VI 
LETTER TO SECRETARY OF STATE AND 
It has unfortunately happened that the direction and progress of the work 
have never been fully within the control of the author, and this has resulted 
from various causes, as you will see from the following circumstances attending 
its pursuance: 
In 1855, after a virtual suspension of the Palaeontology for five years, a 
contract was made for its continuation, and for its completion in five volumes— 
two volumeshaving already been published. Under the conditions of this contract 
Volumes III and IV were published; and in accordance with the specified condi¬ 
tions of this agreement, the manuscript of the fifth volume was placed in the hands 
of the Commissioners in charge of the work, in September, 1866. This manuscript 
contained the descriptions of all the species of Crinoidea, Gasteropoda, Pteropoda, 
Cephalopoda, and Crustacea, then known to me. This act constituted the fulfill¬ 
ment of the duties imposed upon the author by the original agreement of 1855. 
In the final arrangement regarding the completion of this work, made in 
1855, the then Secretary of State, Hon. E. W. Leavenworth, had very properly 
provided that a certain sum of money should be annually expended in making 
collections of fossils from the rocks of New York, for the more complete illus¬ 
tration of its Natural History in the department of Palaeontology—the collections 
having previously been made at the personal expense of the author. These 
collections, thus provided for, were continued for eight years, and a large amount 
of material was brought together for study; but the want of proper working- 
rooms prevented it from being made immediately available. 
Since no suitable rooms for the purpose were then in the control of the Com¬ 
missioners, or of the Regents of the University, the author erected a large 
building especially adapted to this object, and finally a second building became 
necessary; and to-day these are both filled to overflowing with collections of 
fossils belonging to the State of New York. 
From the completion of Volume IV in 1867, the work of printing and litho¬ 
graphy remained entirely at a stand-still. The existing contract for the execu¬ 
tion of the work having been made many years previously, when prices of 
labor and jmaterial were much lower, it could not be continued without a loss 
to the contractor. This condition had in fact existed during the preparation 
