REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR. 



Albany, N. Y., December 14, 1886. 



To the Honorable, the Board of Regents of the University of the 

 State of New York : 



Gentlemen. — I have the honor to communicate herewith, the 

 Annual Report (being the fortieth in consecutive order), upon the 

 State Museum of Natural History, and the condition of its collections 

 in the several departments, so far as the same have come under my 

 knowledge or direction. 



The accompanying appendix will present a list of the additions 

 to the museum collections, which have been made by collection, 

 purchase and donation, during the past year. 



The report of last year is not yet out of the printer's hands, 

 and, therefore, I cannot refer you to the published document, which 

 contains an account of the work accomplished during the year 1885. 

 In that report I have also transmitted a copy of an illus- 

 trated paper on the annelidse chsetopoda of the New Jersey coast, 

 by Professor H. E. Webster, which was communicated by him to 

 the thirty-second report of the State Museum, and formed a part of 

 that report, as transmitted to the Legislature. Of this paper the text 

 only appeared in the published document, of which no extra copies 

 were printed for the use of the Regents. Through accident or 

 otherwise the plates had been lost, and were only discovered in the 

 office of the State printer last year (1885). These plates with the 

 accompanying text, as it appeared in the thirty-second report, will 

 appear in due time. 



Since my report of last year was communicated to the Board of 

 Regents, they have ordered an edition of the thirty-second report to 

 be reprinted, but this is still without the plates referred to. In 

 order that the Regents' edition of this report may be more complete 

 and fill the place in the series, as originally intended, I would sug- 



