ON THE STATE CABINET. 11 



The establishment of such a school implies the establishment of a school 

 of zoology as well as of geology and mineralogy ; for fossils, excluding 

 fossil plants, are the remains of animals, and the subject cannot be pro- 

 perly taught without instruction in the fundamental principles and details 

 of the animal kingdom. For this purpose zoological collections would be 

 required, and instructors in its several departments. The plan adopted by 

 Prof. Agassiz, at Cambridge, with reference to a museum in zoology, is a 

 good model. 



Instruction in geology would naturally constitute a prominent part of 

 the systena in such a school, as the relations of fossils to the strata, and 

 therefore the relations of the strata themselves are subjects of fundamental 

 importance. Mineralogy is also essential, as the rocks are made of mineral, 

 and if mining could be added, the school would be all the more useful to 

 the State and the country. 



Instruction in these several departments wctuld of course require courses 

 of lectures, which might, in part, be given by persons not permanently on 

 the ground. I am, however, strongly of the opinion that the school will 

 not have much success unless it can command its professors through the 

 year, and, also, unless recitations are added to the lectures. 



It would greatly add to the efficiency of such a schodl if it could have a 

 number (say half a dozen) of scholarships institlited, which would give a 

 young man of promise three hundred dollars or so a y^ar, and thus make 

 it easy for him tX) remain a number of years. This would insure the making 

 of thorough students in the different departments. Such paid students 

 would help in the arrangement and labeling of collections as they should 

 come in ; moreover, they would make a corps to assist in instruction, or 

 one from which assistants might be selected. 



It is desirable that the collections should be arranged in part geogra- 

 phically. The rocks, fossils and living"^ species, as well as minerals and 

 ores of the State of New York, should make one independent collection. 

 Besides this, there should be a general collection of all North American 

 fossils and other specimens; also, another collection of fossils arranged 

 zoologically and forming a part of the general zoological cabinet. Collections 

 in the siame departments from all parts of the world are required for compari- 

 son with those of America, in order that the relations of American and 

 foreign species may be fully understood, and thereby continental differences 

 and resemblances be studied. Part of the American species are identical 

 with those of Europe and other lands, and for the determination of the fact 

 in such eases, the foreign species should be in the collections. In a word, 

 the coUeetiona oannot be too comprehensive. 



Very respectfully. 



Your obedient servant, 



JAMES D. DANA. 



