lyoLi LISRAKY' NEW YOnK aOTANlCAL garden 121st ANNUAL REPORT of the NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM AND SCIENCE SERVICE .Of/ 2. 'no.Sgi July 1, 1958 — June 30, 1959 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM AND SQENCE SERVICE MUSEUM BULLETIN NUMBER 381 The University of the State of New York The State Education Department Albany, 1960 Digitized by the Internet Archive in 2017 with funding from IMLS LG-70-15-0138-15 https://archive.org/details/bulletinnewyorks3811newy 121st ANNUAL REPORT of the NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM AND SCIENCE SERVICE July 1, 1958— -June 30, 1959 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM AND SCIENCE SERVICE MUSEUM BULLETIN NUMBER 381 The University of the State of New York The State Education Department Albany, 1960 THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK Regents of the University With years when terms expire 1969 John F. Brosnan, A.M., LL.B., J.D., LL.D., D.C.L., D.C.S., Pd.D., Chancellor New York 1968 Edgar W. Cooper, A.B., LL.D., Vice Chancellor Binghamton 1963 Mrs. Caroline Werner Gannett, LL.D., L.H.D., D.H. - - Rochester 1961 Dominick F. Maurillo, A.B., M.D., LL.D., Sc.D., M. and S.D.- Brooklyn 1964 Alexander J. Allan, Jr., LL.D., Litt.D. Troy 1967 Thad L. Collum, C.E. Syracuse 1966 George L. Hubbell, Jr., A.B., LL.B., LL.D., Litt.D. Garden City 1973 Charles W. Millard, Jr., A.B. Buffalo 1965 Chester H. Lang, A.B., LL.D. Schenectady 1970 Everett J. Penny, B.C.S., D.C.S. White Plains 1972 Carl H. Pforzheimer, Jr., A.B., M.B.A., D.C.S. - - - - Purchase 1962 Edward M. M. Warburg, B.S., L.H.D. New York 1971 J. Carlton Corwith, B.S. Water Mill President of the University and Commissioner of Education James E. Allen, Jr., Ed.M., Ed.D., LL.D., Litt.D., Pd.D., L.H.D. Deputy Commissioner of Education Ewald B. Nyouist, B.S., LL.D., Pd.D., L.H.D. Assistant Commissioner for State Museum and Science Service William N. Fenton, A.B., Ph.D. Assistant Director of State Museum Victor H. Cahalane, B.S., M.F. I2j M455r-D59-1300 (9H4-15) Contents PAGE General Statement 7 Aecomplishments of the Surveys 14 The Museum 29 Special Services 49 Publications 56 Appendixes 59 Museum Advisory Council 1959 Harry L. Shapiro Pine Plains 1960 Hardy L. Shirley Syracuse 1961 Arthur A. Davis. Rochester 1962 Vincent J. Schaefer Schenectady 1963 W. Stores Cole Ithaca [3] The Staff State Museum aud Science Service William N. Fenton, Assistant Commissioner Anthropological Survey William A. Ritchie State Arrheologist, Associate Scientist Biological Survey Donald L. Collins State Entomologist, Principal Scientist Donald P. Connola Senior Scientist (Entomology) Paul Connor Scientist (Zoology) Hugo Jamnback, Jr Scientist (Entomology) Donald M. Lewis Junior Scientist Eugene C. Ogden State Botanist, Associate Scientist Ralph S. Palmer State Zoologist, Associate Scientist Geological Survey John G. Broughton State Geologist, Principal Scientist Donald W. Fisher State Paleontologist, Associate Scientist Y. William Isachsen Associate Scientist (Geology) William Lynn Kreidler Senior Scientist (Geology) Terry W. Offield Scientist (Geology) Lawrence V. Rickard Senior Scientist (Paleontology) Arthur M. Van Tyne. Scientist (Geology) — Wellsville Office State Museum Victor H. Cahalane, Assistant Director Curatorial Roger L. Borst Senior Curator (Geology) Charles E. Gillette Associate Curator (Archeology) Clinton E. Kilfoyle Associate Curator (Paleontology) Edgar M. Reilly, Jr Associate Curator (Zoology) Stanley J. Smith Associate Curator (Botany) John A. Wilcox Associate Curator (Entomology) Vacant Associate Curator (Interpretation) 141 Exhibits Edith Froelich Museum Technician (Temporary) Lewis E. Kohler Museum Technician Louis J. Koster Senior Museum Technician Theodore P. Weyhe. Museum Exhibits Designer School Services Judith A. Drumm. .Museum Instructor Vacant Museum Education Supervisor Eileen Coulston Library Librarian ( Temporary) Clerical Margaret Bassotti. Marion B. Bender. . . Joan A. Creech Emily W. Dixon Joseph T. Killea. Roselle Lithgow Marjorie R. Schmidt Margaret Slater. Mary C. Stearns. Eileen A. Wood Stenographer ..........Clerk Stenographer Typist Mail and Supply Helper .Clerk Principal Clerk . . .Senior Stenographer Stenographer . . . Senior Stenographer Guards James Carroll John C. Cunningham. Francis J. Lynch . William C. Zimmer. ............... . . . Museum Guard . . . Museum Guard . . .Museum Guard Museum Caretaker John Heller .Photographer Nelson D. Powers. .Maintenance Helper Jacob Smallenbroek .Carpenter [5] [6] ^^Life at a Beaver Pond,’’ a new habitat group, was recently completed. The scene is a pond in Schoharie County, General Statement T HAVE THE HONOR TO SUBMIT a report of the major activities and accomplishments of the New York State Museum and Science Service for the year ended June 30, 1959. The year covered by the 121st Annual Report witnessed advances toward fulfillment of policies outlined in the published statement of last year. These may be summarized under five headings from the Deputy Commissioner’s inventory paper at the June Staff Conference: 1. An entire museum hall devoted to a major field is being renovated. 2. The climate for basic research has definitely improved. 3. It was suggested that the Science Service develop a “team approach to projects.” This recommendation has been carried out in several ways and is exemplified in the preparation of the State geologic map. 4. The student honoraria program has been strengthened as a means of encouraging science talent. Higher quality people representative of a larger number of universities are now being attracted to this program. Awards were made to 11 out of 38 applicants (Appendix A) . 5. The backlog of old research reports has been printed and current projects are being carried through to publication promptly. Bul- letins of the Museum and Science Service have achieved interna- tional recognition and have been requested and reviewed in Britain, Russia, Poland and Japan. Accomplishments engender new proposals. The philosophy which motivates our program aspirations, and which is reflected in the current budget proposal, again comprised part of the Deputy Commissioner’s “major proposals for programming in cultural education and special services,” made at the same conference: 1. The Department must advance vigorously its conviction that pro- gram goals in cultural and scientific areas have equal priority with other areas of Departmental concern. Improving the climate for acceptance of basic research as a program is a State as well as a National concern. The progress we have made in the Department during the past five years should be communicated to the budget. There is growing public acceptance for research. 17] 8 New York State Museum and Science Service 2. Grouping related disciplines into the three Surveys of the Science Service has facilitated teamwork on major projects. It has fairly balanced support between geology and biology and underlined the needs in anthropology. In order to determine whether certain diseases of the forest have animal (insect) or plant (fungus) origins, our entomologists and botanists need the cooperative services of a mycologist full time. To salvage archeological remains on the rights-of-way of highways to be built with Federal grants to the State, we need a second full-time archeologist, and an aide to work in the laboratory. 3. Though the geography of the State has not been substantially changed, the population has increased from 15,000 aborigines to 15 millions of persons in 350 years. Man’s use of the land has radically altered its resources, and his conception of how resources should be expended or conserved is changing constantly. So con- cepts of subsurface geology, of mineral resources, of glacial deposits, of fossil fuels, of underground storage and new sources of energy evolve with advancement of geological science. Com- mercial development in seeking new solutions to old problems, awaits publication of research findings on new problem areas. Our State Department of Commerce, for the first time in 50 years, will be able to show to prospective industries a summary of present knowledge of the geological resources of the State when in the next fiscal year this Department publishes the new State geological map which it has in preparation. 4. For the first time since Theodore Roosevelt opened the State Museum in 1916, the staff looks confidently to a significant plant expansion. The new laboratories in the wing afford research facili- ties hitherto unavailable for new research undertakings in experi- mental and systematic biology and its conservation correlates, geochemistry and its relation to the origin of mineral resources and rocks, and human prehistory. We may expect the staff of the State Science Service, in cooperation with universities and other State agencies, to pursue new lines of inquiry of interest to the tax- payers. New projects will require new funds beyond those now available and programmed. 