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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 continued attention to the Palæontology; 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 relinquish 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

several classes of fossils, the number of drawings already made of each one, and the estimated number to be made, and to be lithographed, with the cost of the whole at the then established prices. This schedule was accepted by the committee and the appropriations were made upon that basis.

It can readily be seen that there was a necessity for a modification of the plan of 1855. The manuscript deposited in the State Library, in 1866, was in accordance with the plan then contemplated. The original proposition for the completion of the work was based upon the collections then known to us. The idea of a special appropriation of money for further collections was of subsequent origin, and had not then been taken into account. I should have been derelict in my duty to the State and to science had I not availed myself of these collections to enhance the value and completeness of the work, and I should have deserved and have received the censure of all enlightened men. As the direct result of this valuable accession of material, Volume V has expanded to two parts, containing altogether 200 plates, with nearly 500 pages of letter-press already printed, as descriptive matter of the second part; requiring 300 pages more for the completion of the first part, without including the Crinoidea and Crustacea of the originally contemplated Volume V. Among an enlightened people this will not be regarded as a fault.

The presentation of Volume V, Part II, before the completion of Part I may also require some explanation. I was prepared, in 1875, to commence the printing of the first part of the volume, but the Legislature of that year, on the suggestion of the Comptroller, Hon. Nelson K. Hopkins, passed an appropriation of $1,000 to publish Albertype copies of 100 plates of drawings already prepared for the final work. This plan had two objects in view; one of which was to place before the public, at an earlier period than would otherwise have been possible, some evidence of the work already done; the other object was to test the practicability of illustration by the Albertype process. That volume, as finally published, contained 130 plates, including Gasteropoda, Pteropoda, Cephalopoda, Crustacea, and Corals: the three first-named classes comprising what was then intended to be included in Volume V, Part II. Many of the plates there represented had already been lithographed, the draw

ings and the arrangement of which had been chiefly done by or under the supervision of an assistant, as stated in the preface to that volume; while owing to the occupation of my time in the State Museum, I had been able to give but a general direction to the Paleontological work. It was only while this volume of plates, with their explanations, was passing through the press that I had an opportunity of critically studying the collections which had been made and arranged for this volume, and I soon discovered that the work in the Cephalopoda was so superficial and incomplete, that a thorough revision would be necessary. The preparation of the material for drawing and lithography was immediately commenced; and this part of the work occupied so much of my time that the completion of the descriptive matter, in the same connection, was the most natural and advantageous course to be pursued.

The printing of the descriptions of the Gasteropoda and a part of the Pteropoda of the present volume was completed in 1877; and since that time, the plates of Gasteropoda from 26 to 30, several plates of the Pteropoda, and numerous additions to others, together with the Cephalopoda from plates 75 to 113 inclusive, making the entire number of 120 plates, have all been drawn and lithographed. I believe that these additions will be welcomed by every student of science, and without them the work would have been unworthy of the liberal patronage of the State. The addition of so many plates has necessitated the binding of the text and plates separately, but this may prove a convenience in the use of the volumes.

Volume V, Part I, Lamellibranchiata, is in a forward state of preparation, eighty plates having been printed some time since. The Corals and Bryozoans, following this, are also well advanced, thirty plates being already lithographed, with a large number of drawings ready for the lithographer. The manuscript of the descriptions of the Corals and Bryozoans of the Lower Helderberg group is already prepared for the printer, and the plates in illustration, twenty-two in number, are completed and printed. The descriptions of the Bryozoa of the Upper Helderberg and Hamilton groups are nearly completed; four plates have already been lithographed, and the drawings for the whole number, of

B

X LETTER TO SECRETARIES OF STATE AND OF BOARD OF REGENTS.

about twenty-five plates, will be ready for the lithographer within a few months. Of the Crustacea eight plates, and of the Brachiopoda more than thirty plates have been printed. In addition to all this more than 800 drawings of Corals have been made for the final illustration of this class of fossils.

It is scarcely necessary for me to state that, with all this work before me, and the necessity of preparing the material for draughtsmen and lithographers, whose skilled services could only be secured by constant occupation, I was unable to give my undivided attention to the single volume in hand. It is unfortunately true, moreover, that the interruptions from other causes beyond my control, during several successive sessions of the Legislature, have seriously retarded the general progress of the work, and delayed the publication of the present volume by at least one year.

The complaints of the delay in the publication of the Paleontology have been without actual knowledge of the real conditions, or the facts of the case; and it is hoped that the foregoing frank statement of the circumstances may correct these misapprehensions and set at rest the efforts which have, from time to time, been made to suspend and destroy the work. At the same time I must thankfully and with pride avow, that there has never been, within my knowledge, a Legislature of the State of New York in which there were not enough of educated, liberal and enlightened men to appreciate and sustain a work of this character against the opposition of a few who would oppose the creation and dissemination of a higher knowledge among the people of the State. In the Legislature of 1879, the Committee on Public Education, as had, in effect, been done by other committees in previous years, unanimously recommended the continuation and the completion of this part of the Natural History of the State.

Under many obligations for repeated acts of kindness and consideration, and for expressions of confidence and encouragement, I beg leave to subscribe myself,

Very sincerely and respectfully,

December 13, 1879.

Your obedient servant,

JAMES HALL.

TABLE OF CONTENTS.

PAGE.

1-138

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CYRTOLITES, Subgenus CYRTONELLA: Descriptions of species.
PORCELLIA: Description of species

Addenda to the GASTEROPODA: LOXONEMA, PALEOTROCHUS and TURBO
Note on Euomphalus Decewi: PLEURONOTUS

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The Louisville limestones: Note on the Hydraulic beds and associated lime-
stones at the Falls of the Ohio

139-147

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Note on the Black Slate succeeding the Hamilton limestones at the Falls
of the Ohio

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