RETORT OF THE STATE PALEONTOLOGIST 1S99 



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eral collection it is intended that all material now scattered 

 through other draw ers and special collections shall be distributed 

 in its proper place and the disorder which has increased with years 

 be done away with. With the assistance of Dr Ruedemann an 

 excellent beginning has been made of this work. A permanent, 

 carefully identified and labeled reserye is being set aside, which 

 will be ready for prompt installation in the exhibition collection 

 wheneyer the opportunity arriyes. 



Of the large number of boxes, all are labeled and systematically 

 arranged. By means of the record kept of them any one can be 

 found without trouble. 



Accessions. Reference to the detailed list of accessions during 

 the past eight months will serye to indicate the great demand on 

 the department for space. All drawer space is now taken and, 

 with the addition of new material pertaining to some subject under 

 study or requiring immediate investigation, accommodation can 

 be found only by emptying some of the drawers already filled and 

 packing their contents into boxes. The recording and ticketing 

 of this new material, of which the department has receiyed since 

 Jan. 1 several thousand specimens, is essentially completed. 



Lack of space. This is a constantly growing embarrassment, as 

 must be eyident from the foregoing statements. All the rooms 

 occupied by the department on the third floor of the State hall 

 are filled to overflowing and boxes are stored whereyer space can 

 be found, in the offices, corridors, but principally in the two rooms 

 controlled by us in the basement of this building. This choked 

 condition ought to constitute a strong argument for quarters 

 which will do better justice to the state and this science. De- 

 spite the actual riches of our museum, we shall be at a disad- 

 vantage in reaching either the scientific student or the general 

 public as long as we are compelled to remain in insufficient, ob- 

 scure and unattractive quarters. 



Publication. The completion of the loth and lGth annual re- 

 ports of the state geologist and paleontologist and the llemoir on 

 the paleozoic reticulate sponges has required a large expenditure 



