12 [Assembly, 



gest that a sufficient number of the plates be printed to correspond 

 with the number of copies of that edition. 



There is likewise, in the same report, a paper on the distribution 

 of iron ores in Essex county, N. Y. This was originally accom- 

 panied by a map, which is necessary for the proper understanding 

 of that text. I would, therefore, suggest that a sufficient number of 

 copies of this map be procured to correspond with and accompany 

 the Regents' edition of the thirty-second report. 



No farther progress has been made in the preparation of the 

 bulletins upon thelamellibranch shells, or upon the dictyospongidae. 

 Last year the committee on the State Museum, decided to postpone 

 the work of lithographing for these bulletins for the present. I 

 would now beg leave to suggest that this work be commenced as 

 soon as practicable. The illustrations of the dictyospongidae will 

 occupy at least twenty-five double octavo plates, and it seems very 

 desirable to have them done by the experienced artist, l t Mr. Ast, 

 who has done so much good work for the palaeontology of New 

 York. 



The proper lithographing of these plates would occupy one artist 

 for about a year, therefore, as the coming year may bring a diminu- 

 tion of lithographic work for the Palaeontology, I would recommend 

 that any interval occurring should be occupied in forwarding this 

 work for the Bulletin of the State Museum of Natural History, and 

 that no time be lost before beginning. The necessity of doing this 

 work in a quiet and unremitting manner is very well understood by 

 every author, while the letter-press printing may be pushed more 

 rapidly. 



It need scarcely be said that it is very important that the litho- 

 graphy be essentially completed, before the descriptive text shall 

 be put to press. 



The museum report of this year will be comparatively barren of 

 scientific papers communicated by the staff, beyond the State 

 Botanist and State Entomologist. 



In the first place it became necessary to make a distribution of 

 the extensive collections of lamellibranchiata, which had formed 

 the basis of the two volumes of the palaeontology of the State, and 

 which, bv the law of 1883, had been transferred to the State 

 Museum. These collections have all been labeled according to 

 the nomenclature adopted in the volumes referred to, and a large 



