t <r\n OF THE 
 
 P u ' v. 'S1TV of, ft L,WOi S 
 
 - Handbook 
 
 : . crfe ^ 
 
 1/ V _ 
 
 NEW YORK STATE 
 MUSEUM 
 
 Frederick J. H. Merrill Director 
 NOVEMBER 1902 
 
 |K 
 
 Staff 
 
 [History 
 
 
 ■Geology . . 
 
 
 Mineralogy 
 
 
 IPaleontology 
 
 
 [General zoology . . 
 
 
 [Entomology . , 
 
 
 1 Botany 
 
 .... 41 
 
 [Archeology 
 
 
 |>d79P-N2-2000 
 
 
 
REGENTS 
 
 With years of election 
 
 1892 William Croswell Doane D.D. LL.Dl :1 
 
 Chancellor , Altt 
 
 1878 Whitelaw Reid M.A. LL.D. V 
 
 Vice Chancellor , New 7 
 1877 Chauncey M. Depew LL.D. . . New" 
 
 1877 CHARLES E. Fitch LL.B. M.A. L.H.D. 
 
 Rochet | 
 
 1881 William H. Watson M.A. M.D. LL.D. UtJ 
 1881 Henry E. Turner LL.D. . . . . Lowvi 
 
 1883 St Clair McKelway M.A. L.H.D. LL.Ej 
 
 D.C.L. Brook 
 
 1885 Daniel Beach Ph.D. LL.D .... Watk 
 1888 Carroll E. Smith LL.D. .... . Syrac 
 
 1890 Pliny T. Sexton LL.D Pain 
 
 1890 T. Guilford Smith M.A. C.E. LL.D. Buffa| 
 
 1893 Lewis A. Stimson B.A. LL.D. M.D. New Yor 
 1895 Albert Vander Veer M.A. Ph.D. 
 
 M.D Alban 
 
 1895 Charles R. Skinner M.A. LL.D. Superinvj 
 tendent of Public Instruction, ex officio 
 1897 Chester S. Lord M.A. LL.D. . . Brooklyr 
 
 1900 Thomas A. Hendrick M.A. LL.D. Rochester 
 
 1901 Benjamin B. Odell jr LL.D. Governor, eJ 
 
 officio I 
 
 1901 Robert C. Pruyn M.A Albany 
 
 1902 William Nottingham M.A. Ph.D. Syracuse 
 
 1903 Frank W. Higgins, Lieutenant Governor, 
 
 ex officio 
 
 1903 John F. O’Brien, Secretary of State, ex 
 officio 
 
 1903 Charles A. Gardiner LL.B. M.A. Ph.D. 
 
 New York 
 
 1903 Charles S. Francis, B S Troy 
 
 SECRETARY 
 Elected by Regents 
 
 1900 James Russell Parsons jr M.A. LL.D. 
 

 4 * 
 
 U' •*" OF THE NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM 
 
 K? Administration and geology 
 
 ’rederick J. H. Merrill Ph.D. (Columbia) 
 
 ) Director and state geologist 
 
 Vienry H. Hindshaw B.S. (Chicago Coll, of Sci.) 
 
 Assistant in geology 
 lerbert P. Whitlock C. E. (Columbia) 
 
 Assistant in mineralogy 
 Frederick C. Paulmier M.S. (Princeton) Ph.D. 
 
 (Columbia) c. Assistant in zoology 
 
 oseph Morje . Clerk and stenographer 
 
 Adelbert Trask Junior clerk 
 
 l C. Kenny Stenographer 
 
 f J Paleontology 
 
 I John M. Clarke M.A. (Amherst) Ph.D. (Marburg) 
 1 LL.D. (Amherst) . . . . . . State paleontologist 
 /Rudolf Ruedemann Ph D. (Jena, Germany) 
 
 Assistant state paleontologist 
 
 0. Dana Luther Assistant 
 
 Philip Ast Lithographer 
 
 1. S. Barkentin Draftsman 
 
 acob Van Deloo Clerk and stenographer 
 
 Martin Sheehy Helper 
 
 N 3. S. Mattimore ... Preparator 
 
 Botany 
 
 lharles H. Peck M.A. (Union) . . . State botanist 
 
 Entomology 
 
 [ Ephraim Porter Felt B.S. (Boston) D.Sc. (Cornell) 
 State entomologist 
 
 j Charles M. Walker B. S (Mass. Agric. Col.) 
 
 L , Assistant 
 
 f b. B. Young “ 
 
 Speorge W. V. Spellacy Page 
 
 Archeology 
 
 Rev. William M. Beauchamp S. T. D. (Hobart) 
 
 Author of bulletins 
 
Plate 
 
bon ' 
 
 H 4 ^rrs 
 
 University of the State of New York 
 
 NEW YORK STATE 
 MUSEUM 
 
 HISTORY 
 
 o The New York State Museum organized 
 py act of Legislature in 1870 under the title 
 U the State Museum of Natural History and 
 placed under the trusteeship of the Regents 
 pf the University, is the result of the geolo- 
 gical survey of the State commenced in 1836. 
 
