72 Forty-sixth Report on the 



made from the collections for use in the Palaeontology and in the 

 annual reports of the Museum, and now remain in the Museum 

 collection as types or typical specimens which are accessible for 

 study and comparison. There is therefore no longer need for 

 preserving, in their present accessible condition, the greater part 

 of all these extensive collections. 



In 1874 and i875 more than 20,000 specimens of fossils and 

 minerals were selected for schools, academies and colleges and dis- 

 tributed to these institutions during these and subsequent years. A 

 large number since that time have been selected and distributed, 

 and we have at the present time collections amounting to nearly 

 5,000 specimens arranged and ready for distribution ; but not- 

 withstanding all this, the great collection seems scarcely dimin- 

 ished, and occupying, as it does, all the drawers which we have at 

 our disposal in the Museum, it becomes very desirable to dispose 

 of the specimens, which are absolute duplicates, in such a way 

 that they will not incommode or prevent the accession and 

 arrangement of new material. 



I have recommended in the past that the better specimens of all 

 the species should be selected and reserved for the uses of the 

 Museum, for most certainly in the time to come, should the 

 Museum continue to hold any position among similar scientific 

 institutions, there will be a demand for specimens in exchange or 

 for distribution to the higher institutions of learning within the 

 State. 



In order to have some idea of the labor required to accomplish 

 such work, I may say that to select, arrange, label and record 

 this great collection, the service of one competent Palaeontologist 

 with a helper in the rough work, would be required for a period 

 of at least ten years. 



It seems to me that it is quite time the Trustees should take 

 into consideration this condition of affairs, especially since this 

 collection has remained almost dormant since 1886, and our gen- 

 eral collections in this department have not kept pace with the pro- 

 gress of investigation since 1876. In 187'^ all the collections then 

 arranged in drawers were graded and the quality of the specimens 

 marked and numbered as 1, 2, 3, etc. In the rearrangement of 

 these collections in the State Hall these limitations were not 

 observed, and all the specimens of whatever grade were mingled 

 together in the same drawers. 



