THE NATURAL HISTORY SURVEY OF NEW YORK 243 



or older fossiliferous rocks known in the world; and that for 

 these the collections of the museum with the nomenclature 

 adopted by the geological survey of New York will always be 

 the standard of reference and authority. 



It may justly be said that Hon. John A. Dix, as secretary of 

 state, in 1836 laid the foundation of this museum and of all the 

 scientific and practical results which have accrued from the in- 

 auguration of the geological survey of the state of New York. 



At the time of the final arrangement of the collections of the 

 geological survey, in 1843, very little was known in this country 

 regarding museums of natural history, and no true appreciation 

 of what such an institution should be, existed, except in the 

 minds of a few persons. It is not strange, therefore, that there 

 should have been a general acquiesence in the proposition that 

 the collections of the geological survey should be deposited in 

 the old State hall for ' safe keeping/ and the idea of constant 

 and steady increase toward a great museum of natural history 

 was scarcely, if at all promulgated. The collections and the 

 rooms that they occupied were placed in charge of a curator, 

 Mr. J. W. Taylor, who was succeeded by Mr. John Gebhard, Jr, 

 and he in turn in 1857 by Colonel Jewett. The small annual 

 appropriations made by the legislature were only sufficient for 

 the custody and very moderate increase of the collection. Mat- 

 ters remained in this condition till 1865, when the legislature 

 passed some resolutions tending to the expansion of the museum; 

 and, following these, the secretary of the board of regents ad- 

 dressed a circular letter to numerous scientific men, professors 

 and teachers, asking suggestions as to the best mode of putting 

 in force' the objects of the legislature as expressed in the reso- 

 lutions referred to. 



The communications in reply to this were published in the 

 19th report of the State Cabinet, together with a recommenda- 

 tion of the committee of the regents to whom the subject had 

 been referred. This recommendation became the first step to- 

 ward an improved condition, and a recognition of the necessity 

 of regarding the museum as a series of collections in natural 

 history which were to be increased and elaborated in every die- 