 This survey was established at the ex- 
 pressed wish of the people to have some 
 definite and positive knowledge of the 
 mineral resources and the vegetable and 
 animal productions of the State. Hon. Ste- 
 phen Van Rensselaer was the patron of the 
 first enterprise of this kind which was con- 
 Qducted by Prof. Amos Eaton and had pub- 
 lished much valuable information, but it was 
 <elt that a more thorough investigation was 
 gneeded. The idea was fully expressed in a 
 jnemorial 1 presented by the Albany Institute 
 ^to the State Legislature in 1834, asking for 
 the establishment of a State Museum in 
 which the object was thus stated: “ To form 
 a grand and comprehensive collection of the 
 
 ^ Senate documeppi^o. .55,^x834^ 
 
 l 
 
Plate 2 
 
 Entrance* 
 
New York State Museum 5 
 
 ^£atural productions of the State of New York ; 
 jto exhibit at one view and under one roof, 
 ^ its animal, vegetable and mineral wealth.” 
 In 1835 the American Institute of the City 
 of New York presented a memorial 1 to the 
 Legislature on the same subject, and this 
 memorial together with the influences 
 prompting the request of the Albany Insti- 
 tute, induced the Legislature of 1835 to pass 
 r^a resolution requesting the secretary of state 
 ►/'to report to that body “the most expedient 
 ^ method for ob l aining a complete geological 
 $ survey of the State, which shall furnish a 
 scientific and perfect account of its rocks, 
 soils and minerals and of their localities; a 
 list of its mineralogical, botanical and 
 zoological productions and provide for pro* 
 curing and preserving specimens of the 
 same together with an estimate of the ex 
 penses which may attend the prosecution of 
 the design, and of the cost of publication of 
 an edition of 3000 copies of the report, draw- 
 ings and geological map of its results.” 
 Pursuant to this request, Hon. John A. 
 Dix, then secretary of state, presented to the 
 Legislature of 1836, a report 2 proposing a 
 
 1 Assembly document no. 374, 1835. 
 
 2 Assembly document no. 9, 1836. 
 
6 University of the State of New York 
 
 plan for a complete geologic, botanic an^ 
 zoologic survey of the State. This report! 
 was adopted by the Legislature then in* 
 session and the governor was authorized to 
 employ competent persons to carry out the 
 plan which with some modification was at 
 once put into effect. 
 
 The scientific staff of the Natural History 
 Survey of 1836 consisted of John Torrey, bot- 
 anist ; James E. De Kay, zoologist; Lewis C. . 
 Beck, mineralogist; W. W. Mather, Ebenezer* 
 Emmons, Lardner Vanuxem and Timothy g 
 A. Conrad, geologists. In 1837 Professor | 
 Conrad was made paleontologist and James 
 Hall, who had been an assistant to Professor 
 Emmons, was appointed geologist to succeed 
 Professor Vanuxem, who took Professor 
 Conrad’s place. 
 
 The heads of the several departments re- 
 ported annually to the governor the results t 
 of their investigations, and these constituted 
 the annual octavo reports which were pub- 
 lished from 1837 to 1841. The final reports] 
 
 were published in quarto form, beginning at l 
 
 the close of the field work in 1841, and 3000 
 sets have been distributed, comprising four 
 volumes of geology, one of mineralogy, two 
 
 \ 
 
New York State Museum 7 
 
 fof botany, five of zoology, five of agriculture 
 and eight of paleontology. 1 
 
 Several state geologic maps have also 
 been published as, well as many annual 
 reports and bulletins. 
 
 The collections in the several departments 
 were supposed to require a room of some 
 magnitude, and it was thought that one 
 could be found in the third story of the 
 \ old capitol, by taking away a partition and 
 throwing into one, two rooms used by com- 
 mittees; but long before the completion of 
 i the survey it was evident that the collections 
 would require much more space than the 
 capitol rooms would afford, and in 1840 
 Governor Seward, in response to a memorial 
 urging “the importance of providing suit- 
 able rooms or a separate building for the 
 collections made during the survey,” recom- 
 mended that the old State Hall on the corner 
 of State and Lodge streets be used for that 
 purpose. 
 
 This old building was replaced in 1857 by 
 anew one, Geological and Agricultural Hall, 
 
 1 and the collections which at first were to find 
 place in two committee rooms, now occupy a 
 
 1 For more complete details of the Natural His- 
 tory Survey see Museum bulletin 56. 
 
8 University of the State of New York 
 
 large part of the main floor and three entii\ j 
 floors above, besides storage accommodation: 1 
 in the basement. There are also large col-^ 
 lections of fossils stored in the rooms of the ** 
 division of paleontology in the State Hall. 
 
 These collections with those which have 
 been added in later years form a scientific 
 museum of great interest and value, and its 
 publications are recognized among the works 
 of standard authority in science. 
 
