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DEDICATION. 
To His Excellency 
GROVER CLEVELAND , 
Governor of the State of New York: 
Sir •— I have the honor to present to your Excellency a new volume of the 
Natural History of the State of New York, forming a continuation of the work 
on the Palaeontology of the State. 
This volume, together with another to be published early next year, is 
devoted to the description and illustration of the fossil bivalve shells known 
as Lamellibranchiata. The entire work will embrace all the fossils of this 
class from the higher geological formations of the State. The material has been 
accumulated from various sources during the period since 1843. Eighty plates 
for these volumes had already been lithographed in 1873, but the publication 
was delayed for want of legislative authority for the printing. During the 
session of 1883 an act was passed by the Legislature, and sanctioned by your 
Excellency, providing for the completion of the entire work upon the Paleon¬ 
tology of the State. The present volume is the first fruit of that act, and I 
trust its publication may give you personal satisfaction. 
Hoping that this volume may commend itself to the students of science and 
prove not unworthy of the great series of works comprised in the Natural 
History of the State of New York, 
I have the honor to be, 
With great respect, 
Your obedient servant, 
JAMES HALL, 
State Geologist. 
Albany, February 15, 1884. 
