PREFACE. 
viii 
During and since this period the writer has made extensive collections of 
these fossils, both with his own hands and through the agency of his assistants, 
preparatory for their illustration in the Paleontology of New York. After 
having accumulated considerable collections, and feeling the importance of their 
proper identification, the writer personally engaged Mr. Conrad to examine the 
whole and to give his determination of the species which he had described. On 
three several occasions, previous to 1865, Mr. Conrad visited Albany for the 
express purpose of making these determinations and identifications, labelling one 
or more of each of those which he recognized as typical forms of the species. 
Through these means and by later study and comparison it is believed that 
nearly all the previously described forms have been satisfactorily determined. 
The species described in this volume are illustrated from original drawings 
made from typical or authenticated specimens. These specimens are chiefly 
selected from the State Museum collections, which were derived from the 
State Geological Survey, from subsequent acquisition by purchase, or from field 
collections especially made for this object. 
The work of lithographing the plates of the Lamellibranchiata was begun in 
1870, and owing to the author’s constant occupation in duties pertaining to the 
State Museum, the supervision of the drawings and lithography were chiefly 
intrusted to Mr. R. P. Whitfield, who at that time was acting as draughtsman 
and museum assistant, and the first thirty plates of this volume were drawn, 
and lithographed, and arranged under his direction. 
Unfortunately the species had not, at that time, been critically studied, and 
in a final revision at a later period (1880) it became necessary to make an 
arrangement of the genera and species which is not in Accordance with the 
arrangement upon these plates. In the course of the work it has been found 
necessary to reproduce, in a more correct form, with illustration of the parts, 
some of the figures of the earlier plates, as well as to give many additional species. 
All these later illustrations are given on Plates lxxxi-xcii inclusive, which are 
arranged in systematic order, with the generic forms in their natural relation 
to each other. It is to be regretted that these plates cannot be arranged in 
consecutive order with those preceding, but in the earlier part of the work the 
