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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



place. This treatise involves the tabulation of all known species 

 of fossil fishes from the region with emendation in some cases of 

 their specific diagnoses. The species will all be illustrated and 

 a number of forms new to science will be represented and dis- 

 cussed. 



Fossil plants. Two years ago I entered into an arrangement 

 with Mr David White of the United States Geological Survey 

 for a descriptive account of the fossil plants from the rocks of 

 New York. These interesting bodies have been, in an embarrass- 

 ment of riches, not overlooked but left for a favorable oppor- 

 tunity for their investigation. The collections which have 

 been brought together during the history of the Museum were 

 acquired incidentally, but notwithstanding constitute a very 

 extensive representation of these ancient plants. Mr White is 

 a well known authority upon this group of organisms and he has, 

 in pursuance of this understanding, made a careful inspection of the 

 collections in Albany and in the intervals of his time has con- 

 tinued his studies upon certain parts thereof. He reports that 

 he has given special attention to the interesting and valuable 

 collections of Pteridophytes, beginning his investigations with 

 the study of the Lepidophytes which it is hoped to bring together 

 in revised form and one systematic report. 



With the available opportunities for study, a cursory review of the 

 similar material in other museums has been made ; reviews of foreign 

 literature relating to the subject brought together and much of the 

 synonymic data is now at hand. It is hoped that the present winter 

 will afford time for the preparation of diagnoses of all the lepido- 

 phvtic species, and the publication of these in a report suitably illus- 

 trated be effected in the near future. 



Devonic crinoids. In 1866 Professor Hall published a very 

 brief account of some of the Devonic crinoids of New York 

 based upon a remarkable discovery made in 1857 at Muttonville, 

 now Vincent, Ontario co. The type specimens of most of this 

 material are in the state collections but there has never been a 

 serious effort made to elaborate the crinoids of the Devonic rocks 

 of this State. The last half century has brought into the state 

 collections a series of these fossils of extraordinary interest and 

 it has been my plan for some years to prepare them for publica- 

 tion, as an essential addition to our knowledge of the ancient 

 faunas of New York. This year I invited the assistance of Edwin 

 Kirk of Columbia University, who has had some experience in 



