PREFACE. 
XI 
dian of the entire collections of the Geological Survey, which constituted the 
State Cabinet of Natural History; to the latter position he had been appointed 
by Governor Seward. 
Mr. Timothy A. Conrad, who occupied the position of Palaeontologist to the 
Geological Survey from 1837 to 1842, had published only such preliminary 
annual reports as were required of each department. At the latter date (1842) 
so little progress had been made in the work that only a small proportion of 
the characteristic fossils had been named or described. The Geologists there¬ 
fore found it necessary to give names to most of the fossils used in illustrating 
their reports, these species being the more common and characteristic forms of 
each group of the New York geological series. 
In the spring of 1843 the writer was placed in charge of the Paleontology 
of the State, while still retaining his position as State Geologist.* At that 
time there were practically no collections of fossils available for use in the 
work, nor appropriations of money for making such collections. There were 
no artists, either for original drawings or for lithography, and there was very 
little in the way of books on Geology and Palaeontology. 
Mr. Conrad had estimated that a volume of one hundred quarto plates would 
be required to properly illustrate the fossils of all the formations in the State 
of New York. After the first year of exploration by myself and personal 
assistants, covering the entire series, from the Potsdam sandstones to the Che¬ 
mung group inclusive, it was found that no satisfactory account of the fossils 
of the whole series could be given in a single volume, and that it would be 
necessary to confine attention to those coming from the lower rocks.f From 
that time forward efforts were directed to the preparation of descriptions and 
illustrations of fossils characterizing the lower division of the “ New York 
system,” which appeared in the first volume, published in 1847, containing 362 
pages and ninety-nine plates of illustration. 
In that volume due recognition was made of the sources from which 
material had been obtained for illustrating the work. Since that time 
* See Preface to volume I, Palseontolog’y of New York. 
t At the end of the first year (in 1844) the question of continuing- the Departments of Agriculture and 
PaljEontology was brought before the Legislature, and an extension of time allowed for the completion of 
the work, but no appropriation beyond the salaries of the officials was granted. 