 This museum, with its extensive and™ 
 increasing collections and publications, plays 
 an extensive part in the educational syste 
 of the State, since the importance of thi: 
 kind of education has become so fully and^ 
 generally recognized 
 
 Though neither coal nor mines of gold o: 
 silver have been found within the State: 
 its deposits of building stone, clay, iron ore 
 graphite, talc, garnet etc. are of much com 
 mercial importance and New York possesses 
 the most complete and unbroken series o: 
 the Paleozoic or older fossiliferous rocks! 
 known in the world. For these the collec- ^ 
 tions of the museum with the nomenclature 
 of New York will always be the standard 
 of reference and authority. 
 
 
New York State Museum 
 
 9 
 
 i It may justly be said that Hon. John A. 
 Dix, as secretary of state, in 1836 laid the 
 foundation of this museum and of all the 
 scientific and practical results which have 
 accrued from the inauguration of the geo- 
 logical survey of the State of New York. 
 
 At the time of the final arrangement of the 
 collections of the geological survey, in 1843, 
 very little was known in this country regard- 
 ing museums of natural history, and no true 
 appreciation of what such an institution 
 should be existed except in the minds of a 
 few persons. It is not strange, therefore,, 
 that there should have been a general acqui- 
 escence in the proposition that the collections 
 of the geological survey should be deposited 
 in the old State Hall for “safe-keeping,” and 
 the idea of constant and steady increase 
 toward a great museum of natural history 
 was scarcely, if at all promulgated. The 
 collections and the rooms that they occupied 
 were placed in charge of a curator, Mr J. W. 
 Taylor who was succeeded by Mr John 
 Gebhard jr, and he in turn in 1857 by 
 Colonel Jewett. The small annual appro- 
 priations made by the Legislature were only 
 sufficient for the custody and very moderate 
 increase of the collection. Matters remained 
 
Plate 
 
New York State Museu?n 
 
 ii 
 
 in this condition till 1865, when the Legis- 
 lature passed some resolutions tending to 
 the expansion of the museum; and following 
 these, the secretary of the Board of Regents 
 addressed a circular letter to numerous scien- 
 tific men, professors and teachers, asking 
 suggestions as to the best mode of putting in 
 force the objects of the Legislature as 
 expressed in the resolutions referred to. 
 
 The communications in reply to this were 
 published in the 19th report of the State Cab- 
 inet, together with a recommendation of the 
 committee of the Regents to whom the sub- 
 ject had been referred. This recommenda- 
 tion became the first step toward an improved 
 condition and a recognition of the necessity 
 of regarding the museum as a series of col- 
 lections in natural history which were to be 
 increased and elaborated in every depart- 
 ment. In 1865 Colonel Jewett resigned and 
 was succeeded as curator by James Hall, 
 who was made director in 1870. 
 
 The discovery of the mastodon skeleton at 
 Cohoes, in the summer of 1 866, and its acqui- 
 sition by the State Cabinet, attracted much 
 attention toward the institution. At the next 
 Legislature successful application was made 
 for $5000 to purchase the Gould collection of 
 
12 University of the State of New York 
 
 A 
 
 shells and this accession of 60,000 specimens'' 
 representing 6000 species was generally 
 appreciated. 4 
 
 The new capitol commissioners, wishing 
 information as to the sources of building 
 material, engaged the curator of the State 
 Cabinet to make a reconnaissance which 
 resulted in a report to the commissioners and 
 the acquisition to the State Cabinet by this 
 and other means, of the large collection of | 
 marbles, limestones, sandstones and granites j 
 which now occupy two sides of the entrance ^ 
 hall of the museum. 
 
 Heretofore the State Cabinet had received 
 no regular or fixed appropriation of money 
 from the Legislature, but in 1870 a law was 
 passed organizing the same, under the des- 
 ignation of the State Museum of Natural 
 History, and appropriating $10,000 annually 
 to provide for the salaries of the director and 
 three assistants, together with the expenses 
 of increase and preservation of the collect- 
 ions. In addition to this, the sum of $1500 
 was annually appropriated for the salary of 
 a botanist, and special appropriations have 
 been made from time to time. 
 
 In 1883 Prof. Charles H. Peck, who had 
 been employed in botanic work for the 
 
New York State Museum 
 
 13 
 
 museum since 1867, was appointed to the 
 office of state botanist. 
 
 The labors of Dr Asa Fitch from 1854-70, 
 as entomologist to the State Agricultural 
 Society, led in 1874 to the placing of the late 
 Dr J. A. Lintner, then an assistant in the 
 museum, in charge of the entomologic 
 division. This practically made him state 
 entomologist and in 1880 he was appointed 
 to that position by Governor Cornell and 
 held it till his death in 1898. He was an 
 independent state officer from 1880 to 1883, 
 when he was again made a member of the 
 museum staff. Dr Lintner was succeeded by 
 Dr E. P. Felt. 
 
 In 1885 Dr John C. Smock was appointed 
 assistant in charge of the New York State 
 Museum and conducted its work till 1890 
 when he resigned and was succeeded by Dr 
 Frederick J. H. Merrill with the titles of 
 assistant state geologist and assistant direc- 
 tor. In 1894, Dr Merrill was made director 
 of the museum and in 1898, after the death 
 of Dr Hall, received in addition the appoint- 
 ment of state geologist. At this time Dr 
 John M. Clarke was appointed to the posi- 
 tion of state paleontologist. 
 
