120 



NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 



Induced by these expressions of public sentiment, the Legisla- 

 ture passed a resolution in 1835 asking the Secretary of State to 

 report to that body a method for obtaining a natural history sur- 

 vey of the State, and for collecting, and preserving specimens col- 

 lected, and for publishing reports. " Such a report was presented 

 to the Legislature of 1836, by Hon. John A. Dix, Secretary of 

 State, and was adopted by the Legislature, and the Natural His- 

 tory Survey was organized. The scientific staff of the Survey in 

 1836 consisted of John Torrey, Botanist; James E. DeKay, Zoolo- 

 gist; Lewis C. Beck, Mineralogist ; W. W. Mather, Ebenezer Em- 

 mons, Lardner Yanuxem and Timothy A. Conrad, Geologists ; the 

 four geologists each being assigned to a definite section of the 

 State. In 1837, Conrad was made Paleontologist and James Hall 

 who had been the year before assistant under Professor Emmons, 

 was appointed to succeed Yanuxem, who took Conrad's place. 

 This early survey was, as Merrill 1 says, " an organization which 

 has left a more lasting impression upon American geology than 

 any that has followed it or preceded it." 



The reports of this early survey contained various maps, the 

 first of which was a most interesting and quaint birdseye map 

 of the Genesee river and vicinity, showing geological features. It 

 was a black and white sketch map showing the river as seen from 

 an elevated observation point. The rock geology is indicated by 

 short notes printed along the margins and on the sketch : such 

 as " Fucoides in sandstone," " dark argillaceous shales/' " beds 

 of gypsum Garbutts mills." " Calymene in green shales," etc. Gla- 

 ciated surfaces are indicated, small sketches of fossils depicted, 

 the horizontality of the beds exposed in portions of the g'orge, 

 and many interesting features shown. Prof. Eben N. Horsford, 

 although his name appears only as the delineator of this map, in 

 reality worked out by his own efforts whatever geological feat- 

 ures are depicted thereon. Born at Moscow, N. Y., he became 

 interested in the fossils of the region and in his excursions accu- 

 mulated quite an extensive knowledge of the local geology and 

 paleontology. He was at one time principal of the Albany Female 

 Academy and subsequently became Rum ford professor of chem- 

 istry at Harvard. 



This was followed by Other maps and sections in the reports 

 of the geologists of the. various districts and in the four quarto 

 volumes published in 1S42 and 1843. Of these the most import- 



1 U. S. Nat. Mus. Rep't for 1904. 1906. p. 344. 



