TO THE LEGISLATURE. 
Some delay, as I have heretofore stated, attended the selection 
of persons to execute the important measure contemplated by the 
act passed at the last session of the Legislature, *' to provide for 
a geological survey of the State." The appointments were not 
all made till the month of July, and none of them at so early a 
period as to afford the persons selected an opportunity of employ- 
ing the entire season in the work. The last year's operations do 
not, therefore, exhibit so much progress in {he execution of the 
survey as may be expected in subsequent years. The survey was 
ordered to be made under the direction of the Governor. The 
plan for executing it submitted to the last Legislature in the able 
report of the Secretary of State on this subject, has been gene- 
rally pursued. So far as regards the botanical and zoological de- 
partments, the suggestions of the report have been adopted with 
but a slight modification. The execution of the botanical branch 
of the survey has been committed to Dr, John Torrey, I have not 
appointed a draughtsman for this part of the work, but authorized 
J9r. Torrey to procure the drawings for this department on the most 
favorable terms as to compensation. It is understood that the ex- 
penses for them will not exceed $400 in any year; and it will pro- 
bably be somewhat less than that sum. 
Dr. James E, De Kay has been appointed to take charge of the 
zoological department of the work. It is expected that the expen- 
ses for drawings in this department will be more than in any other, 
and the zoologist is authorized to expend a sum not exceeding the 
estimate in the Secretary's report, $800 per annum for that pur- 
pose. 
The expectations in relation to the usefulness of the geological 
survey of the State, rest in a considerable degree upon the dis- 
closure of our mineral wealth and resources, and I judged it of 