5. The Museum will also have new planning and preparation labora- tories. The Department may look for speedup in renovation of exhibits hall by hall. Scientists are cooperating to shorten the lifeline between discovery and interpretation. Attendance has risen to 175,000. With an expanded school services program, we may anticipate a demand for a new facility in a more accessible 121st Annual Report 9 location by seeking planning funds for a Museum Center to house all cultural and scientific activities of the Department. All costs of the project will approach $10,000,000; $20,000 of preliminary planning money is the immediate requirement. Having given the gist of what is done and what we propose, it may be helpful to provide depth for otherwise bald statements. The report of the Museum, written by the Assistant Director, poign- antly relates how rate of procurement and staffing affect progress in exhibits. But any progress toward renovation accomplished in four years is appreciated by a visiting public which has expanded by 35,000 over last year. Are we going to keep them waiting until 1964 to finish the Hall of Ancient Life, now under construction? It is estimated that each museum visitor wffio is held overnight in the community adds $15 to the economy. If but 10 percent of State Mu-seum visitors are held in Albany by this attraction, we are making an appreciable contribution to the local economy. Culture seems to be important business. The improved reporting of Department activities in the press has brought people to Albany. The Museum has shared in the increased coverage. Bulletin to the Schools, alone, carried stories of three new' exhibits; the coelacanthe, a living fossil fish, which came from the Natural History Museum of Paris; the beaver habitat group, which opened in December and has proved a great favorite; and the Earth — Our Ship in Space. The latter two were indeed cooperative efforts of many talents in the museum and scientific community, utilizing advice of some of the country’s top scientists. The introduction of chamber music on Sundays in July and August, in cooperation with the Amer- ican Federation of Musicians, brought Haydn’s “Sunrise Quartet” into a natural history setting, and, though not well-publicized, attracted some new visitors. It is an open question whether Sunday afternoon concerts might go better in winter. The whole matter of summer vs. winter open- ing should be investigated; “600 days” in summer are uncommon since the Thruway was completed. The scientific resources of the Museum grow with the increase of collections. Notable new collections are reported by the curator of botany, through his own collecting activity and by gift. Over a thousand plant specimens of the flora of Ulster County were donated to the herbarium by Henry F. Dunbar of Kingston; and several hundred fungi of Cattaraugus County were given by William C. Denison. Recognition of the importance of the systematic collections at the New York State Museum came in holding the Second Conference of Directors of 22 research museums of natural history at Albany in October. The Education Department and the State Museum were hosts, 10 New York State Museum and Science Service with the Assistant Commissioner for State Museum and Science Service serving as general chairman. A grant from the National Science Founda- tion assisted in the expense of the conference. Among the objectives attained by this gathering was a statement of the importance of system- atic biology in the national interest. An organization of directors of such establishments is another. A third objective was to suggest ways and means by which natural history museums may realize their potential as resources for the advancement of basic research in the United States; such museums possess significant collections, they have scientific staffs; they actively pursue research; and they publish it. These institutions fulfill the classic definition of a museum: a place of study, ^ and by inference a community of scholars. The value of the research conference to review results and decide whether to search further, when some breakthrough is imminent, was demonstrated by the geologists in holding a peripatetic colloquium on the Taconic problem. Similarly, anthropologists from the Northeastern and Southeastern States met in a daylong symposium on Cherokee and Iroquois cultures at the annual meeting of the American Anthropological Association in Washington, to which the State Archeologist and the Assistant Commissioner contributed papers. These acts of scientific leadership on the part of our personnel are typical of the kind of professional activity listed in the appendixes ( Appendix B). How a scientist spends his time, in cooperation with others or in personal research, is largely a matter of individual inclination or policy. It depends on the person and it depends on the project. Should a scientist devote his productive years to compiling and editing the work of others, passing up opportunities for individual research? This is the old question of the inventory and the need of bounding ranges. The encyclopedic handbook is a most useful service to the world. The policy question is whether to free the man to do it. The appearance after five years of the first volume of the Handbook of North American Birds, which the report of the State Zoologist anticipates, is awaited with keen interest. Meanwhile the first scientific report from the small mammal survey by Dr. Paul Connor is in hand and will go to press soon. How a scientist may bloom in a new environment under the stimula- tion of unlimited research facilities is demonstrated in the State Botan- ist’s report of researches on pollen at the Brookhaven National Labora- tory. Development of techniques of tagging and sampling ragweed pollen should be carried to the next logical step, when actual research ^ After the great institution for literary and scientific studies built by Ptolemy I at Alexandria. Transaction of the Albany Conference of Directors of Systematic Col- lections, October 13-14, 1958. [W. N. Fenton, (Ed.) ] 20 pp. 121st Annual Report 11 on dissemination begins. Control depends on it. Presumably the National Institutes of Health will want this projeet extended. The successful researches of the State Entomologist and his associates into the biology, life cycle and control of biting insects not only won them international recognition but led to the anonymous gift by a family of grateful citizens, of $7,000 for research on “punkies” {Culi- coides) . The proceeds of this gift were accepted by the Regents as the Adirondack Entomology Research Eund. There is no better indication of research accomplished or meritorious original work than publication. Pressure to publish is often decried in teaching situations, and it can result in premature delivery of intellectual monsters. But it is a poor teacher who makes no original inquiries, and research for service alone leaves no record for the man or his institution. Service activities bulk large in the work of an organization like the Science Service (Appendix C) ; but we are also a community of scholars who are freed of teaching to do research, and from such a group scientific and scholarly contributions are expected. Besides service reports to other State agencies, which should be written in clear and concise English, the monographic and educational series of the Depart- ment have first claim on the staff who, it is presupposed, will also be contributing idea papers to professional journals, articles to encyclope- dias, and an occasional book or literary piece for the general reader. Such writing is a habit that is learned and from it derive “the pleasures of publishing”.^ The shorter bibliography for this year — 6 in official and 10 in outside media — suggests momentary deprivation. Administrative demands on the time of busy scientists to fill out forms : self-evaluation survey, questionnaires from the Budget Office, the Governor’s Office — besides the reports to other fund-granting agencies — occupied the whole staff during December and January. Like group therapy such inquiries are disturbing experiences and affect produc- tivity adversely. To convert losses into gains, problems posed in the returns of the curators were thoroughly aired and discussed in a meeting with the Assistant Director. The organizational issue is the separation of the museum functions from research with which the curator identifies and which is the function of Science Service. The curators are scientists in their own right and should be given some time and recognition for individual research. They are also closely tied to exhibits and inter- pretation. Their reporting relationship to the Assistant Director was reaffirmed. Several staff changes have occurred during the course of the reporting year. Y. William Isachsen was appointed provisionally on July 3, 1958, ^ The title of the Columbia University Press newsletter. 12 New York State Museum and Science Service to the position of associate scientist (geology). The position of senior curator (geology) was filled on September 25 with the appointment of Roger L. Borst. Donald L. Collins received permanent appointment to the position of principal scientist (biology) on April 9, 1959. Arthur N. Van Tyne received his permanent appointment to the previously reclassi- fied scientist (geology) position on May 21, 1959, and Paul F. Connor was appointed permanently to the position of scientist (zoology) on March 26, 1959. Judith Drumm became museum instructor on Sep- tember 11, 1958, filling the position made vacant by the resignation of Barbara Alberts. Similarly, on February 26, 1959, James Carroll replaced David Mattas as building guard. Two stenographic positions made vacant by the promotions of Grace Smith and Sandra Van Olpen, were filled by the appointment of Margaret Bassotti on October 9, 1958, and Joan A. Creech on January 1, 1959. Nelson Powers on May 21, 1959, replaced Jay Fredette, who resigned from the position of main- tenance helper on May 6, 1959. The position of scientist (entomology), occupied by Dr. Hugo Jamnback, was reclassified to senior scientist, in recognition of the research program he had developed and its importance to the public. At tbe close of the year, the position of museum education supervisor and the reclassified position of associate curator ( interpretation ) remained vacant due to the resignation of Ruth Rubin on January 15, 1959, and tbe retirement of Walter J. Schoon- maker on September 30, 1958. There has been a certain noticeable foot-dragging toward acceptance of section 233, Education Law, providing for the issuance of permits for recovery of archeological and paleontological remains on State lands. Thirty-five permits have been issued and promptly countersigned by the Department of Public Works. It is hoped that, in the next few years, legal and other questions can be set aside for the benefit of the citizen scientist. To improve communication and facilitate planning, the