10 



the rapidly growing interest among progressive teachers in this 

 illustrative method of communicating knowledge. 



The teachers attending this instruction are shown by their sig- 

 natures, obtained at the closing lecture, to come from the cities 

 along the Hudson as far north as Sing Sing, from beyond Jamaica, 

 on Long Island, and from all parts of Staten Island, as well as 

 from New York City and Brooklyn. 



The success that has attended our efforts to aid the teachers of 

 the public schools in this vicinity is attracting attention in all 

 parts of the State, and the next annual meeting of the School 

 Commissioners from all the counties in this State will be held in 

 our institution. 



GEOLOGICAL AND CONCHOLOGICAL 

 DEPARTMENTS. 



[Under the charge of Prof. R. P. Whitfield.] 



Pal^eontological Collections. — There has been much work 

 done in this department during the year in permanent labels. 

 More than 2,800 labels of this class having been provided ; and of 

 these more than 1,600 are written labels. About 500 of these 

 are type and figured specimen labels, bearing citations of publi- 

 cation. At the end of 1886, labeling had been carried on, on 

 the west side of the hall to near the end of the Eocene, and from 

 the Coal Measures to that point permanent labels had been pro- 

 vided. At the present time this permanent work has been 

 carried along to the end of the American series, and considerable 

 done to the European collections. This latter work has been 

 ' taken in hand, owing to the nature of the slips with the specimens 

 being such as to incur danger of misplacement by the opening of 

 the case doors. 



Early in the year, the type and figured specimens of Lamelli- 

 branchiate fossils, for several years in Prof. Hall's possession, 

 were sent to the Museum. These were all labeled, and a large 

 quantity of them placed on exhibition. The remainder are in 

 drawers in the Attic, but will be put in place as soon as space can 

 be provided for them. 



In May of this year the Museum authorities authorized the 

 purchase of a skeleton of Mastodon giganteus from Messrs. 

 Ward & Howell. This was done, and the skeleton placed in the 

 centre of the Geological Hall. This skeleton is probably the 

 best of the kind now known, certainly the best mounted, and it 

 now forms the most attractive and interesting object in the 

 Museum. Two fine lots of fossil fish, from the Eocene beds of 

 Wyoming, were also added during the year. Other donations 

 and purchases may be found mentioned in the appendix. 



