6 TWENTIETH ANNUAL REPORT OF THE REGENTS 



The number of distinct contributions to the several collections 

 during the past year is forty-three, besides several volumes of 

 books for the Library. Some of these contributions are of great 

 interest and value. The Trustees take special pleasure in acknow- 

 ledging the addition of the bones of a Mastodon recently found 

 at Cohoes and presented to the Museum by the Harmony Mills 

 Company, through their agent, Mr. Alfred Wild. The peculiar 

 circumstances under which this animal must have been imbedded, 

 unlike those of most, if not all, the other skeletons found in this 

 countrj^, are believed to be of great importance in determining 

 the natural history and geological relations of this species. The 

 Eegents and the Curator, from the first announcement of the dis- 

 covery of fossil remains in that locality, employed every means 

 in their power to secure their entire excavation and final transfer 

 to the State Cabinet. The success of these endeavors, in view of 

 opposing pecuniary inducements from parties in other States, is a 

 tribute alike to the generosity of the donors and to the attractive 

 power of our own State collection, from which no unique speci- 

 mens of natural history found within the State should be diverted. 

 A full description of this Mastodon, so far as the parts have been 

 secured, and of the locality and circumstances in which it was 

 found, is in course of preparation, and may be expected to accom- 

 pany the next Report of the Regents. 



A valuable collection of fossils, which was deposited some years 

 since in the State Cabinet by the late Ledyard Lincklaen, of 

 Cazenovia, has been donated during the past year by Mrs. Linck- 

 LAEN, through the Hon. Horatio Seymour, of Utica. 



Several additions to the Economic collection are due to the 

 earnest co-operation of Dr. R. L. Allen, of Saratoga-Springs, and 

 of others whose names appear in the annexed list of donations. 



All the larger specimens of the Economic collection have been 

 arranged and labeled. Although yet necessarily incomplete, this 

 department of the Cabinet is evidently one of great interest to 

 visitors. Many smaller specimens remain to be arranged in cases 

 whenever these shall be provided, while others may be incorpo- 

 rated into the general Geological collection. A complete catalogue 

 of the arranged specimens is included in the Appendix. 



The labeling of the Pala^ontological collection has progressed as 

 fast as the other duties of the Curator would permit. The entire 

 series has been re-arranged, and under each group of rocks the 

 classes have been separated and a class label placed at the hea 



