662 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



the University of Strasburg. Dr Ruedemann began his term of 

 service Mar. 1 of this year. Throughout the entire staff there has 

 been a marked feeling of harmony and earnest cooperation to 

 advance the interests of the department. 



Unfinished work of the old department 



The death of Prof. James Hall on Aug. 7, 1898, at the great 

 age of 87 years, left a large amount of work begun and 

 brought to various degrees of progression. As his years increased, 

 this remarkable man took no thought to bring his life's work to 

 a close but continued to make plans, as had been his lifelong 

 habit, on an elaborate scale, courageously taking little account 

 of the time necessary for their completion, and not always cal- 

 culating the expense involved in their execution. The lamented 

 event of his death left in an incomplete condition the following 

 reports: the 15th annual report (for 1895), the 16th annual re- 

 port (for 1896), both of which were in press, the 17th (for 1897), 

 which had been transmitted, and the 18th, or that for the year 

 in which he died, which had not yet been rendered. These re- 

 ports were all compendious documents, embracing the individual 

 reports of various members of his staff, both permanent and 

 temporary, and more or less elaborate contributions on paleon- 

 tologic subjects requiring extensive illustration. Besides these 

 was the Memoir on the paleozoic reticulate sponges, for the special 

 edition of which provision had been made, and also a Memoir 

 on the genera of the paleozoic corals. 



. By the direction of your board the completion of all this unfin- 

 ished work of the old department of the state geologist and 

 paleontologist was placed in charge of the paleontologist; and 1 

 have to report with regard to the progress of this work as fol- 

 lows: 



Of the 15th report, volume 1 had been delivered previous to 

 the death of Prof. Hall. Volume 2 has been completed and dis- 

 tributed, and the single volume of the 16th report is also com- 

 pleted, and is now in bindery. The 17th report is in press and 

 the 18th is awaiting its turn. 



