﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIRECTOR 
  10,12 
  15 
  

  

  river, 
  a 
  few 
  casefuls 
  of 
  birds 
  and 
  fishes 
  in 
  connection 
  with 
  one 
  

   administrative 
  department, 
  and 
  perchance 
  of 
  seeds 
  and 
  soils 
  

   with 
  another. 
  Museums 
  require 
  today 
  a 
  high 
  grade 
  of 
  technical 
  

   service 
  for 
  the 
  proper 
  conservation 
  of 
  these 
  materials. 
  Such 
  

   minor 
  side 
  efforts 
  soon 
  degenerate 
  from 
  lack 
  of 
  proper 
  and 
  

   intelligent 
  care 
  and 
  involve 
  an 
  expenditure 
  of 
  public 
  money 
  for 
  

   no 
  good 
  purpose. 
  

  

  Notwithstanding 
  the 
  support 
  which 
  has 
  long 
  been 
  given 
  to 
  the 
  

   work 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Museum, 
  its 
  light 
  has 
  been 
  too 
  much 
  under 
  

   a 
  bushel, 
  it 
  has 
  had 
  too 
  much 
  of 
  the 
  closet, 
  has 
  been 
  too 
  esoteric 
  

   perhaps 
  in 
  its 
  indifference 
  to 
  public 
  appreciation. 
  Its 
  influence 
  

   should 
  reach 
  to 
  all 
  the 
  people. 
  Yet 
  it 
  is 
  Avell 
  to 
  record 
  here 
  the 
  

   fact 
  that 
  a 
  long 
  and 
  distinguished 
  body 
  of 
  citizens 
  have 
  person- 
  

   ally 
  given 
  their 
  indorsement 
  and 
  support 
  to 
  its 
  work 
  ; 
  as 
  witness 
  

   the 
  five 
  hundred 
  members 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  York 
  State 
  Museum 
  

   Association, 
  men 
  of 
  influence 
  and 
  distinction 
  in 
  all 
  sections 
  of 
  

   the 
  State. 
  

  

  Ill 
  

   CONDITION 
  OF 
  THE 
  SCIENTIFIC 
  COLLECTIONS 
  

   During 
  the 
  fiscal 
  year 
  some 
  part 
  of 
  the 
  usual 
  field 
  operations 
  

   of 
  the 
  staff 
  of 
  the 
  Science 
  Division 
  has 
  been 
  curtailed 
  in 
  order 
  

   to 
  meet 
  the 
  additional 
  expense 
  thrust 
  upon 
  the 
  division 
  by 
  the 
  

   operations 
  preliminary 
  to 
  removal 
  of 
  the 
  scientific 
  materials 
  to 
  

   their 
  new 
  quarters. 
  At 
  the 
  date 
  of 
  this 
  report 
  actual 
  removal 
  

   has 
  not 
  commenced 
  but 
  lies 
  in 
  the 
  immediate 
  future 
  and 
  the 
  

   actual 
  condition 
  of 
  the 
  collections 
  is 
  now 
  such 
  that 
  their 
  trans- 
  

   portation 
  can 
  be 
  effected 
  without 
  delay 
  or 
  damage. 
  Further 
  than 
  

   this, 
  it 
  has 
  seemed 
  wise 
  to 
  utilize 
  the 
  opportunity 
  and 
  some 
  

   part 
  of 
  the 
  available 
  financial 
  resources 
  of 
  the 
  Museum 
  to 
  pre- 
  

   pare 
  and 
  complete 
  special 
  objects 
  and 
  groups 
  of 
  objects 
  of 
  con- 
  

   spicuous 
  worth 
  and 
  interest 
  for 
  prompt 
  and 
  ready 
  display. 
  These 
  

   preliminary 
  preparations 
  have 
  not 
  been 
  inexpensive. 
  They 
  have 
  

   involved 
  the 
  dismembering 
  and 
  packing 
  of 
  large 
  skeletons 
  such 
  

   as 
  the 
  whale, 
  the 
  mastodon, 
  the 
  elephant, 
  the 
  Irish 
  elk 
  and 
  the 
  entire 
  

   series 
  of 
  lesser 
  skeletons 
  which 
  could 
  not 
  be 
  transported 
  in 
  

   their 
  mounted 
  condition. 
  They 
  have 
  further 
  involved 
  the 
  prep- 
  

   aration 
  of 
  series 
  of 
  large 
  models 
  in 
  plaster 
  of 
  especially 
  note- 
  

   worthy 
  objects; 
  and 
  very 
  particular 
  packing 
  of 
  the 
  State's 
  ex- 
  

   tensive 
  collection 
  of 
  birds 
  and 
  so 
  on 
  through 
  the 
  more 
  delicate 
  

   materials 
  pertaining 
  to 
  the 
  Museum. 
  Provision 
  has 
  been 
  made 
  by 
  

  

  