﻿REPORT 
  OF 
  THE 
  DIRECTOR 
  ICji^ 
  1 
  3 
  

  

  administration 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Museum 
  to 
  offer 
  to 
  the 
  visiting 
  pub- 
  

   lic 
  a 
  show 
  of 
  " 
  curios," 
  or 
  a 
  series 
  of 
  discrete 
  and 
  incongruous 
  

   objects 
  without 
  rationale 
  or 
  consecuity. 
  It 
  is 
  its 
  purpose 
  to 
  

   bring 
  through 
  the 
  public 
  eye 
  into 
  the 
  public 
  heart 
  the 
  concerns 
  

   of 
  the 
  natural 
  resources 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  ; 
  the 
  stories 
  they 
  tell, 
  the 
  

   business 
  they 
  record, 
  the 
  possibilities 
  of 
  commercial 
  develop- 
  

   ment 
  they 
  carry, 
  the 
  welfare 
  and 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  life 
  that 
  con- 
  

   stitutes 
  our 
  native 
  fauna 
  and 
  flora; 
  to 
  portray 
  the 
  development 
  

   of 
  the 
  State 
  from 
  the 
  beginning 
  of 
  its 
  geography 
  and 
  with 
  it 
  to 
  

   depict 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  its 
  life 
  through 
  prehistoric 
  stages 
  up 
  to 
  the 
  

   day 
  of 
  our 
  aborigines 
  w 
  r 
  ith 
  their 
  multifold 
  activities 
  and 
  culture; 
  

   and 
  so 
  into 
  the 
  border 
  lands 
  of 
  actual 
  history. 
  

  

  Enough 
  has 
  been 
  intimated 
  in 
  the 
  foregoing 
  in 
  regard 
  to 
  the 
  

   educational 
  purpose 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Museum 
  of 
  Science 
  to 
  make 
  

   way 
  for 
  the 
  conclusion 
  that 
  such 
  functions 
  can 
  not 
  be 
  realized 
  

   without 
  a 
  liberal 
  support 
  from 
  an 
  intelligent 
  community. 
  The 
  

   State 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  can 
  make 
  what 
  it 
  will 
  of 
  its 
  Museum 
  — 
  a 
  

   storehouse 
  of 
  scientifically 
  important 
  but 
  educationally 
  arid 
  facts, 
  

   or 
  a 
  conservatory 
  of 
  inspiring 
  and 
  uplifting 
  knowledge 
  of 
  its 
  

   natural 
  resources. 
  To 
  elect 
  the 
  latter 
  as 
  a 
  deliberate 
  policy 
  of 
  

   the 
  Education 
  Department 
  is 
  of 
  necessity 
  to 
  supply 
  the 
  Educa- 
  

   tion 
  Department 
  with 
  the 
  requisite 
  funds 
  to 
  do 
  it. 
  It 
  is 
  in 
  all 
  

   respects 
  a 
  question 
  of 
  funds, 
  for 
  neither 
  competent 
  and 
  enthusi- 
  

   astic 
  men 
  nor 
  adequate 
  materials 
  are 
  w 
  r 
  anting 
  for 
  such 
  an 
  end. 
  

  

  It 
  is 
  therefore 
  most 
  proper 
  at 
  this 
  juncture 
  in 
  the 
  history 
  of 
  

   the 
  organization 
  to 
  direct 
  public 
  attention 
  to 
  these 
  requirements 
  

   if 
  the 
  real 
  purpose 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  Museum 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  assured. 
  

  

  Though 
  it 
  has 
  been 
  the 
  practice 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  heretofore 
  to 
  

   encourage 
  these 
  several 
  lines 
  of 
  scientific 
  research, 
  it 
  has 
  not 
  

   been 
  its 
  practice 
  to 
  give 
  hearty 
  support 
  to 
  the 
  development 
  of 
  

   its 
  Museum. 
  The 
  State 
  Museum 
  as 
  a 
  depository 
  of 
  natural 
  

   resources 
  has 
  been 
  rather 
  tolerated 
  than 
  espoused. 
  Its 
  collec- 
  

   tions 
  have 
  come 
  to 
  it 
  incidental 
  to 
  other 
  activities 
  rather 
  than 
  

   purposely 
  and 
  for 
  definite 
  educational 
  ends. 
  The 
  State 
  Museum 
  

   does 
  not 
  compete 
  with 
  the 
  great 
  civic, 
  but 
  privately 
  supported 
  

   museums 
  of 
  this 
  country 
  and 
  this 
  day. 
  Its 
  field 
  is 
  not 
  the 
  world, 
  

   but 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  York. 
  It 
  should 
  not 
  attempt 
  to 
  exploit 
  

   the 
  world 
  for 
  its 
  materials 
  or 
  for 
  its 
  educational 
  purposes, 
  but 
  it 
  

   should 
  exploit 
  the 
  State 
  of 
  New 
  York 
  to 
  its 
  utmost, 
  in 
  order 
  to 
  

   set 
  before 
  the 
  citizens 
  of 
  the 
  State 
  a 
  conception 
  of 
  its 
  natural 
  

   resources 
  and 
  of 
  the 
  large 
  scientific 
  problems 
  arising 
  with 
  them. 
  

  

  