﻿lO 
  NEW 
  YORK 
  STATE 
  MUSEUM 
  

  

  2 
  e 
  Porphyritic 
  structure 
  

   2 
  f 
  Basaltic 
  columns 
  

   2 
  g 
  Concentric 
  structure 
  

  

  III 
  Decomposition 
  of 
  rocks 
  

   soil 
  formation 
  

  

  When 
  this 
  collection 
  has 
  progressed 
  somewhat 
  further 
  than 
  at 
  

   present 
  it 
  is 
  proposed 
  to 
  publish 
  a 
  handbook 
  devoted 
  to 
  the 
  subject, 
  

   to 
  aid 
  the 
  specimens 
  in 
  expressing 
  the 
  illustrations. 
  A 
  synopsis 
  of 
  

   such 
  a 
  handbook 
  is 
  being 
  carried 
  forward 
  with 
  the 
  additions 
  to 
  the 
  

   collection. 
  

  

  Another 
  collection, 
  new 
  to 
  the 
  museum, 
  that 
  was 
  started 
  during" 
  

   the 
  past 
  year, 
  is 
  that 
  of 
  birds' 
  nests 
  and 
  eggs. 
  The 
  majority 
  of 
  these 
  

   were 
  collected 
  by 
  the 
  assistant 
  curator 
  in 
  the 
  vicinity 
  of 
  Albany 
  — 
  ^the 
  

   remainder 
  were 
  presented 
  to 
  the 
  museum 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Robert 
  Warwick, 
  of 
  

   Fleming, 
  N. 
  Y. 
  The 
  nests 
  are 
  mounted 
  on 
  walnut 
  blocks 
  with 
  the 
  

   natural 
  limb, 
  or 
  tuft 
  of 
  grass, 
  in 
  which 
  the 
  nest 
  rested, 
  placed 
  in 
  its 
  

   natural 
  position; 
  thus 
  showing 
  the 
  various 
  methods 
  used 
  by 
  the 
  

   birds 
  in 
  attaching 
  the 
  nests, 
  or 
  in 
  screening 
  them 
  from 
  enemies. 
  

  

  The 
  eggs 
  are 
  placed 
  in 
  the 
  nests 
  in 
  the 
  exact 
  position 
  in 
  which 
  

   they 
  were 
  discovered 
  — 
  though 
  the 
  natural 
  arrangement 
  of 
  the 
  eggs 
  

   in 
  the 
  nest 
  appears 
  to 
  follow 
  no 
  law. 
  Specimens 
  of 
  the 
  male 
  and 
  

   female 
  birds 
  are 
  placed 
  by 
  the 
  nest 
  of 
  their 
  own 
  species. 
  

  

  All 
  the 
  space 
  that 
  can 
  be 
  allotted 
  to 
  this 
  exhibition 
  is 
  already 
  filled. 
  

   This 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  regretted, 
  as 
  such 
  an 
  exhibition 
  is 
  far 
  more 
  interesting 
  

   and 
  instructive 
  than 
  isolated 
  collections 
  of 
  the 
  birds, 
  eggs, 
  and 
  nests, 
  

   and 
  the 
  lack 
  of 
  space 
  to 
  expand 
  this 
  collection 
  is 
  but 
  another 
  -illustra- 
  

   tion 
  of 
  the 
  great 
  difficulties 
  to 
  contend 
  with 
  in 
  giving 
  the 
  museum 
  an 
  

   attractive 
  appearance, 
  and 
  a 
  higher 
  educational 
  value. 
  

  

  In 
  the 
  appendix 
  to 
  this 
  report 
  will 
  be 
  found 
  a 
  list 
  of 
  this 
  collection, 
  

   also 
  lists 
  of 
  additions 
  to 
  ornithological 
  and 
  oological 
  collections. 
  

  

  One 
  of 
  the 
  smaller 
  oak 
  cases 
  used 
  at 
  the 
  Columbian 
  exhibition 
  

   was 
  brought 
  from 
  its 
  storage 
  place 
  in 
  the 
  Capitol, 
  put 
  in 
  repair, 
  and 
  

   used 
  to 
  exhibit 
  the 
  large 
  specimens 
  of 
  green 
  fluorite, 
  from 
  McComb, 
  

   St. 
  Lawrence 
  county. 
  This 
  specimen 
  was 
  unfortunately 
  broken 
  in 
  

   transit 
  from 
  Chicago. 
  

  

  