ON THE STATE CABINET. 7 



of the division. Labels of about six hundred species have l)een 

 prepared, with the reference to author, place of publication, rock 

 formation and locality. Many of these have been printed and 

 placed upon the cards of specimens within the cases. 



It will appear from the annexed catalogue of books belongino- 

 to the State Cabinet, that while the nucleus of a Lil)rary has been 

 formed, it is very inadequate to the wants of an institution in 

 which scientific investigations are to be conducted. AVhile the 

 means at the disposal of the Trustees may not enable them to pur- 

 chase desirable standard works to any considerable extent, it is 

 hoped that the Annual Keports on the Cabinet will generally be 

 regarded as an equivalent in exchange for the transactions of 

 learned societies, and for many works of individual authors. It 

 is not improbable that, in addition to the Annual Reports, other 

 publications may hereafter be issued to advise the public more 

 fully and frequently in regard to the condition of the several col- 

 lections and the progress of scientific investigations. 



The Cabinet has been for several years in possession of a quan- 

 tity of duplicate fossils and geological specimens from the various 

 formations of the State, which might be very advantageously 

 employed for the purposes of exchange, and for distribution to 

 institutions of learning throughout the State, were an adequate 

 force employed to classify, arrange and label them. The Trustees 

 are of opinion that a small appropriation may properly be made 

 by the Legislature for this object. 



A large portion of the Appendix to the present Report consists 

 of papers which were communicated with previous Reports, but 

 which have thus far remained unpublished in consequence of 

 inadequate provision for the public printing and the necessity of 

 completing the legislative documents of each year at a specific date. 

 The Trustees have been greatly disappointed and embarrassed by 

 these repeated failures on the part of the State printer to fill the 

 orders of the Legislature, and they earnestly recommend the adop- 

 tion of measures to ensure the timely appearance of the entire 

 report hereafter. It is believed that fewer new papers than usual 

 have been furnished for the present Report, on account of the 

 uncertainty of their early appearance in print. 



Besides the acknowledgments already made in this Report, and 

 in the annexed list of donations, the Trustees would also mention 

 the courtesy of the Freight Agent of the Rensselaer and Saratoga 

 railroad, in transporting several blocks of stone free of charge. 