heads of surveys and the Assistant Director of the Museum have met regularly with the Assistant Commissioner. Plans for the new laboratories in the wing and “the move,” as we have come to call it, have kept us busy. Location of telephones, disposition of equipment, priorities in the removal of collections to locations near the “bridge of sighs” to the wing have been prime considerations. The first thing was to relocate the herbarium in tbe back of Biology Hall, as related by the Assistant Director and the curator. This is the start on an improved research facility, although it means loss of some exhibits space. It entailed refiling whole genera of plants, employing an aide for the curator, who is correspondingly delayed with accessions and identifications. The 121st Annual Report 13 imminent displacement of other collections underscores the need for aides to the curators. Prospective removal of scientists to a new research facility has set them to planning new kinds of research that will make our establishment a State center for basic research and service. The Regents declined President Deane W. Malott’s invitation to a merger at Cornell University. The pros and cons of this exciting proposal were thoroughly gone over here and in Ithaca, and, as a consequence, our position in Albany has been strengthened. The best part of it all was the expression of affection in the local community for the retention of the State Museum in the Capital area. We thanked the Chamber of Commerce for its interest with an open house on December 2. Writing an annual report is essentially a threshing operation. Reading a journal yields some grain, it detects some straws in the wind, and leaves chaff on the floor. There was the day the State Library reading- room ceiling was reported falling, but like “Henny Penny’s” London sky, the rumor was happily exaggerated. The movers of the herbarium were exonerated, we learned the bearing capacity of the floor in Biology Hall, and admitted it had been overloaded for 40 years. One Monday a woman in West Sand Lake had found an “alligator” in her garden, which proved to be a salamander, and in spring housecleaning another housewife discovered in her attic a skull resembling “a horse having a tooth sticking down its throat.” Our curator of zoology prescribed the proper department in both contingencies. Of greater importance are the tasks remaining at year’s end; an article on the place of research in museums, a Museum and Science Service feature for Museum News; and a policy paper on the Museum’s role in the Department’s effort in continuing education. May we never run out of things to do. William N. Fenton Assistant Commissioner for State Museum and Science Service 14 New York State Museum and Science Service Accomplishments of the Surveys Anthropological Survey Field Research Continuing the investigation into the development of aboriginal settlement patterns in the Northeast, the Anthropological Survey devoted most of the 1958 field season to completion of the excavations which were begun the previous summer on the Bates site near Greene, Chenango County. This is a late Owasco period hamlet radiocarbon dated to circa A.D. 1300. With a crew of three college student assistants, five weeks were spent in clearing and manually backfilling the remainder of the site. This was the first prehistoric settlement site ever to be fully uncovered and mapped in detail in New York. It has contributed signi- ficantly to the major problem under investigation, as well as to the ques- tion of Owasco-Iroquois relationships. A 10-day reinvestigation of the Lamoka Lake site, Schuyler County, added to our knowledge of the oldest known Archaic culture in the State, and produced datable carbon samples (one already measured at circa 2500 B.C.). A site survey of the Allegheny Reservoir area between Kinzua, Pennsylvania, and the New York State line was made on a contract with the National Park Service. Site reconnaissance was carried out in the following counties of New York; Dutchess, Orange, Greene, Delaware, Onondaga, Ontario, Liv- ingston, Albany, Essex; also in Orwell, Vermont, and near Athens, Pennsylvania. Pottery and other artifacts from Hochelaga and related sites in the St. Lawrence Valley were studied in the McCord and Redpath Museums, Montreal. Wallace L. Chafe, The University of Buffalo, put in a third year of fieldwork on the Seneca Indian language, principally at Allegany Res- ervation. He extended observations on structure and collected additional vocabulary for a dictionary. He participated in the Cherokee-Iroquois symposium. At the year’s end he had commenced fieldwork on the Tona- wanda Reservation. His appointment as linquist at the Bureau of American Ethnology, Smithsonian Institution, reflects luster on the opportunities provided in the Science Service for professional develop- ment. The Assistant Commissioner made some progress with personal research on Iroquois studies. He continued mapping housing on the Allegany Reservation, he assisted Edmund Wilson in fieldwork and by reading chapters for a book, he worked on a translation of Lafitau’s Moeurs des Sauvages, and gave the Sanford Memorial Lecture at 121st Annual Report 15 Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, repeating it on request at Brown Uni- versity and Mount Holyoke College. He identified language texts on tapes from wax cylinders of Iroquois speeches of the 19th century for the Royal Ontario Museum. A committee of the Survey rendered a criticism of Thomas Hart Benton’s sketches for the mural in the Niagara Power Authority Building. The Survey assisted graduate students at Buffalo, Columbia, Cornell, Chicago and Harvard Universities. Laboratory Analysis Borrowed archeological materials from several major sites were analyzed and photographed, and file accounts were made for publication. Typological studies and formal descriptions of eight projectile point types were prepared for inclusion in a major work now in preparation on the archeology of New York State. Office Activities and Administration The State Archeologist interviewed a total of 233 local or out-of-town visitors, including professional colleagues, students and amateur archeo- logists and prepared a report for the National Park Service on Allegheny Reservoir Survey. He edited two manuscripts on archeology for profes- sional colleagues; prepared data on New York birdstones for Earl C. Townsend’s book, Birdstones of the North American Indian, 1959, and wrote several short articles for “Notes and News,” American Antiquity; Teocentli; People’s Encyclopedia etc. Cooperative Work Activities under this heading include: Identified human remains for New York State Police Laboratory from seven localities in the State; typed a pottery collection from Serpent Mound site in Ontario for Richard Johnson, Royal Ontario Museum; worked with various amateurs and amateur groups in New York on sites in Sullivan, Orange, Albany and Greene Counties and other localities; prepared data for State High- way and other State Departments; assisted an R.P.I. professor with bibliography of Piltdown Man; advised National Park Service excava- tor at Saratoga National Battlefield, and prepared reports on four key Archaic sites in New York for National Park Service, National Site Survey. 16 New York State Museum and Science Service Biological Stirvey ^^HE Biological Survey received $7,000 from an anonymous donor -*• for research on “punkies” (sand flies, Culicoides spp.) in the Adiron- dacks. This grant was accepted by the Regents as the Adirondack Entomology Research Fund. It enabled the employment of a full-time experienced summer assistant and the purchase of equipment such as light traps and cages. The work is expected to proceed for at least two years. The second season of work on the pollen studies was supported by the grant from the National Institutes of Health. The small mammal survey was continued from the headquarters at Richmondville. An added feature was furnishing information on the possible effects of large-scale forest spraying on small mammal populations. Field Research by Projects Botany Project No. 1. Aquatic plant fragments: their identification by use of anatomical characters. Approximately 800 microscope slides were prepared, bringing the total to 1350. Botany Project No. 2. Survey of airborne pollen grains and fungus spores. Completed, and a final report is now in press. Botany Project No. 3. Ragweed pollen content in the air in relation to weather conditions. Conducted in collaboration with Brookhaven National Laboratory. A paper on a phase of this work is ready for publication. Botany Project No. 4. Pollen spectra of bog and lake sediments. During the previous report period sites were selected, at Lake Lamoka south of Penn Yan and at Crusoe Lake near Auburn. Both sites were visited in the summer of 1958, and samples were taken from marsh and lake sediments. Approximately 500 collections were made, and over 1,000 slides were prepared for study. The objective is to correlate floristic conditions in prehistoric times with archeological studies. In addition, the pollen from some 80 species of living plants was artificially fossilized and stored in glycerine jelly. From this material over 200 slides have been prepared. 