6 
[Assembly 
isted between Professor Hall and Mr. Duthie, the engraver on steel, 
as to the accuracy and finish of the engravings. Criminations and 
recriminations ensued. We felt ourselves obliged by the terras of 
the contract to require that the engravings should be approved of by 
the person in charge of the work. Mr. Duthie finally disposed of 
his part of the contract to R. H. Pease. But the difficulty still con- 
tinues. The engravings are still charged as not sufficiently well 
finished, while on the part of the contractors, original drawings, the 
proof engravings, and again the corrected ones have been lodged with 
us in evidence that the fossils have been correctly copied and that 
the engravings are in conformity to the drawings. 
We did not feel called upon to decide on the merits of this con- 
trovery, as our funds were exhausted by intermediate payments for 
other work that had been completed. But we are well satisfied that 
if means for proceeding had been in our possession, the difficulty 
might have been readily compromised. 
A flan for the completion of the Survey. 
In order to complete ihe " Natural History of New-York," there 
will still be needed, in the opinion of Prof. Hall, three additional 
volumes on Palaeontology. The third volume would certainly seem 
to be in quite a forward state. In Assembly Document, 1850, No. 
9, page 68, it is stated that the investigations, &c., as well as a 
large part of the drawings, notes, memoranda, and some of the 
lithographic engravings have been made of it. Again, by recur- 
ring to our account current, it will be observed that various ad- 
ditional drawings, and a number of engraved plates, have been 
paid for. We can, therefore, we think, state with some degree of 
certainty, that the remaining expense of publishing these three vols., 
cpnnot exceed that estimated by the Assembly committee, (see pages 
175 and 176 of their report,) viz : $16,000 per volume, exclusive 
of salaries and printing. We are of opinion that if at all with- 
in the wishes and means of the State, the work on Palaeontology 
should be completed ; and we have the concurrent opinion of for- 
eign and American geologists, that Professor Hall is well qualifi- 
ed, and probably the best qualified. And for the purpose of insur- 
ing this, we propose that the sum of two thousand five hundred 
dollars be tendered to Professor Hall, on the presentation of each 
