10 NEW YORK STAT© MUSEUM ' 



outliers of the overlying Carbonic strata. Tlie United States 

 geologic survey has been engaged in the study of the stratigraphy 

 in the adjoining regions of northern Pennsylvania. In entering 

 on the work in the state of New York the director of that survey 

 has, by mutual agreement with this department, undertaken to 

 furnish an experienced stratigrapher, whose salary is paid by the 

 federal government and whose expenses are borne by this state. 

 Prof. L. C. Glenn, of Vanderbilt university, Nashville (Tenn.) 

 was assigned to the charge of this work by director Walcott, and 

 I have delegated as the representative of this department Prof. 

 Charles Butts of Alfred university, who has been specially con- 

 cerned in the careful collection of the fossils of the area. The 

 problems principally involved are, as briefly noted above, the 

 divisibility of the great mass of Chemung deposits into a sub- 

 ordinate grouping, the continuity of certain locally well defined 

 horizons in this formation, and the establishment of the bound- 

 ary between the Chemung and the Lower Carbonic, i. e. between 

 the Devonic and Carbonic systems. The work is of such a charac- 

 ter that its solution largely rests on the careful study of the 

 fossils and their variations, as the area is a region of undisturbed 

 rocks, and there is no evidence of unconformity between the 

 Chemung strata and those overlying. It is understood between 

 the director of the United States geologic survey and the state 

 paleontologist that the paleontologic determinations shall rest 

 wholly with this department, and that the determinations derived 

 therefrom shall be accepted as the key to the solution of the 

 principal problems here involved; that the report on the area 

 surveyed and the maps of the quadrangles covered shall be pub- 

 lished by the federal survey and placed at the service of this 

 department; furthermore, that the fossils collected in the course 

 of the work shall pertain wholly to the state museum. The field 

 work on the Olean sheet is now essentially done, and a beginning 

 has been made on the Salamanca quadrangle. The material 

 already sent in by Mr Butts is considerable (10 large boxes), but 

 has not yet been unpacked for want of room. The entire appro- 

 priation made for this work is not exhausted, and it is planned 

 to continue it next season on the basis of similar cooperation. 