121st Annual Report 17 Botany Project No 5. Tagging and sampling of ragweed pollen. The summer of 1958 was the first full season (of a minimum of three seasons) for this project. The work is being carried on at Brookhaven National Laboratory with the aid of a grant from the National Institutes of Health. With ragweed plants grown in the greenhouse and in the field, several teehniques were devised for introducing radiophosphorus which resulted in “tagged” pollen. However, the amounts taken into the pollen were very low and efforts are being made to develop means for increasing these amounts. Less success was obtained with dyes, some of them fluorescent. The designing, building and testing of improved pollen-sampling apparatus reached the point that several models were ready for testing at the beginning of the 1959 season. Botany Project No. 6. Checklist of the grasses of New York State. In the course of exploring and collecting for vascular plants in general as indicated under Project No. 9, below, an attempt was made to add to our knowledge of grasses from areas visited. Approximately 125 speci- mens were collected, representing over 100 numbers. The work on the checklist of grasses is 97 percent completed. Botany Project No. 7. General survey of the vascular flora of New York State. Exploration for vascular plants was continued, special trips being made to northern, southeastern and central sections of the State and to the drainage of the Allegheny River. Two trips were made to Onondaga County with Dr. Mildred E. Eaust, Department of Plant Sciences, Syra- cuse University, who is preparing a checklist of the plants of that county. Fieldwork was done in Ulster County, in company with Henry F. Dun- bar of Kingston (who is studying the flora of Ulster County) and in southern Cattaraugus County (Professor E. H. Ketchledge, Department of Forest Botany, State College of Forestry, and Professor S. H. Eaton, Department of Biology, St. Bonaventure University). Records (either sight or those supported by specimens) were made in 27 counties. It is estimated that this project is 90 percent completed. Botany Project No. 8. The Desmidiaceae of the Susquehanna drainage in New York State. Dr. George Schumacher, assistant professor of biology, Harpur College, continued work on this manuscript. 18 New York State Museum and Science Service Botany Project No. 9. Flora of the Allegany Reservation and vicinity. The curator concentrated on reviewing the herbarium at St. Bona- venture University, which includes the herbarium of the Allegany School of Natural History. He also spent three days in the area collecting as indicated under Project No. 1. A manuscript has been submitted and is awaiting publication. Entomology Project No. 1. Beech scale and Nectria (beech hark disease). The eighth of a 10-year program of study, inspection and analysis of data from study plots established in the Catskill Mountain area was accomplished. The data will not be analyzed until next year. Entomology Project No. 2. Gypsy moth. Gypsy moth biological studies were carried out in the Glenville plot near Scotia in Schenectady County. Observations in the 1959 season include indications that exposure, drowning, wilt disease, parasites, Calosoma beetles and small mammal predation each play a primary role in the complex of environmental resistance. Gypsy moth larval behavior differed according to site conditions. Experimental sprays against gypsy moth. Observations in the summer of 1958 at plots in Saratoga County sprayed in the spring indicated that the insecticide Sevin was probably the most promising of the new insecticides for use against gypsy moth, and it was selected for further and more extensive trials in 1959. Final evaluations cannot be made until after egg deposit counts have been completed, but superficial observations continue to indicate the superior- ity of Sevin over other materials as a possible substitute for DDT where the latter is objectionable. Observations on the effects of Sevin on other fauna were also begun during the present report period. Thus far no effect has been noted on small mammals such as shrews, deer mice, squirrels and other rodents (see below) . Entomology Project No. 3. White pine weevil. The tests of insecticides applied by knapsack-type gasoline-powered mist blower were continued. Timing is a critical factor but promise was shown in a test in which all the trees in a plot were sprayed from both sides of the rows, with a formulation of 1 percent lindane emulsion containing 1 percent Aroclor (an “extender”). 121st Annual Report 19 Cooperative experiments with the State Conservation Depart- ment in testing new methods and new insecticides for control of the white pine weevil. Damage by the insect deforms the trees and reduces their timber value. White pine weevil attack as related to soils in New York plantations. Data collected in all forest districts of the State were analyzed. Tenta- tive observations were confirmed that poor internal drainage of soil is an important factor favoring white pine weevil attack. Data from exces- sively drained sterile sands indicated the importance of nutrition as another factor; this suggested fertilizer studies which were begun in the spring of 1959. Entomology Project No. 4. Plantation insect studies as related to silvicul- tural practices. These studies have been completed at least temporarily, pending analysis of the data, most of which have now been compiled. Data from 51 study plots show that bark beetle attacks and buildup were least in arsenited trees where the sodium arsenite solution was applied in the summer to complete bark frills on the trunks at the base. Ax-girdling 20 New York State Museum and Science Service was the least safe of the tested thinning methods because the slow dying of the trees thus treated permitted bark beetle breeding. Entomology Project No. 5. Red-pine saivfly. Collection of data from study plots was completed and a sequential sampling plan for predicting infestation by sampling egg-infested needles was calculated. Entomology Project No. 6. Eorest tent caterpillar. Defoliation and dead wood data were collected in the eight sugar maple orchard study plots in the Lake George area. This completed the planned five-year period of observations. Entomology Project No. 7. European pine shoot moth. The Kiekens portable mist blower was used to apply sprays to planta- tion red pine for the control of this pest. Results will not be known until October 1959. Entomology Project No. 8. Twenty species of blackflies were collected in the high peak region in 1958. Two of these had never been found previously in the State. The relationship of stream temperatures to Simulium venustum breed- ing was studied in a preliminary way. Entomology Project No. 9. In preliminary Culicoides studies, about 16 species were collected during the past three years. Biting or otherwise annoying adults col- lected in 1958 in the Adirondacks were identified as C. obsoletus, and nine species of the genus were reared. A detailed literature survey on the biology (biting habits, hosts, breeding areas, abundance, geograph- ical distribution, taxonomy and control) of species occurring or which might occur in New York is underway. Entomology Project No. 10. Research activities of the curator of entomology dealt with the identi- fication and classification of the leaf beetles, family Chrysomelidae. This work is a continuation of the projects described in more detail in the previous annual report. 121st Annual Report 21 Studies by the curator on the biology of the gypsy moth and other forest pests involved field observations and identification of insects. Many of the pests were identified in the State Museum; others, parasitic flies and wasps in particular, were sent to specialists. Zoology Project No. 1. Small mammal survey. A report was completed for publication as a Museum bulletin on the small mammal studies in Otsego and Schoharie Counties. During May, June and July 1959, a study was conducted in an area sprayed for control of the gypsy moth in an attempt to determine the effects of the insecticide on small mammals and other animals. It was planned to move the small mammal survey headquarters to the region of Tug Hill, N. Y., by August 1, 1959. As previously, an important part of the collecting program included the accumulating of ecological and biological informa- tion relating to the various species. Two student helpers accumulated approximately 6,000 trap nights in Schoharie County, trapping in localities not previously covered. One hundred three skins with skulls, 38 skeletons and 13 skulls without skins were prepared for the collections. In March 1959, 28 live bats were col- lected and delivered to the Wildlife Research Laboratory in Delmar for blood testing by the Health Department in connection with the rabies investigations. Investigations in area sprayed for control of gypsy moth. At four localities in Otsego County, within an area treated by the Federal Gov- ernment with aerial applications of the new insecticide Sevin in May and June 1959, small mammal trapping was conducted and observations of other animals, especially birds, were made. No unfavorable effects of the spraying were evident; populations in general seemed unaffected, while habits and activities of the various species appeared unchanged. More work must be done, however, to determine the long-range effects of the insecticide. Laboratory Work by Projects A considerable amount of laboratory work was an essential part of most of the field projects, and in most instances is so closely and obviously connected with a field activity that it is not discussed separately. The Bird Handbook is the major activity in the Zoology Office. There is reasonable expectation that volume 1 of the Bird Handbook will be ready for the printer early in the calendar year 1960. Perhaps a third of the manuscript for volume 2 is in hand. 22 New York State Museum and Science Service Geological Survey ^ I ’’HE DIVERSE ACTIVITIES of the Geological Survey were characterized in the past year by devotion to an immediate goal and by rapid development in a new field of endeavor. An increasingly larger per- centage of the time of all staff members has been directed toward meeting the self-imposed deadlines which will result in the successful completion of a new geological map. Most work in the field, laboratory and conferences by staff members has been aimed at its advance. A related project has been the compilation, by the paleontologists, of cor- relation charts of the major geological periods. The new field has resulted from demands for geological data in con- nection with peaceful uses of the atom and in preparation for civil defense. Long-term storage of radioactive waste resulting from isotope use in industry, development of underground industrial areas and the relationship of the natural radioactivity of rock to congenital mal- formations pose new problems. The year just completed has seen the filling of all vacant positions. Field Research Fieldwork of permanent employees in the Geological Survey was concentrated on geological mapping, both for the purposes of the State geological map and in greater detail in areas of particular interest. Investigations of mineral resources were also carried on. This work was done both by permanent staff members and by geologists tempo- rarily employed for the summer months. 