11 



son counties," accompanied with sketches of the same, and the Regents 

 transmit them as worthy of publication. 



Our country presents many examples of the rapid progress from rude 

 art to the most striking exhibitions of human skill, and the State Cabi- 

 net would scarcely he complete, without containing specimens of each. 

 Through the liberality of Mr. McAlpine, engineer of the United States 

 Dry Dock, at Brooklyn, there is now to be seen a plaster model of that 

 great work ; various specimens of granite employed in its construction, 

 and a collection of soils, through which the necessary excavations for 

 this purpose were made. 



Several years have now elapsed since the publication of most of the 

 volumes of the " Natural History of New- York," and it occurred to the 

 Regents that means should be taken to ascertain, and as it were, post 

 up, the progress of discovery and science in each of the departments 

 to the present time. The suggestion was communicated to several 

 of the persons formerly engaged in the State Survey, and the Re- 

 gents have now the pleasure to present, as its first fruits, a report from 

 Dr. Lewis C. Beck, the author of the Mineralogy of New- York, com- 

 prising notices of the additions made since 1842. Its intrinsic merits, 

 and the labor evidently bestowed upon it, are its best recommenda- 

 tions. 



The Regents, on the resignation of the curator, appointed John 

 Gebhard, jr., of Schoharie county, to that place, and he accordingly 

 entered on its duties on the 1st of November last. Great reliance is 

 placed on his well known devotion to, and his knowledge of, Natu- 

 ral History ; and he has already given an abundant earnest in the in- 

 dustry and zeal with which he has entered on the engagements of 

 his office. 



As to the pecuniary affairs of the Institution, the Regents beg leave 

 to refer to the accompanying account current of receipts and expendi- 

 tures. They have every assurance, that through a clerical error, the 

 appropriation made last year for 1849 and 1850, was reduced one-half, 

 through the omission of the words " for each of the years." Had it 

 not been discovered that a small balance in the treasury devoted to this 

 purpose, remained uncalled for, the committee acting under the direction 

 of the Regents would have been altogether precluded from carrying out 

 their views, and as they were well assured, those also of the Legislature. 

 They therefore solicit that the present appropriation for 18-50, viz: two 



