SECRETARY OF BOARD OF REGENTS. 
vii 
and publication of Volume IV, and had much delayed its progress. It was not 
until near the close of 1871, that “owing to the enhanced cost of labor and 
materials,” as set forth in the memorandum, a modification of the conditions of 
the contract was made, which enabled the work to be continued. 
In the meantime, in 1866, the writer had been induced to take charge of the 
State Cabinet of Natural History, in the hope of being able to reorganize the 
institution and to build up “a Museum of Scientific and Practical Geology and 
General Natural History,” in accordance with the plan recommended and adopted 
by the Board of Regents, pursuant to a resolution of the Senate and Assembly, 
passed in April, 1865. It was not, however, until 1870 that an act was passed 
recognizing “the State Museum of Natural History,” and making an annual 
appropriation for its support, though coming far short of the original plan 
proposed. During the period from 1866 to 1872, the entire time and energies 
of the writer had been given to the reorganization, rearrangement and labeling 
of the collections of the State Museum, and the preparation of its Reports. 
Large additions were made in nearly every department, and the area of cases 
and shelf-room occupied by collections was nearly doubled. 
During all this time it had been quite impossible to give special and con¬ 
tinued attention to the Palaeontology; nevertheless, the field collections of 
former years were prepared and arranged, and further collections made by 
persons connected with the Museum. A draughtsman had been kept employed 
in making drawings, and the lithographic work was recommenced under 
my general direction. Owing to these years of incessant labor and anxiety 
consequent upon my position in the State Museum, the repeated failures to 
accomplish the object in view, and the uncertainty of final legislative action, 
my health had become completely prostrated, and I was compelled to relin¬ 
quish all labor during the summer and autumn of 1872, while it was only in 
the following year that I was able to give some attention to the preparation 
of a volume of the work, and the consideration of a plan for its completion. 
In 1874, I presented to the Finance Committee of the Senate a statement of 
the existing condition of the work, and a plan for its completion, together with 
a schedule of the material in preparation. The schedule enumerated the 