1. Bedrock geology of the Plattsburgh and Rouses Point 15-minute quadrangles. Ten days were spent by the State Paleontologist collecting data. It is believed that all outcrops have now been visited. Unfortunately, the com- bination of extensive glacial cover and widespread block faulting seri- ously hinders the projection of formational contacts in many places. It was, therefore, decided to postpone additional work in this region pending construction of the Northway. 2. Stratigraphy and structure of Columbia County. Some progress was made in the paleontological zoning of this complex area. The location of the heretofore unreported faunal zone above the 121st Annual Report 23 Elliptocephala zone (previously the only Lower Cambrian fossil zone known in Columbia County) was particularly significant. Further field- work is planned for the fall of 1959. 3. Guide to the geology of the Niagara Frontier. All fieldwork and photography for this report have now been completed. 4. Studies in the Helderbergian limestone. The staff paleontologists spent two weeks in the spring of 1958 meas- uring stratigraphic sections of the Lower Devonian and Upper Silurian units in the Hudson Valley. The results are to be included in a report on the stratigraphy of these rocks. 5. Geological mapping in Orange County. The scientist (geology) spent a total of 83 days in the Goshen area. Mapping was concentrated on the Cambro-Ordovician dolomite and enough data were gathered to permit at least a partial subdivision of the Wappinger dolomite. Parts of the Ordovician shales and the Pre- cambrian were also mapped. 6. Rocks of the New York City series. The scientists (geology) spent approximately 12 days in fieldwork to determine the age of the metamorphic rocks of the New York City group. A known but hitherto unmapped body of Cortland complex type rock was outlined and a fault slice of Paleozoic rocks along the Pre- cambrian border was mapped. Outcrops in the northeast corner of the Thiells 7%-minute quadrangle and the Verplanck Point area across the river were mapped. 7. Initial studies for State geological map. In connection with selecting and defining map units for the new geological map, the associate scientist (geology) began spot checking and sampling unfamiliar broadly exposed rock units which have been distinguished in the main solely by geographic position (e.g., Lyon Mountain granite, Hawkeye granite etc.). He also initiated reconnais- sance geological mapping in Big Moose, Old Forge and West Canada Lake quadrangles in detail sufficient for incorporation on the State map. 24 New York State Museum and Science Service 8. In addition to these specific field projects, numerous brief field trips were made for various purposes. The scientist (geology) (Wellsville office) made approximately 125 well locations, 25 trips to the Northern Gas and Oil Scouts Association meeting and 50 visits to individuals and companies active in the oil and gas industry in New York State in order to gather data and familiarize them with the activities of the Wellsville office and to exchange information. The senior scientist (paleontology) spent 25 days in the field assist- ing individuals working on specific problems, particularly Honorarium grantees. An unusual number of foreign paleontologists favored the State Museum with extended visits to study collections, visit classic The study collections of the State Museum are often utilized by scientists from abroad. Dr. Michael House (center), IJnu versify of Durham, England, studied Devonian ammonoids from the Museum collection. 121st Annual Report 25 formations and study our field methods. The following paleontologists were guided on field trips about the State or through the Museum. Dr. Michael House, University of Durham, England ( Dr. House spent about five weeks at the Museum studying the Devonian ammonoids in the collection in an effort to effect more precise correlation between the Devonian rocks of Europe and America.) Dr. Niels Spjeldnaes, University of Oslo, Norway Dr. Valdar Jaanusson, University of Upsala, Sweden Professor and Mrs. Thorslund, University of Upsala, Sweden Dr. Kenji Konishi, University of Tokyo, Japan Dr. Wdlhelm Kegel, Consulting Geologist, Rio de Janeiro Also, Professor J. Westerveld of the University of Amsterdam was conducted on a five-day excursion of Adirondack magnetite deposits. The first field conference on Taconic geology was held from August 11 through 15. The sponsoring organization was the Geological Survey and the groundwork for the conference was laid by the State Paleontologist. Reginning in Dutchess County, a group of geologists with a common interest in Taconic geology continued their field conference northward into Vermont. A total of 27 attended, six staying all five days. Field Research of Temporary Personnel 1. Investigation of limestones by counties. Work was stopped temporarily to make funds available for the State geological map. 2. Taconic geology of eastern New York. Donald B. Potter of Hamilton College, assisted by William Harris during the summer of 1958 and Timothy Hall during the 1959 season, continued mapping the Taconic region of Washington County, com- pleting fieldwork on the Eagle Bridge, Hoosick Falls and a portion of the North Pownal 7)/2-minute quadrangles. 3. Upper Devonian rocks of central and eastern New York. The work of Dr. Robert Sutton, The University of Rochester, in map- ping the Upper Devonian rocks of central and eastern New York, stands out as a record of accomplishment for recovering new geological data in an area studied. Mapping two black shales and relying on a faunal zone, Sutton has been able to trace key units from central New York into the western fringes of the Catskills. 26 New York State Museum and Science Service 4. Glacial geology of western New York. Mapping continued under the direction of Ernest H. Muller of Cornell University. During the 1958 field season he worked in northern Cattaraugus County and southern Erie County, and during 1959 in Genesee County. The mapping west of the Genesee River will be com- pleted before carrying it further east. 5. Shoreline erosion of Lake George. At the request of the Conservation Department, Ernest H. Muller and the State Geologist spent approximately three weeks in an investigation during the 1958 field season to determine the degree of shoreline erosion of Long Island in Lake George and establish some criteria by which erosion could be measured in the future. Dr. Muller was assisted by Robert H. Dodds. Their report was duplicated by the Conservation Department. 6. Knickerbocker Project. The restudy of the geology of the New York City metropolitan area was begun in the fall of 1957 ; it continued into fiscal 1959-60. The project is under the joint direction of Charles H. Behre, executive officer of the Department of Geology at Columbia University; J. G. Broughton, State Geologist, and Kurt E. Lowe of the College of the City of New York. Dr. Lowe is directly supervising the activities of the geological compilers who have collected a mass of information from State and municipal offices and from private engineering concerns. This informa- tion has been brought up to date by visits to open excavations. Simon Schaffel of the College of the City of New York and Rutgers University and Seymour Tilson of New York University and Columbia University were employed on the project in 1958-59. Laboratory Work All quadrangle size geological maps of the Adirondacks were reduced by photogrammetry to 1:125,000 scale and combined into a composite geological map using some 30 mapping units. The new base will serve for future regional, geological and mineral resources study and from it final consolidation of data will be made to tbe 1 :250,000 scale chosen for the State geological map. Because it was decided to indicate bedrock geology on the new map slightly beyond the borders of New York State, the senior scientist (paleontology) concentrated on the geology along both sides of the Pennsylvania border. 