1 4 University of the State of New York 
 
 In 1889 the State Museum was made an 
 integral part of the University of the State 
 of New York, and the fifth floor of the new 
 capitol was formally assigned for its use. 
 This assignment has since been revoked and 
 a new building is promised. Mcst of the 
 museum remains on the four floors of Geo- 
 logical Hall on State street, corner of Lodge. 
 Here are the collections in geology, miner- 
 alogy, paleontology and zoology, and the 
 office of the director and state geologist, 
 and of the state botanist and state entomolo- 
 gist. The state paleontologist has his office 
 in State Hall on Eagle street. The State 
 Museum in addition to its work of collecting 
 material representative of the natural re- 
 sources of the State, is also the seat of the 
 geological and natural history survey which 
 has been in progress since 1832, and under 
 the auspices of which numerous reports have 
 been published on geology, paleontology, 
 zoology and botany. The museum is open 
 to the public from 9 a.m. till 4.30 p.m. daily 
 except Sundays. 
 
 Inasmuch as the State Museum comprises 
 all scientific work intrusted to the Regents 
 it is proper to mention the resurvey of the 
 boundary line between New York and the 
 
New York State Museum 15 
 
 'statesof New Jersey and Pennsylvania. This 
 was done in accordance with resolutions 
 passed by the Legislature in 1867 andin 1875, 
 and by the laws of 1880 the boundary lines 
 resurveyed and monumented under the 
 direction of the Regents were accepted as the 
 true boundaries of the State. 
 
 The annual appropriations in 1902 
 amounted to $36,990 and though inadequate 
 to the requirements of such a museum, serve 
 nevertheless to keep up a visible and sub- 
 stantial progress in each of the depart- 
 ments, as shown by the increasing order of 
 the collections and the additions to them, 
 recorded in the annual museum reports and 
 by the great mass of published information. 
 
 The present organization and staff of the 
 museum are given on page 1. 
 
 GEOLOGY 
 
 Pure geology. A complete collection of 
 igneous rocks arranged according to the 
 classification of Rosenbusch and consisting 
 of 515 specimens is displayed in wall cases 
 on the second floor. These form an ex- 
 tremely valuable series and together with 
 the synoptic collection to be mentioned 
 hereafter constitute an excellent guide and 
 
1 6 University of the State of New York 
 
 reference to the rock collection on the third 
 floor. 
 
 The synoptic collection above mentioned 
 consists of about 1000 specimens arranged 
 to illustrate geologic terms and showing the 
 principal characteristics of each geologic 
 division of time. 3000 specimens in wall 
 cases show more fully the physical charac- 
 ters and mode of occurrence of typical 
 fossils and minerals in the New York series 
 of stratified rocks. 
 
 On the third floor is a collection of the 
 crystalline rocks of this State arranged 
 according to their geologic age. The 
 majority of these specimens illustrate the 
 geologic formations of New York, West- 
 chester, Putnam, Dutchess and Orange 
 counties, a few of the crystalline formations 
 of the Adirondack region and a series from 
 the volcanic neck at Northumberland, Sara- 
 toga co. are included. 
 
 Various geologic maps of the whole or 
 portions of New York State are hung about 
 the walls and they will be found to be of 
 great assistance in the study of the distribu- 
 tion of the rocks represented in this collection. 
 The large geologic map of New York State, 
 which hangs above the stairs leading up 
 
New York State Museum 17 
 
 to the second floor, will be found specially 
 valuable in this connection. 
 
 Relief maps. Relief maps are a prominent 
 feature of the museum. They include the 
 following models: 
 
 1 Southern New England, scale 2 miles to 
 1 inch 
 
 2 New York State, scale 12 miles to 1 inch 
 
 3 New York city and vicinity, scale 1 mile 
 to 1 inch 
 
 4 Manhattan island, scale 1000 feet to 1 
 inch, colored to show the geology 
 
 5 Manhattan island, scale 1000 feet to r 
 inch, showing the present street system and 
 the roads and topography as they existed in 
 1776 
 
 6 Catskill mountains, scale 1 mile to 1 inch, 
 showing the exact proportion between ele- 
 vation and distance 
 
 7 Adirondack mountains, scale 1 mile to 
 1 inch 
 
 8 Syracuse and vicinity, scale 1 mile to 1 
 inch 
 
 9 Niagara gorge and vicinity, scale 500 
 feet to 1 inch 
 
 Economic geology. The study of the min- 
 eral resources of New York has been 
 carried on for many years as a part of the 
 
