spring of 1886 it was determined by the trustees 

 that the large collections accumulated since 1855 by the State 

 Geologist, for use in the preparation of the palaeontology, should 

 all be removed from his private buildings to the State Hall, in 

 conformity to the law of 1883, which authorized the occupancy of 

 these rooms as fast as they should be vacated by the State officers. 

 This work, begun in April, has occupied the greater part of the 

 spring and summer months, and is not yet completed- 



Owing to some necessary field work during the autumn months, 

 the work has progressed but little since the beginning of 

 September. 



I have appended a statement showing approximately the nature 

 and total amount of collections which have been transferred from 

 my own premises to the State Hall, and the amount yet to be so 

 transferred. 



Besides removing the collections to the State Hall, the offices 

 and working rooms of the museum staff and assistants in palaeon- 

 tology have been established there, and, by the time of the annual 

 meeting of the board, will be fully occupied with the work of the 

 museum and the palaeontology. This organization, when fully 

 accomplished, will give to our palaeontological collections, and to 

 the State Geologist and his assistants, the occupancy of a public 

 building for the first time in more than forty years. 



The current work of the museum has been carried on, as usual, 

 in the museum building and in the State Hall. The zoological 

 collections have all received proper attention, and the stuffed skins 

 and skeletons have been removed from their cases and thoroughly 

 cleaned, and returned to their proper places. These collections are 

 in good condition, and essentially free from the depredations of 

 insects. The whale skeleton remains still unprovided with a 

 proper place of exhibition, or a place where it can be properly 

 mounted. A small space has been alloted on the second floor of 

 the museum, the entire length of which is scarcely more than one- 

 fourth the length of the skeleton. The vertebral column is exhib- 

 ited in the three sections, there not being sufficient room for 