121st Annual Report 27 An adjunct activity to the State map is the preparation of compre- hensive correlation charts of major geological periods. The State Paleontologist completed the first of four, dealing with the Silurian rocks. A second draft of a similar chart of Devonian formations was completed. An important addition to existing records has been the collection of a large number of gamma ray-neutron and electric logs of New York State gas wells. The new records have been made available by private companies, and they will be of particular use for subsurface correlation and structural work. The compilation of selected deep wells in areas of gas production in western New York was continued. This task is approximately 75 percent completed. Pertinent data were collected for comparative purposes on visits to the Canadian Geological Survey, Ottawa and the Quebec Geological Survey. In an attempt to reduce loss by breakage of important data all well samples stored in glass bottles and vials in the State Museum were transferred to manila envelopes. This increased the available storage space. Three subsurface structure maps of gas fields were prepared. Approxi- mately 35,000 feet of well cutting samples from 36 wells were collected, of which some 5,500 feet were examined under the microscope. The State Paleontologist’s contribution on tentaculids, hyolithids and other miscellaneous conical shells of unknown affinities for a treatise on invertebrate paleontology is nearing completion. The State Geologist began an investigation for the newly established Office of Atomic Development in an attempt to choose desirable sites for storage of radioactive wastes. This service involves a reinvestigation of New York salt mines and deposits and applying recent work done in glacial geology. Based partly on consultation with survey geologists. Dr. John T. Gentry of the New York State Department of Health published a paper relating the incidence of congenital malformations in the State to natural radio- activity present in certain types of rocks and glacial deposits. This report has aroused considerable lay interest. The State Geologist is supplying to the U. S. Geological Survey certain data to correlate with airborne radiometric surveys carried on in the vicinity of large reactors. As part of a cooperative study of sources of expandable shale for light-weight aggregate, 10 shale and slate samples were collected in St. Lawrence County for kiln testing at the New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred. Office Activities and Administration Advice was furnished the Joint Legislative Committee on Interstate Cooperation concerning the provisions of proposed legislation dealing 28 New York State Museum and Science Service with conservation of oil and gas, offshore drilling and the underground storage of petroleum products. As cochairman of the Mineral Resources Subcommittee of the New York-Vermont Interstate Committee on the Champlain Basin, the State Geologist prepared a report on the mineral resources for the September meeting held at Vergennes, Vermont. He also approved a number of oil and gas leases which were negotiated by the State Conservation Department. The annual contract between the United States Bureau of Mines and the Geological Survey concerning collection of mineral production sta- tistics was consummated. The staff of the Geological Survey carried on extensive correspondence with private individuals and concerns on the identification of fossils, minerals, rocks and ores; and relative to maps and oil and gas wells. The annual geological Newsletter was compiled by all staff members. 121st Annual Report 29 The Museum General Considering the size of the staff (five full-time employees supple- ^ merited by two part-time assistants) , a relatively large amount of renovation, new construction and temporary or special exhibit work was accomplished. All persons involved exerted strenuous efforts to advance the program. Two major projects were initiated this year. The more important of these was the first stage of the renovation of Paleontology Hall. Based on an imaginative design hy the exhibits designer, a flowing wall or partition was erected from the entrance to a point about halfway to the southeast corner of the hall. This wall, which is topped by a canopy, will contain the “windows” through which the exhibits will be viewed. The section of the project initiated in 1958-59 was approximately one- third finished at the close of the year. It represents a little more than one-quarter of the entire job for the hall. However, it is hoped that the project will be completed by the end of the calendar year 1964. Construction of the wing to the Education Building forced the evacuation of the herbarium from its quarters at the Hawk Street end of the Museum offices. Nearly a year earlier than anticipated, it was necessary to move some one hundred storage cabinets and other equip- ment to the planned area in the northwestern portion of Biology Hall. To clear the floor area, most of the movable exhibits were rear- ranged and two fixed displays were dismantled. Due to age and attrition, little material of value was removed from public view and much of the compression was effected by the removal of semiempty cases. The displays, particularly in the fields of fishes, birds and mammals, will be rehabilitated and restored to view in modernized and beautified settings. It is hoped that the final result of the project will be more attractive and instructive exhibits. While a research facility was gained and better working conditions were achieved in the herbarium, the program of modernization, however, especially in Paleontology Hall, has been set back materially. Another loss is the material reduction of floorspace available for future exhibits in the important area of plant and animal life. This reduced space will not be sufficient for biological displays which will be in numerical or spacial balance with those in paleontology and geology. The construction of a modernized Hall of Biology, how- 30 New York State Museum and Science Service ever, cannot be initiated for many years unless the modernization pro- gram is accelerated to an unforeseen degree. The skill and cooperative efforts of the designer and senior museum technician and their assistants and the technical advice of the curators and scientists were responsible for completing the assembly of an excel- lent habitat group, “Life at a Beaver Pond,” an exhibit on the earth and its structure, a tribute to the famous paleontologist, James Hall, and numerous other fine pieces of work. As usual, a great amount of time and skill went into patching and repairing old, dilapidated casts, mounts and other objects. Much of this work, while necessary, should be turned over to less experienced hands, thus making available more time of our This accessory display to the beaver habitat group features the major anatomical adaptations of the beaver as well as a diagram of a typical lodge. 121st Annual Report 31 skilled craftsmen to turn out new and intricate displays for the modernization program. Several special, temporary exhibits also were constructed. While these shows were essential and worthwhile, they also diverted the staff from the main job. A marked rise in public attendance is encouraging. Based on the same statistical method of estimating from once-weekly tallies, attendance has increased from 112,000 in 1956-57 to 140,000 in 1957-58 to 175,000 in 1958-59. It is evident that many persons are aware of and interested in the program of renovation and modernization. This enhanced interest, however, has not been reflected in the cooperative educational program for the benefit of the schools. The number of children who visited the Museum in organized groups was 29,700 in 1958-59 as compared with 28,200 two years previously. The number in guided tours (led by Museum education staff members) was 14,500, a very slight increase over the 14,000 in 1956-57 and a decrease from the 16,300 of 1957-58. Some of the decline of the past year is attributable to the fact that the Museum education staff was reduced early in the period from three persons to two as a result of the supervisor’s resignation. This made it impossible at times to accommodate all requests for guided tours of the exhibit halls. As always, a great amount of work was accomplished by the curators. While much of it may be summarized as routine care and increase of the collections, the work is essential to the functioning of the State Museum and Science Service. Accessions were made to all sections of the collections, particularly in the herbarium. Many requests for information were received from the public and from offices of the State and local government and were answered as completely as possible. The curators gave excellent cooperation to the Museum education program by guiding school and college groups through the exhibit halls. Most members of the curatorial staff accomplished some research during the year despite the pressure of other duties and a dearth of assistance. The most notable progress in research, probably, was in the field of entomology. With only one exception, all manuscripts accepted during the year for publication had been edited and sent to the printer by the close of the period. (The exception was turned in only a week or two pre- viously.) While the output of the previous year was much greater than in 1958-59, this was due to an accumulation of manuscripts which had been building up over several years and were finally printed. The production of technical papers undoubtedly will increase again in 1959-60. It is encouraging that many members of the staff were able to attend meetings of technical and professional societies. This enabled 32 New York State Museum and Science Service our jieople to keep in touch with others who are doing similar work and to keep their programs Ilexihle hy adopting new ideas and procedures. I he Assistant Director also made studies of exhibits at the American Museum of Natural History in New York, the Smithsonian Institution in Washington, the Museums of Natural History, Art and Health in Cleveland, Ohio, and at the Academy of Natural Sciences, the University of Pennsylvania Museum, the Museum of Wistar Institute and the Museum of Art in Philadelphia. A series of chamber music concerts was given in Orientation Hall on Sunday afternoons in July and on October 13 (Columbus Day observance) and November 11 (Veterans’ Day). In cooperation with the Albany chapter of the American Federation of Musicians, the series featured the String Ensemble with T. Roy Kiefer, director, the Traldy String Quartet, Edward A. Rice String Quartet and Fred Graziade String Quartet. While attendance at some of the concerts was small, the audiences were highly appreciative of the quality of the music and the introduction of a new cultural feature in the Museum. In cooperation with the Science Teachers Association of New York State, Inc., the State Museum put into effect a plan for giving recogni- tion to Regional Science Congress contestants and winners. Exhibition space in Orientation Hall is provided for outstanding individual ex- hibits, not based on presentation, for grades 7 through 12, for periods of four months during each year beginning July 1, 1959, for each of the Regional Science Congress