Plate 4 
 
 w 
 
 d & 
 8 "|- 
 utd 
 
 3 « 
 
 ctf 
 
 £ >> 
 
 O c3 
 
 wO 
 
 s 
 
New York State Museum ig 
 
 ' work of the New York State Museum. This 
 work, which was begun in 1885 by Prof. John 
 C, Smock in his studies on the iron ores and 
 building stones of New York, the results of 
 which were published in Museum bulletins 
 3, 7 and 10, was continued and expanded by 
 Dr F. J. H. Merrill in preparing the mineral 
 exhibits of New York for the World’s Colum- 
 bian Exposition and the Pan-American 
 Exposition. This work, which covered the 
 field of the mineral resources of the entire 
 State, resulted in the accumulation of a 
 I large quantity of valuable material which 
 ’ was exhibited at Chicago and Buffalo and is 
 mow in the State Museum. From the in- 
 I formation compiled in this work several 
 i bulletins have been prepared. These com- 
 [ prise the report on the salt and gypsum 
 industries of New York, Bulletin n, that 
 on the clay industries, Bulletins 12 and 35, 
 and Bulletin 15, on the mineral resources of 
 New York. The latter covers the entire 
 field of economic production and is illustrated 
 by an economic and geologic map of New 
 'York showing the location of its mineral de- 
 posits. It is the plan of the director of the 
 New York State Museum to procure a 
 specimen from every mineral deposit in the 
 
20 University of the State of New York 
 
 State and with each specimen to record all 
 scientific, technologic and statistical infor- 
 mation which can be obtained. 
 
 eral industries of New York is installed in 
 the entresol between the first and second 
 floors. This was recently exhibited at the 
 Pan-American Exposition and consists of 
 representative suites of iron ore, gypsum, 
 salt, clay products, abrasives, mineral paint, 
 lime and cement, petroleum and miscella- 
 neous industries. 
 
 Collections illustrating the salt, talc and 
 slate industries in greater detail are ex- 
 hibited in wall cases on the third floor, 
 where also are located a collection of iion 
 ores from New York State and specimens of 
 galena from the mines at Rossie, St Law- 
 rence co. long since worked out. 
 
 A series of building stones cut to show 
 various styles of finish is exhibited in the 
 entrance hall. 
 
 Systematic collection. This collection is 
 installed in the wall cases of the mineralo- 
 gic museum on the first floor. It consists 
 of about 3500 specimens arranged in accor- 
 dance with Dana’s system. The collection 
 
 The large collection illustrating the min- 
 
 MINERALOGY 
 
Plate *5 : i 
 
 Mineral collection, north room 
 
22 University of the State of New York 
 
 is provided with explanatory cards at the 
 heads of the important species and is illus- 
 trated with wooden models of the principal 
 types of crystallization. A complete system- 
 atic catalogue printed on cards attached to 
 swingingframesis placed. between the cases. 
 On these cards the mineral species displayed 
 in the cases are indicated by special conven- 
 tions. This collection begins in case i at 
 the left of the door on entering and com- 
 pletes the circuit of the rooms following the 
 line of the wall. It is supplemented by a 
 locality collection from Bergen hill and 
 Weehawken N. J., installed in cases 27 and 
 28 consisting of 150 specimens, mostly zeo- 
 lites and by a collection of 25 specimens 
 of meteorites displayed in an upright case 
 occupying the northwest window. Two 
 large specimens of green fluorite from 
 Macomb N. Y. occupy an upright case in the 
 center of the room. 
 
 Economic collection. An economic col- 
 lection of 700 specimens is displayed in the 
 table cases of the northern section of the 
 mineralogic museum. This is arranged in 
 accordance with the following system. 
 
 A Metallic ores 
 
 B Substances used for chemical purposes 
 
Plate 6 
 
 MINERAL COLLECTION 
 
 Quartz series 
 
24 University of the State of New Yo> 
 
 C Ceramic materials 
 D Refractory materials 
 E Materials of physical application 
 
 1 Abrasives 
 
 2 Graphic materials 
 
 3 Pigments 
 
 4 Fertilizers 
 
 This collection is further extended by a 
 small collection of gems and precious stones 
 occupying a table case in the southeast win- 
 dow and by a collection of polished and 
 ornamental stones displayed in a table case 
 in the southern section of the museum. 
 
 Educational collection. The educational 
 collection displayed in the southwest row of 
 table cases is designed to illustrate the 
 principles of mineralogy and consists of 
 specimens and models arranged on the 
 following general schemes. 
 a Introductory facts 
 b Crystallization 
 
 c Systems of crystallization (grouped 
 according to symmetry) 
 d Variations in form 
 e Irregularities 
 
 f Crystalline aggregates. Structure 
 g Cleavage 
 h Fracture 
 
Plate 
 
 Paleontologic collection, Geological Hall 
 
26 University of the State of New York 
 
 i Luster 
 
 j Translucency 
 
 The educational collection, which contains 
 considerable explanatory matter in the form 
 of detailed labels, presents to the visitor in a 
 brief and illustrative manner, the main facts 
 essential to a full appreciation of the material 
 shown in the systematic collection and 
 should be examined before passing to the 
 latter collection. 
 
