KEPORT. 



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

 State of New York : 



Gentlemen. — The duties of the State Geologist at the present 

 time are chiefly confined to the preparation and publication of the 

 Palaeontology of the State. This work has heretofore been carried 

 on in private working rooms, connected with abundant museum 

 facilities, in private buildings of the State Geologist. During the 

 past year (1886) the offices and working material have been princi- 

 pally transferred to the State Hall, where the work will hereafter 

 be carried on. 



Considerable delay occurred in completing the second volume of 

 the Lamellibranchiata, owing to causes heretofore stated, and which 

 were beyond the control of the author. After the publication of 

 this volume a considerable time was occupied in properly labeling 

 the large collection of duplicate specimens which occupied about 

 800 drawers. Thirty-five series or sets of these fossils were selected 

 for distribution to museums, colleges and normal schools. This 

 work of labeling occupied a considerable time, and was not com- 

 pleted till the month of May. Such work, however, is necessary 

 and unavoidable at the close of each volume, or otherwise we should 

 become overburdened with a mass of duplicate specimens in an 

 unorganized condition. While the preparation of this volume 

 is in progress it is absolutely necessary to accumulate large collec- 

 tions for study and comparison, and for which the necessary 

 material may be selected for the required illustration. After the 

 completion of each volume a considerable proportion of the first 

 accumulation in any department of the work can usually be classed 

 as duplicate material, and it becomes desirable to find means of 

 disposing of the same. After having been carefully studied during 

 the progress of such work, and finally authentically labeled, such 

 specimens acquire a value as typical forms of the species, and are 



