PREFACE. 
The present volume brings to a close the publication of the 
PALEONTOLOGY OF NEW YORK," 
AS A PART OF THE 
“Natural Qietonj of tl)c State of Nero IJork/’ 
according to the plan proposed and inaugurated by Governor William H. Seward 
during his administration, 1839-1842. 
At the time of the organization of the survey the question of publication had 
not been seriously considered; the annual reports made to the Governor and 
communicated to the Legislature were necessarily published in the ordinary 
octavo document form. 
Hon. John A. Dix, in his report preceding the organization of the Geological 
Survey, had stated that “ it is supposed that the entire account of the survey 
may be contained in three octavo volumes of 700 pages each,” together with 
an atlas, which should contain the maps, “ with the necessary drawings of fossil 
remains.” This was the only suggestion regarding the final publication of the 
results of the survey. In November, 1839, the Board of Geologists made a 
special communication to the Governor, calling his attention to several matters 
of interest to the Geological Survey, and concluding as follows; 
“ The board would also suggest to the Governor, as matters which will soon 
require attention, the mode and manner in which the final reports are to be 
published, and the number and style of maps, geological sections and 
diagrams.”^ 
At a later period it was decided that the entire work should be published in 
quarto form. 
* Assembly Document 50, January, 1840. 
