2 
[Senate 
of natural science, and therefore no one expected the palaeontologist 
would be ready to report so soon as those engaged in the other depart- 
ments of the survey. « 
During this time the geological survey was progressing, and 
although the geologists were not expected to make collections of 
fossils, nor did the time admit of their making careful collections, yet 
their examinations led them to discover the localities of fossils, and 
thus a small collection from each group of rocks was placed in the 
Statecabinet. 
In 1842 Mr. Conrad resigned, without having left a collection or 
ang thing which could be made available in the work. He expressed, 
as his opinion, that it would require one hundred plates to complete 
the palaeontology of New-York. This was the only information we 
had, — the result of five years labor in this department, — to form the 
basis of an estimate for the extent of the work. It was from the ex- 
perience of Mr. Conrad that the estimate was made; and this was one 
volume containing one hundred plates. 
When called upon for a statement in 1843, I thought a work of 
this extent might be completed in about two years. It was then ex- 
pected that the illustrations of fossils used in the volumes on 
geology could be used in the palaeontology, and the most minute and 
difficult subjects of investigation had not attracted attention. It was 
finally decided by Gov. Bouck that the work should be finished in 
one year, 
I need not go far into explanation to show the great impropriety of 
this requisition that a work which, at the commencement of the survey 
was thought to require as much, or more time than any of the other 
departments, and in which five years had already been spent without 
leaving any available results, should, from its beginning, be completed 
in one year. It was, therefore, not a voluntary agreement on my 
part to finish the w^ork in one year, and although it was thought very 
desirable to fix some definite time for its completion, yet had the 
extent of the subject of this department been known or even antici- 
pated, I cannot believe that such a requirement would have been 
made. 
At this time it was understood by the Governor that the collections 
for this work were made, and that no field labor was to be perform- 
