﻿PREFACE 
  

  

  It 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  experience 
  of 
  the 
  Director 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Museum 
  

   that 
  a 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  visitors 
  to 
  the 
  G-eological 
  Hall 
  have 
  not 
  

   had 
  the 
  advantage 
  of 
  an 
  elementary 
  training 
  in 
  geology 
  and 
  

   therefore 
  do 
  not 
  obtain 
  from 
  the 
  collections 
  such 
  information 
  as 
  

   they 
  might 
  receive 
  if 
  they 
  fully 
  understood 
  their 
  purpose 
  and 
  

   value. 
  This 
  statement 
  applies 
  both 
  tO' 
  the 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  adult 
  

   visitors 
  and 
  to 
  the 
  pupils 
  of 
  the 
  various 
  schools 
  who, 
  with 
  their 
  

   teachers, 
  visit 
  the 
  geologic 
  collections 
  every 
  year. 
  With 
  this 
  

   fact 
  in 
  view, 
  it 
  seemed 
  important 
  to 
  prepare 
  a 
  Guide 
  to 
  the 
  Study 
  

   of 
  the 
  Geologic 
  Collections 
  which 
  could 
  be 
  sold 
  at 
  a 
  nominal 
  

   price 
  and 
  therefore 
  placed 
  within 
  the 
  reach 
  of 
  all 
  who 
  might 
  

   need 
  it. 
  

  

  As 
  the 
  function 
  of 
  a 
  geologic 
  museum 
  is 
  to 
  aid 
  in 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  

   geology, 
  the 
  purpose 
  of 
  this 
  guide 
  is 
  tO' 
  supplement 
  the 
  collec- 
  

   tions 
  with 
  such 
  general 
  info'rmation 
  as 
  cannot 
  be 
  given 
  by 
  cabinet 
  

   specimens 
  and 
  to 
  direct 
  the 
  visitor 
  to 
  reliable 
  sources 
  for 
  more 
  

   detailed 
  information. 
  

  

  In 
  1861, 
  Mr. 
  Ledyard 
  Lincklaen 
  prepared, 
  by 
  direction 
  of 
  the 
  

   Regents 
  of 
  the 
  University, 
  a 
  Guide 
  to 
  the 
  Geology 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  and 
  

   to 
  the 
  State 
  Geological 
  Cabinet, 
  which 
  was 
  published 
  in 
  the 
  Four- 
  

   teenth 
  Annual 
  Report 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Cabinet 
  of 
  Natural 
  History. 
  

   This 
  report 
  being 
  now 
  out 
  of 
  print 
  and 
  Lincklaen's 
  ^Guide 
  ' 
  having 
  

   been 
  of 
  much 
  use 
  in 
  its 
  day, 
  though 
  now 
  obsolete 
  in 
  many 
  re- 
  

   spects, 
  it 
  seemed 
  desirable 
  to 
  replace 
  the 
  latter 
  so 
  far 
  as 
  possible 
  

   by 
  the 
  preparation 
  of 
  a 
  new 
  guide 
  to 
  the 
  study 
  of 
  the 
  collections. 
  

  

  In 
  this 
  undertaking 
  the 
  attempt 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  not 
  so 
  much 
  to 
  

   write 
  a 
  new 
  book 
  as 
  to 
  put 
  into 
  convenient 
  form 
  all 
  information 
  

   necessary 
  to 
  the 
  purpose 
  in 
  view. 
  

  

  