REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR I9O4 



9 



Museum in 1894 and was succeeded by Dr F. J. H. Merrill who 

 had previously held the position of assistant director from 1890. 

 Upon the death of Professor Hall in 1898 Dr Merrill was also 

 appointed State Geologist. 



In the fusion of the University of the State of New York with 

 the Department of Public Instruction by the action of the Legis- 

 lature of 1904 and the resultant erection therefrom of the Educa- 

 tion Department, the scientific interests of the resultant De- 

 partment were constituted a separate division termed the 

 Division of Science. The scientific officers of this division, the 

 State Geologist and Paleontologist, the State Botanist and the 

 State Entomologist constitute heads of sections, and the State 

 Museum is relegated to its normal and proper function as a de- 

 pository of the materials acquired by the scientific corps of the 

 division. The Museum thus resumes the relation to the scien- 

 tific work of the State that it had in the first days of its history ; 

 instead of being itself the titular organization under which sci- 

 entific work is carried forward, the scientific work as represented 1 

 by its various department officers is now given paramount im- 

 portance. To the directorship of the Division of Science, by 

 action of the Commissioner of Education and the Board of Re- 

 gents, John M. Clarke, formerly assistant State Geologist and 

 Paleontologist and at that time holding the position of State 

 Paleontologist, was appointed. At this time also the offices of 

 State Geologist and State Paleontologist were recombined 

 and united with that of director as had been the condition 

 during the tenure of Professor Hall from 1866 to 1894. As at 

 present constituted the scientific staff of the Division of Science 

 consists of the following officers : the State Geologist and Pale- 

 ontologist, the State Botanist and State Entomologist with their 

 various assistants and also a mineralogist, zoologist and archeolo- 

 gist. The collections in structural geology and economic geol- 

 ogy are in the Geological Hall ; those in paleontology are chiefly 

 in the State Hall, though collections of considerable extent and 

 value are also in the Geological Hall ; collections in mineralogy, 

 the office of the State Botanist and the state herbarium and the 

 office of the State Entomologist and his collections and all other 

 collections in zoology and biology are in the Geological Hall. 

 The collections in archeology are chiefly in the corridors of the 

 Capitol on the fourth floor at the head of the western staircase, 

 though additional collections of considerable value are in the 

 Geological Hall. 