 PALEONTOLOGY 
 
 The paleontologic collections are exten- 
 sive, including probably a million specimens 
 of fossil animal and plant remains and are 
 largely representative of the ancient or 
 Paleozoic faunas and floras of New York 
 State. They have been chiefly collected by 
 members of the museum staff and have been 
 selected with the purpose of illustrating all 
 variations of the life forms which existed 
 in the old seas and on the old lands of New 
 York, and of demonstrating their successive 
 relation in the “New York series’' of geolo- 
 gic formations. 
 
 The researches in paleontology carried on 
 by the museum during the past 60 years 
 have been largely based on these collections, 
 which embrace about 5000 “ type specimens" 
 
Plate 8 
 
 Part of Paleontologic laboratory, State Hall 
 
28 University of the State of New York 
 
 of these organisms, i. e. specimens which 
 have been used for the illustration or original 
 description of the species. 
 
 This fact gives to the collections a high 
 degree of importance to students of paleon- 
 tology and renders them of fundamental 
 value to the geology of the State. These 
 collections, specially intended to exhibit both 
 the variety of the ancient life of New York 
 and its combinations into successive faunas 
 and floras, are annually augmented by large 
 additions and are supplemented by series of 
 fossils from otherparts of the United States, 
 from Canada and Europe. 
 
 Some of these extralimital series are ex- 
 tensive and in a few instances are not 
 equaled in other museums. These also 
 include some type specimens. The collec- 
 tions, furthermore, comprise series of fossils 
 from later geologic formations which are 
 partially or not at all represented in the 
 State, though some striking objects are 
 local products. One of these is the nearly 
 complete and mounted skeleton of a masto- 
 don found in postglacial deposits filling a 
 pothole in the rocks at Cohoes N. Y. 
 Various other remains of mastodons from 
 
Plate 
 
 North corridor, zoologic collection 
 
30 University of the State of New York 
 
 different parts of the State are also in the 
 museum. 
 
 Such part of these collections as it has 
 been found practicable to exhibit are on the 
 second and third floors of Geological Hall, 
 the Paleozoic fossils being restricted to the 
 former. The great volume of the collection, 
 however, is stored in drawers in the pale- 
 ontologist’s laboratories in the State Hall 
 where are, also, most of the type specimens. 
 
 The material in this building is here partly 
 for purposes of study, but chiefly because 
 want of space prevents its display. 
 
 GENERAL ZOOLOGY 
 
 The zoologic collections occupy the entire 
 fourth floor of the museum. They include 
 a good and almost complete collection of 
 mounted New York mammals, besides a 
 number of exotic species. Among these are 
 some very fine specimens of the American 
 bison, mounted specimens of the Rocky 
 Mountain sheep and mountain goat, a 
 mounted rhinoceros and its skeleton, an 
 elephant skeleton and a very fine skeleton of 
 the finback whale, 63 feet long. This speci- 
 men is exhibited on the floor occupied by the 
 state entomologist. There are also a num- 
 ber of mounted skeletons and skulls of 
 
01 areid 
 
 Birds of New York Gould collection of shells 
 
Plate ii 
 
 Domestic fowl 
 

 Group of bison and moose 
 
34 University of the State of New York 
 
 smaller mammals. Among birds the col- 
 lection is confined almost entirely to New 
 York forms and is very complete, containing 
 over 1200 specimens. A large collection of 
 eggs in clutches and a smaller one of eggs 
 in nests are also on exhibition. A collection 
 of skeletons, including one of the ostrich, 
 shows very well the osteology of the group. 
 The collection of domestic fowls, formerly 
 the property of the New York State Agri~ 
 cultural Society, now belongs to the museum, 
 and aside from its value as an agricultural 
 exhibit, is used to illustrate some of the 
 principles of evolution. The reptiles and 
 batrachians are not at present so well 
 represented. There is a good collection of 
 New York fishes, including alcoholic speci- 
 mens, a number of casts, mostly of New 
 York food fishes and a collection of skeletons. 
 
 In the invertebrates the museum is specially 
 strong in mollusks, as it possesses the 
 Gould collection of shells with some 60,000 
 specimens, representing 6000 species; a col- 
 lection from Mazatlan and a separate collec- 
 tion of New York shells specially rich in 
 Unios. A good collection of corals and a 
 number of glass sponges and sea fans are 
 also on exhibition. The remainder of the 
 
A mammal case 
 
Plate 14 
 
 Indian elephant 
 
New York State Museum 
 
 37 
 
 j invertebrates are not so well represented 
 but particular attention is now being paid 
 toward increasing that part of the collection. 
 
 A recent feature of the museum has been 
 the addition of living forms, and a number of 
 vivariums and aquariums containing rep- 
 tiles, batrachians and fishes are now on exhi- 
 bition. 
 
 It is the intention to make the zoologic 
 collection a representative one of the fauna 
 of New York State. Besides this, however, 
 its educational value is to be advanced by 
 the exhibition of type forms of other groups, 
 not found within the State, and of prepara- 
 tions illustrating the anatomy and life his- 
 tory of the various forms, all adequately 
 labeled. 
 
