﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIRECTOR 
  IO,I2 
  47 
  

  

  An 
  attempt 
  was 
  also 
  made 
  to 
  make 
  a 
  " 
  census 
  " 
  of 
  all 
  the 
  

   collections 
  of 
  aboriginal 
  artifacts 
  in 
  the 
  State 
  and 
  a 
  new 
  index 
  

   has 
  resulted, 
  giving 
  the 
  lists 
  of 
  several 
  hundred 
  collections. 
  In 
  

   this 
  manner, 
  more 
  than 
  any 
  other, 
  an 
  idea 
  can 
  be 
  obtained 
  of 
  

   the 
  localities 
  most 
  "thickly 
  populated 
  in 
  aboriginal 
  times, 
  but 
  

   there 
  is 
  seemingly 
  no 
  correspondence 
  between 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  

   earth 
  works 
  and 
  the 
  abundance 
  of 
  specimens. 
  Large 
  numbers 
  of 
  

   objects 
  from 
  all 
  the 
  various 
  types 
  and 
  successions 
  of 
  occupancy 
  

   are 
  in 
  the 
  possession 
  of 
  individual 
  collectors. 
  The 
  correspond- 
  

   ence 
  and 
  indexing 
  necessary 
  to 
  collect 
  and 
  file 
  these 
  statistics 
  

   consumed 
  a 
  greater 
  portion 
  of 
  the 
  time 
  up 
  to 
  May, 
  but 
  the 
  

   knowledge 
  gained 
  is 
  of 
  practical 
  as 
  well 
  as 
  of 
  high 
  scientific 
  

   importance. 
  

  

  In 
  passing, 
  it 
  should 
  be 
  mentioned 
  that 
  many 
  collections 
  held 
  

   by 
  private 
  individuals 
  are 
  neither 
  numbered 
  nor 
  adequately 
  

   cataloged. 
  The 
  collectors 
  almost 
  without 
  exception 
  remember 
  

   where 
  their 
  objects 
  were 
  found, 
  but 
  without 
  a 
  permanent 
  record 
  

   the 
  collection 
  is 
  robbed 
  of 
  its 
  highest 
  usefulness, 
  and 
  with 
  the 
  

   death 
  of 
  the 
  owner, 
  the 
  otherwise 
  valuable 
  and 
  instructive 
  series 
  

   becomes 
  a 
  mere 
  aggregation 
  of 
  curiosities 
  known 
  as 
  " 
  Indian 
  

   relics." 
  In 
  these 
  days 
  when 
  the 
  collection 
  of 
  such 
  artifacts 
  has 
  

   a 
  scientific 
  object, 
  every 
  care 
  should 
  be 
  taken 
  to 
  give 
  each 
  its 
  

   precise 
  locality. 
  Topographical 
  maps 
  are 
  of 
  much 
  use 
  in 
  this 
  

   connection. 
  

  

  THE 
  O. 
  W. 
  AURINGER 
  COLLECTION 
  

  

  Supplementing 
  in 
  an 
  important 
  way 
  the 
  Dr 
  A. 
  W. 
  Holden 
  

   collection, 
  donated 
  last 
  year 
  by 
  State 
  Historian 
  James 
  A. 
  Holden, 
  

   is 
  the 
  Rev. 
  O. 
  W. 
  Auringer 
  collection, 
  generously 
  donated 
  to 
  the 
  

   Museum 
  by 
  Dr 
  Albert 
  Vander 
  Veer, 
  of 
  the 
  Board 
  of 
  Regents. 
  

   This 
  collection 
  is 
  from 
  about 
  the 
  same 
  district 
  as 
  the 
  Holden 
  collec- 
  

   tion, 
  that 
  is 
  Queensbury 
  township 
  and 
  the 
  region 
  about 
  Troy, 
  north 
  

   to 
  Lake 
  George. 
  

  

  An 
  examination 
  of 
  the 
  collection 
  donated 
  by 
  Doctor 
  Vander 
  

   Veer 
  reveals 
  some 
  important 
  archeological 
  facts 
  which, 
  supple- 
  

   mented 
  by 
  Mr 
  Auringer's 
  notes, 
  give 
  the 
  collection 
  a 
  valuable 
  

   place 
  in 
  our 
  archives. 
  The 
  region 
  from 
  which 
  the 
  collection 
  

   comes 
  is 
  characterized 
  by 
  several 
  different 
  occupations. 
  

  

  There 
  have 
  been 
  unearthed 
  on 
  several 
  Queensbury 
  sites, 
  flint 
  

   knives 
  and 
  lance 
  heads 
  so 
  old 
  that 
  the 
  original 
  flint 
  — 
  itself 
  about 
  

   the 
  hardest 
  of 
  stones 
  — 
  had 
  so 
  far 
  changed 
  in 
  substance 
  as 
  to 
  

  

  