districts. Judging for eligibility in this inogram is done by the Science Teachers Association. Charges for transportation of the exhibits are provided, plus living expenses in Albany for a period of 24 hours, for each winning student at the time that his exhibit is to he opened to view in the State Museum. This enables the winners to assist in setting up their exhibits, to tour the Museum exhibit halls, to consult with science curriculum, and other officials of the Education Department, and to become acquainted with the work of the State Museum and Science Service. These students are welcomed in the offices and laboratories to meet and talk with members of the staff in fields of their interest and to watch work as it proceeds on permanent Museum exhibits. The first of the winning students, Michael Wolfberg of Clarence, was leceived at the Museum in June 1959. He was congratulated by Commissioner Allen, Deputy Commissioner Nyquist and other officials of the Education Department, who encouraged him to proceed in his chosen field of science (mathematics). His exhibit, an electrical version of the game of Tac-Tix proved to be popular with the public. It 121st Annual Report 33 Michael Wolfberg, of Clarence, the first Regional Science Con- gress winner, demonstrating his exhibit, an electronic version of Tac-Tix. is hoped that this program will help to promote an increased interest in science among the young people of New York State. If the State Museum is to provide adequate service to the public, sev- eral requirements must be supplied. Aides must be provided for the curators to relieve these highly trained employees of the more menial but necessary portions of their duties and thus make more time available 34 New York State Museum and Science Service for the technical aspects of curating. Storage equipment is needed to house safely the valuable collections of minerals, fossils, plants, animals and archeological material which are among the most important reference standards of science. In order to speed the renovation program in the exhibit halls, more workers and funds for materials and contract projects are essential. Adequate ventilation must be provided for the comfort and health of visitors. The skylights which admit an uncertain light to Geology and Paleontology Halls should be replaced by a solid roof which will not leak and will permit the use of uniform, modern lighting for the exhibits. Finally, an enlarged program of education for the school children of the State should be instituted through employ- ment of a larger, well-trained staff using all the techniques of modem museum pedagogy, exhibits and equipment. Curatorial Activities Archeology The curator answered the requests of at least 113 visitors. These answers included the identification of bone specimens for the New York State Police B.C.I.; counsel to high school students on the requirements for a career in archeology; advice to amateur archeologists on the excava- tion of sites and the preservation and recording of excavated material; opening the collections to visiting scientists for study, and making many identifications of items, both cultural and nonartifactual, brought in by the general public. Other similar inquiries were answered by mail. Advice was given to the building committee of the proposed Mattatuck Library-Museum, on the needs in space and facilities for a small arche- ological museum. On request, advice was given to Thomas Hart Benton for a mural for the Niagara Power Authority Building at Niagara Falls in the form of photographs of typical articles of Iroquoian material culture from the Museum collections. During February and March, the services of Andrew Pohl were employed in restoring pots from the Bates site. During April, May and June the temporary services of Mrs. Floyd Hill were utilized in the repair of the Iroquois National Wampum Belts, which were attached to a linen backing to prevent further parting of the fabric and loss of beads. The project of dismantling the older exhibits swung into high gear when Morgan Hall was repainted. The process of checking against the catalog the artifacts removed from exhibit is continuing and the reor- ganization of the study collections is progressing. 121st Annual Report 35 A card was designed for recording information of value to the New York State Museum of material in other museums and private collections. Thirty-four slides were hound and added to the collection. Several guided tours of the Indian Groups were given by the curator, in cooperation with the Education Office. For the Archeology Office, a filecard was designed by the curator for the mounting of prints and recording pertinent information concern- ing the subject shown. Requests for negatives from the unified files con- tinued to require the services of the curator. He advised the museum librarian on the compilation of a bibliography on Indians and contributed the text for a popular guide to the groups of Iroquois Indian life. Botany Activities of the curator resulted in the following collections: Fungi 1,553 Algae 17 Mosses and liverworts. . 1,146 Vascular plants 1,107 3,823 The curator also donated 7 specimens of Crataegus collected prior to 1947 in Chemung County. Dr. William C. Denison, temporary expert in 1957, sent 248 specimens of fungi from Cattaraugus County. Anton R. Slysh, recipient of Graduate Student Honoraria in 1957 and 1958, forwarded 280 specimens of Peniophora. There were two notable gifts. Henry F. Dunbar, Kingston, who is making a study of the flora of Ulster County, donated over 1,000 mounted specimens. Dr. Frederick J. Hermann, Beltsville, Md., sent a series of 200 packets of Bryophytes, all named either by himself or other experts in the field. Several other individuals or institutions donated specimens or sent them in exchange. A summary of these donations follows: New York State Elsewhere Total F ungi 2,403 78 2,481 Algae 17 17 Mosses and liverworts 1,456 37 1,493 Vascular plants 2,231 116 2,347 6,107 231 6,338 Due to moving the herbarium, many of the specimens have not been verified or identified; consequently, many records have not been trans- cribed. From those recorded, however, have resulted the following 36 New York State Museum and Science Service numbers of additions of species or subspecies to our records of vascular plants for the counties noted: Albany 2 Essex 3 Onondaga 1 Cattaraugus 18 Greene 1 Putnam 31 Chautauqua 2 Herkimer 1 Seneca 1 Clinton 1 Jefferson 1 Suffolk 3 Delaware 3 Kings 16 Ulster 6 Erie 1 Two taxa of vascular plants were added to the records for New York State, both sent by Roy Latham of Orient: Carex acutiformis and Gljceria maxima subsp. maxima are European weeds, which are rarely found on this continent. Dr. Frederick J. Hermann of Beltsville, Md., collected a number of interesting mosses, many of which are new to some districts of the checklist. These, including Oncophorus tenellus and Rhacomitrium canescens which are new to the State, are being reported by him. Dr. Clark T. Rogerson of the New York Botanical Garden accompanied the curator on many collecting trips and identified many of the fungi. Four of these species are apparently new to the State. The herbarium was moved to the north wing of the fifth floor of the Education Building. By the close of the year all cases were in place and the out-of-State materials were interpolated with the in-State genera. These new quarters allow us to have all the collections relatively close together on one floor, adjacent to research laboratories in the wing. It also provides a large workspace for the curator, a smaller one for an assistant and an alcove where visiting botanists may work undis- turbed. Sorting tables, plumbing and lights will be installed in the near future. Entomology The transfer and rearrangement of the collection of exotic beetles was completed. Similar work on a portion of the exotic moths was curtailed for lack of storage drawers. Many insect specimens were collected by the curator and scientists of the Biological Survey. Of these, only a few related to special projects have been mounted and placed in the study collections. Most will be stored dry, or in alcohol until an assistant is available to mount and label them. Cooperative work with the Forest Pest Bureau, Conservation Depart- ment, called for identification of forest insect pests. Considerable effort was made to build up a reference collection of these insects. John Flynn of the University of North Carolina spent June 5, 1959, in the Museum studying the type collection of Homoptera. 