 ENTOMOLOGY 
 
 The museum is fortunate in the possession 
 of the late Dr Lintner’s private collection 
 of insects, which comprises some 4800 
 species representing all orders. The general 
 state collection is increasing rapidly in size 
 and 4 ^ being classified and arranged as 
 rapidly as circumstances will permit. The 
 removal of the office in 1901 from the capitol 
 to enlarged and more convenient quarters in 
 Geological Hall has allowed the display of a 
 
Plate 15 
 
 General view of^‘ — 
 
New York State Museum 39 
 
 I number of collections. There is now a gen- 
 eral exhibit of the more important insects 
 affecting fruit trees, small fruits, garden 
 * crops and grains, comprising 83 species and 
 representing the various stages of each insect 
 together with its work, so far as material 
 permits. A special collection of those annoy- 
 ing or destructive about houses and those 
 affecting stored food products has also been 
 j arranged along similar lines. A small col- 
 ^ lection representing 55 species of beneficial 
 insects illustrates some of the more impor- 
 tant of these forms and another of 39 species 
 of scale insects gives a good idea of the gen- 
 eral appearance of members of this exceed- 
 ingly destructive group. Species injurious to 
 forest trees are represented by 49 species 
 and those affecting shade trees by 16, the 
 various stages and methods of work being 
 illustrated in the two latter groups so far as 
 possible. There is a special collection of 30 
 species illustrating the work of gall insects 
 and a general idea of the class Insecta may 
 be gained from a small systematic collection, 
 comprising 634 species and representing 
 most of the important groups. In addition 
 to these there is a collection of 15 species, 
 mounted in Denton tablets, illustrating pro- 
 
Plate i 6 
 
New York State Museum 41 
 
 tective mimicry, another of the same number 
 comprising some of our more beautiful native 
 butterflies' and moths and a technical col- 
 lection of 60 different articles illustrating 
 the methods of collecting and preserving 
 insects. Another representing the principal 
 differences between the common, malarial 
 and yellow fever mosquitos is on exhibition. 
 Small collections illustrating the species 
 commonly occurring in the spring, summer 
 and fall, and those of interest on account of 
 unusual form, size or other characters are 
 exhibited for the convenience of teachers 
 and their pupils, and the division has also 
 arranged to loan public schools small col- 
 lections which may be used to illustrate the 
 work in this branch of natural history. 
 
 BOTANY 
 
 The space in Geological Hall which has 
 been assigned to the botanic department is 
 on the second floor in the southern extension 
 of the building. It is divided into two rooms. 
 The front room is used for exhibition pur- 
 poses and contains sections of the trunks of 
 75 of the trees native to New York, which 
 are cut to show the vertical, transverse and 
 tangential sections. One half of each vertical 
 and tangential section is polished and the 
 
42 University of the State of New York 
 
 other is left unfinished in order to give an 
 idea of the appearance of the woods of New 
 York in their natural and polished state. 
 
 Here also are exhibited in swinging frames, 
 supported by upright standards, photo- 
 graphs of trees and thin sections of their 
 wood. A collection of our edible and 
 poisonous mushrooms and other plants, or 
 parts or products of plants, that may have 
 such importance or economic value as 
 to be of special public interest will soon be 
 exhibited in table cases in this room. 
 
 The rear room contains the office of the 
 botanist, the library, the herbarium and 
 duplicate specimens together with speci- 
 mens of extralimital species. This room 
 will also be used in part as a botanic 
 workroom. 
 
 The herbarium consists of specimens of 
 plants of the State including plants of all 
 orders and extralimital species. Specimens 
 of extralimital species are kept separate. 
 
 In the exhibition room there is also a 
 case containing small wood specimens, some 
 of which are of historic interest. Others 
 show different classes of injury to the woods 
 and the manner in which the trees have 
 repaired or overgrown these injuries, in the 
 process of growth. 
 
New York State Museum 43 
 
 ARCHEOLOGY 
 
 The collections in archeology are installed 
 on the fourth floor of the capitol in the 
 corridor at the head of the western staircase 
 and are of much interest. 
 
 The early and common aboriginal relics 
 are represented by polished celts, gouges, 
 arrow and spear heads, pestles, banner stones 
 and gorgets, and other articles of chipped or 
 polished stone, including early and recent 
 pipes. Some of the latter are of great 
 interest. There is an excellent collection of 
 clay pipes. These were mostly made 
 between 1500 and 1700. Many are highly 
 polished and some are of unique form. Frag- 
 ments of decorated pottery belong to the 
 same period, though used much earlier. 
 
 Two large boulders with straight grooves 
 on the surface, are dated between 1550 and 
 1650. They are confined to two small 
 sections of New York. Some fine specimens 
 of native copper implements are of early 
 date and rare in this State. European cop- 
 per or brass is represented by flat triangular 
 arrow heads, wire bracelets, medals, rings, 
 crosses and beads used between 1620 and 
 1700. Silver ornaments succeeded these. 
 They include the now rare head bands, 
 
Plate 17 
 
and stone implements, masks and beads 
 
46 University of the State of New York 
 
 long beads, crosses, varied and beautiful 
 brooches, earrings, rings and bracelets. 
 Glass beads bear date from about 1620, and 
 are rounded orcylindric, and both large and 
 small. They vary in color, and some frag- 
 ments of large Venetian beads have con- 
 centric layers of different hues. 
 
