﻿4 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  The 
  Museum 
  assistant, 
  Mr. 
  J. 
  N. 
  Nevius, 
  has 
  kept 
  a 
  diary 
  of 
  hijt- 
  

   detailed 
  work, 
  and 
  from 
  this 
  record 
  the 
  greater 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  foUowing^ 
  

   report 
  is 
  prepared. 
  

  

  A 
  large 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  time 
  of 
  the 
  assistant 
  curator 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  

   fiscal 
  year 
  has 
  been 
  occupied 
  in 
  giving 
  to 
  the 
  collections 
  a 
  more 
  scien- 
  

   tific 
  arrangement 
  and 
  a 
  more 
  attractive 
  appearance. 
  

  

  The 
  principal 
  work 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  rearrangement 
  of 
  the 
  palaeonto- 
  

   logical 
  collection 
  on 
  the 
  second 
  floor; 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  nuclei 
  for 
  a 
  

   synoptical 
  geological 
  collection, 
  and 
  for 
  a 
  collection 
  of 
  birds' 
  nests 
  

   with 
  eggs; 
  the 
  determination 
  of 
  specimens 
  (chiefly 
  mineralogical) 
  

   brought 
  to 
  the 
  Museum 
  for 
  identification; 
  the 
  distribution 
  of 
  loan 
  

   collections 
  of 
  minerals 
  to 
  institutions 
  under 
  the 
  University 
  ; 
  and 
  the 
  

   installment 
  of 
  several 
  important 
  additions 
  to 
  the 
  collections. 
  

  

  The 
  work 
  on 
  the 
  palaeontological 
  collection 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  state 
  

   occupied 
  all 
  of 
  the 
  winter 
  months. 
  The 
  specimens 
  had 
  been 
  mounted 
  

   on 
  wooden 
  blocks 
  covered 
  with 
  paper. 
  This 
  had 
  become 
  badly 
  

   soiled 
  and 
  faded, 
  as 
  had 
  also 
  the 
  labels, 
  which 
  could 
  be 
  read 
  only 
  

   with 
  great 
  difficulty. 
  The 
  collection 
  had, 
  besides, 
  not 
  kept 
  pace 
  

   with 
  the 
  progress 
  of 
  this 
  science, 
  in 
  the 
  last 
  few 
  years, 
  so 
  that 
  much 
  

   of 
  the 
  nomenclature 
  was 
  out 
  of 
  date. 
  

  

  A 
  supply 
  of 
  terra 
  cotta 
  '' 
  ingrain 
  " 
  wall-paper 
  was 
  obtained 
  and 
  

   cut 
  to 
  fit 
  the 
  blocks. 
  The 
  specimens 
  were 
  then 
  removed, 
  a 
  few 
  at 
  

   a 
  time, 
  and 
  the 
  blocks 
  covered 
  with 
  the 
  new 
  paper; 
  the 
  labels 
  were 
  

   revised 
  and 
  rewritten, 
  the 
  old 
  name 
  appearing 
  in 
  parenthesis 
  where 
  

   possible. 
  The 
  authority 
  chiefly 
  used 
  for 
  this 
  work 
  was 
  '' 
  North 
  

   American 
  Geology 
  and 
  Palaeontology," 
  by 
  S. 
  A. 
  Miller; 
  referring 
  

   doubtful 
  cases 
  to 
  the 
  '' 
  Palaeontology 
  of 
  New 
  York." 
  

  

  Several 
  unrecorded 
  figured 
  specimens 
  were 
  found. 
  These 
  were 
  

   labeled 
  with 
  a 
  green 
  diamond-shaped 
  lozenge, 
  bearing 
  numbers* 
  

   referring 
  to 
  volume, 
  plate, 
  and 
  illustration 
  where 
  figured 
  in 
  the 
  

   " 
  Palaeontology 
  of 
  New 
  York." 
  

  

  In 
  returning 
  the 
  specimens 
  to 
  the 
  cases, 
  they 
  were 
  arranged 
  in 
  

   their 
  natural 
  classes; 
  the 
  lowest 
  class 
  in 
  a 
  geological 
  horizon 
  being 
  

   placed 
  first, 
  and 
  so 
  upward 
  to 
  the 
  highest 
  form; 
  the 
  genera 
  being 
  

   arranged 
  alphabetically. 
  

  

  