 The shell beads are recent, except some 
 long and rude specimens. Historic wampum 
 is represented by beads from graves, but 
 better by the fine wampum belts, with varied 
 emblems, which are exhibited in the State 
 Library. Two of these are the widest 
 known, being 45 and 50 rows wide. Long 
 Island was the seat of wampum manu- 
 facture, and beads were long provincial 
 currency. Some fine shell ornaments of the 
 17th century may be seen, all made with 
 metallic tools. The fine polished bone and 
 horn articles were of that and preceding 
 centuries. 
 
 The collection of Iroquois wood and husk 
 masks is the best one known. They are 
 still used on the New York reservations. A 
 collection of modern Iroquois articles was 
 made for the museum over 50 years ago, by 
 Mr Lewis H. Morgan. It included a canoe, 
 bows and arrows, the snow-snake, used in a 
 
Wampum belts 
 
48 University of the State of New York f 
 
 winter game, lacrosse bats, pestle and mor- 
 tar, burden frame carried on the back-, cradle 
 board, carved spoons, baskets and other 
 articles of wood, besides beautifully beaded 
 clothing of all kinds. 
 
 The attendance of the visitors to the State 
 Museum has been such as to show a marked 
 interest in its collections on the part of the 
 public. The number of persons visiting the 
 collections during the fiscal year ending { 
 October 1902 was 75,598. 
 
 The Museum through its various divisions, 
 identifies specimens submitted for examina- \ 
 ion and provides, free of charge, information 
 relative thereto. Information on questions 
 of economic geology must, however, be 
 limited to such inquiries or qualitative de- 
 terminations as do not involve assays or 
 exact analyses. 
 
 The collections are accessible for study 
 and comparison all week days between the 
 hours of 9 a.m. and 4.30 p.m. during which 
 time members of the museum staff will be 
 glad to answer questions relative to the 
 collections of their divisions. 
 
 Maps and bulletins published by the 
 museum may be obtained in the office of the 
 director and state geologibt on the third 
 floor or by written request to F. J. H. 
 Merrill, Director, New York State Museum, 
 Albany N. Y. A price list of these publica- 
 tions will be sent to any address on appli- 
 cation. Remittances should be payable to 
 the University of the State of New York. 
 
University of the State of New York 
 
 The object of the University as 
 ed by law is to encourage and promote 
 n in advance of the common ele- 
 ry branches. Its field includes not 
 network of secondary schools, colleges, 
 iities, professional and technical 
 .s, but also educational work connected 
 with libraries, museums, study clubs, exten- 
 sion courses and similar agencies. 
 
 Government. The University is governed 
 and all its corporate powers exercised by 19 
 elective Regents and by the Governor, Lieu- 
 tenant Governor, Secretary of State, and 
 Superintendent of Public Instruction who 
 .re ex officio Regents. Regents are elected 
 n the same manner as United States sena- 
 ;ors ; they are unsalaried, and are the only 
 ublic officers in New York chosen for life. 
 The elective officers are a Chancellor and 
 Vice Chancellor, who serve without salary, 
 nd a secretary. The secretary is the exec- 
 utive and financial officer, is under official 
 bonds for $10,000, is responsible for the safe- 
 keeping and proper use of the University 
 seal and of the books, records and other 
 property in charge of the Regents, and for 
 the proper administration and discipline of 
 its various offices and departments. 
 
 .. ‘/Tv 
 
University of the State of New York 
 
 — — 
 
 Powers and duties. Besides many other 
 important powers and duties, the Regents 
 have power to incorporate, and to alter or 
 revoke the charters of universities, colleges, 
 academies, libraries, museums, or other eclu- { 
 cational institutions; to distribute to tjiem 
 funds granted by the State for their use; to 
 inspect their workings and require annual', 
 reports under oath of their presiding officers ; 
 to establish examinations as to attainments 
 in learning and confer on successful candi-; 
 dates suitable certificates, diplomas and f 
 degrees, and to confer honorary degrees. | ^ 
 
 Regents meetings. The annual meeting : 
 is held the first Thursday in December, ah& \ 
 other meetings are held as often as business 
 requires. An executive committee of nine 
 Regents is elected at the annual meeting to 
 act for the board in the intervals between its; 
 meetings, except that it can not grant, alter, 
 suspend or revoke charters or confer honor- 
 ary degrees. . ) 
 
 Convocation. The University Convoca- 
 tion of the Regents and the officers of insti- 
 tutions in the University meets the Mondays 
 Tuesday and Wednesday after the lourth i 
 Friday in June. Its reputation as the most 
 important higher educational meeting of the . 
 country has in the past few years drawn to 
 it many eminent educators not residents of 
 New York, who are most cordially welcomed 
 and share fully in all discussions. Its pro- 
 ceedings, issued annually, are of great value 
 in all educational libraries/