121st Annual Report 37 Approximately 360 requests for information called for identification of a particular insect and the means of controlling it should it become a pest. Geology Six hundred sixty specimens from the systematic mineral collection of New York State were cataloged. The curator of geology was assisted in this work through the part-time help of two assistants, Clayton La Valle and Harvey Korotkin. Material from approximately five cases in the physical and economic geology section of the Museum was sorted and either stored or discarded in an effort to expand and rearrange storage space. Approximately 31 sets of New York State rocks and minerals were donated to schools for classroom study purposes. After a loan policy was adopted about the middle of the year, 25 boxed collections were sent to 16 New York State schools and 9 to schools in other States. Data are being collected for a revision of New York State Museum Bulletin 70, List of New York Mineral Localities, 1903. D. E. Jensen, head of the geological division, Ward’s Natural Science Establishment, Inc., will collaborate with the curator. During the year seven talks and tours of the geological exhibits were given to school and college groups. Various rock, mineral and ore specimens were identified for office visitors. Ten of the specimens were identified through use of the X-ray diffraction equipment of the State Police Bureau of Criminal Investigation. Public requests for information are listed below. The heading in- dicates the subject about which information was requested; the number which follows is the number of requests received and answered for that particular subject: Form letter requesting the writer’s teacher to apply for a loan of representative New York State rocks and minerals 173 New York State geological information 106 New York State mineralogical information, i.e., gems and precious stones, (mineral localities etc 62 Soil samples requested (forwarded to Department of Agriculture, Cornell University, Ithaca) 20 Museum information 8 Miscellaneous, i.e., caves, hooks, photographs, careers etc 46 Total 415 38 New York State Museum and Science Service Paleontology Type numbers were changed from the fractional number system to serial numbers on 336 type specimens which had been on exhibit. The contents (771 type specimens and 5,333 nontype specimens) were removed from a number of Museum exhibit cases and the material was cataloged and stored. Thirteen new specimens were added to the type collection and cards for the same were entered in the catalog. Collections containing approximately 376 specimens were packed for shipment. Seventy-eight accession entries were made in the locality and accession records and 152 specimens were ticketed with locality numbers. As usual, a considerable amount of time was spent in keeping the type catalog up-to-date. Approximately 140 fossil type specimens were identified for some 50 visitors to the office. Harcourt, Brace & Co. of New York City was supplied with six photographs of groups and restorations on exhibit in the Museum. Among professional visitors and their interests were Francis Hueber and James 0. Gierson of Cornell University (fossil plants), William B. N. Berry of Peabody Museum, Yale University (graptolites) , and George Theokritoff of the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Harvard University (trilobites) . Zoology Field trips were made with local bird clubs helping gather data on migration and distribution of birds in New York State. These trips were generally made on weekends. Work was done on map files of dis- tribution of animals in New York State with particular reference to birds and reptiles and amphibians. Several more species were mapped for the Bird Handbook and earlier maps to be published in volume 1 were checked and revised. The usual correspondence, consultation and advisory work with scien- tific organizations and other State agencies were handled. The Radio Division of the Commerce Department was again helped in preparing radio scripts on the animals of the State. The catalog shows 19,011 entries, 670 being entered during this period. The majority of these entries are from the Small Mammal Survey. The curator of zoology gave special guided tours in Biology Hall to five groups. He also lectured widely in nearby schools. The curator is putting the finishing touches to the series of bird dis- tribution maps for the Bird Handbook. Information is being gathered and cataloged for a more permanent Checklist of New York State Birds. 121st Annual Report 39 Accessions During 1958—59, generous donors contributed many hundreds of objects, natural history specimens and other material to the collections and exhibits of the State Museum. (One purchase is specified.) Archeology Fiberglas cast of Iroquois mask Buffalo robe Skeletal material from two burials Indian grooved ax Collection of flint samples from Ohio Gourd rattle of Seneca Medicine Society Indian artifacts Collection of flint from Ireland and Ohio Archeological collection of Brick C. Smith Iroquois woman’s costume (pur- chased) Fragments of the “Oneida Stone” Botany Grasses from New York State (8) Vascular plants from North America (17) Lichens (38) Mosses from North America and Sweden (35) Climacium (1) Vascular plants from New York State (4) Lichens from New York State (Madi- son County) (19) Picca glavea from New York State (3) Fungi from Cattaraugus County, N. Y. (248) Vascular plants from Ulster County, N. Y. (1091) Bryophytes from New York State (200) Two taxa of vascular plants Mosses (32) David Bartholomew, Hudson, N. Y. Mrs. James Hill Estate, Albany, N. Y. R. Arthur Johnson, Latham, N. Y. R. E. Kleinstauber, Suffern, N. Y. C. Lucy, Athens, Pa. K. Mynter, Claverack, N. Y. Rev. C. Plumb, Salem, N. Y. A. G. Smith, Norwalk, Ohio Daisy Smith, South Dayton, N. Y. Mrs. Rose Spring, Tonawanda Indian Reservation A. G. Zeller, Oneida, N. Y. New York Botanical Garden, New York, N. Y. U. S. National Herbarium, Washington, D. C. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. University of Colorado, Boulder, Colo. Theodore Bairn, Schenectady, N. Y. Irving M. Brodo, Ithaca, N. Y. David Cook, N. Y. State Conservation Dept., Albany, N. Y. Dr. William C. Denison, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore, Pa. Henry F. Dunbar, Kingston, N. Y. Dr. Frederick J. Hermann, Beltsville, Md. Roy Latham, Orient, N. Y. Roy Latham, Orient, N. Y. 40 New York State Museum and Science Service Flowering plants from Suffolk County, N. Y. (39) Gloeotulasnella calitspora from Madi- son County, N. Y. (1) Fungi (3) Bryophytes (79) Vascular Plants of New' York State (50) Feniophora (200) Hyndellum from Warren County, N. Y. (1) Vascular plants from New York (16) Geology Petalite collected at Varutrask, Swe- den ( 1 ) Minerals (many of them quartz crystals) collected at Ellenville, N. Y. (bequest) (614) Cinnabar with calcite and chalcedony tl) Euhedral quartz crystals with chlorite inclusions (3) Serpentine and chrysotile collected at Thurman, N. Y. (10) Ruby spinel and graphite in calcite from Newton, N. J. (1) M ica and fluorite in massive chondro- dite from Pine Island, N. Y. (2) Crystalline beryl with quartz and muscovite from Media, Pa. (3) Paleontology Slabs bearing parts of trilobites from Onondaga limestone, Williamsville, N. Y. (3) Graptolites from Columbia County, N. Y. (23) Fossil pteropods from Marcellus hori- zon near Hayter Gap, Va. (3) Fossil plant from the Carboniferous of Pennsylvania (1) Fossils from various formations and hmalities on the Rhinebeck, Pough- keepsie, N. Y. (30) Fossils from various formations and localities on the Cooperstown, Hart- wick and Richfield Springs quad- rangles, N. Y. (36) Roy Latham, Orient, N. Y. Dr. Josiah L. Lowe, Syracuse, N. Y. Dr. Orra A. Phelps, Wilton, N. Y. Dr. Orra A. Phelps, Wilton, N. Y. Dr. Orra A. Phelps, Wilton, N. Y. Anton Slysh, Syracuse, N. Y. Anton Slysh, Syracuse, N. Y. Ralph Smith, N. Y. State Conservation Dept., Albany, N. Y. Herbert J. Arnold, Otis, Mass. P. Edwin Clarke Estate, Ellenville, N. Y. Harold Frick, Petaluma, Calif. William H. Hallenbeck, Kinderhook, N. Y. Elmer Rowley, Glens Falls, N. Y. Arthur Welling, Warwick, N. Y. Arthur Welling, Warwick, N. Y. Arthur Welling, Warwick, N. Y. Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Buffalo, N. Y. W. B. N. Berry, Peabody Museum, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Dr. Michael House, University of Dur- ham, England Edward Smith, Utica, N. Y. A. Scott Warthin, Poughkeepsie, N. Y. D. H. Zenger, Darthmouth College, Han- over, N. H. 121st Annual Report 41 Zoology Bird specimens (including a varied thrush, fourth specimen on record for the State) Bird specimens Glass case of birds mounted by Dr. Emil Miller around 1900 Bird specimens (including a Bick- nell’s thrush, first from Peekamoose Mountain during breeding season) Cricket frogs (2) Bird specimens Stuffed skin of a native Long Island rattlesnake John Belknap, Gouverneur, N. Y. Mrs. Donald Radke, East Chatham, N. Y. G. Sann & Family, Rensselaer, N. Y. Daniel Smiley, Lake Mohonk, N. Y. e Daniel Smiley, Lake Mohonk, N. Y. Mrs. Myra Smilow, Red Rock, N. Y. Southside Sportsman’s Club, Oakdale, Long Island, N. Y. Loans Materials in the collections of the State Museum were loaned as follows : Archeology Splint basket, wooden mask, rattles (2) Indian artifacts and beads (10) Iron trader’s ax, pipe and tomahawk Indian artifacts (15) Typical prehistoric Indian potsherds (24) Orient-type projectile points ( 19) Indian artifacts and beads (10) Botany Type specimens of fungi (4) Type specimens of fungi (2) Type specimen of fungi Type specimens of fungi (26) Type specimens of fungi (111) Type specimen of fungi Dr. Jean Boek, Albany, N. Y. Carle Place High School, Carle Place, N. Y. New York State Department of Com- merce, Albany, N. Y. Rensselaer County Junior Museum, Troy, N. Y. University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, Mich. University of Oklahoma, Norman, Okla. Roland Lindale (Boy Scouts) Ravena, N. Y. Canadian Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Canada Harvard University, Cambridge, Mass. State University of Iowa, Iowa City, Iowa University of Massachusetts, Amherst, Mass. University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tenn. University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee, Wis. 42 New York State Museum and Science Service Entomology Oberea (long-horned wood-boring beetles) (70) Drawer exhibits of tree pests (4) Drawer exhibits of insect pests (4) Gypsy moth parasites, Diptera (95) Drawer exhibits (general insect col- lection) (3) Schmidt box with 9 insects Geology Boxed collections of N. Y. State rocks and minerals (25) Paleontology Graptolites (114) Fossil brachiopods (12) Type specimens of fossil brachiopods (4) Fossil cephalopods (7) Fossil specimens (26) Type specimen of a supposed fossil barnacle Fossil specimens (29) Brachiopod type specimens (4) Fossil specimens (29) Type specimens of fossil bryozoans (2) Fossil specimens (65) Specimens of fossil brachiopods (7) Type specimens of fossil sponges (2) Type specimens of trilobites (14) Fossil cephalopods (5) Trilobites (3) Type specimens of trilobites (20) Fossil specimens (29) Stanton D. Hicks, Ottawa, Canada Francis Larmore, Schenectady, N. Y. Edward Morrison, Saranac Lake, N. Y. Dr. H. J. Reinhard, College Station, Texas Saddlewood Elementary School, Colonie, N. Y. Harry V. Scott, Schenectady, N. Y. Schools in New York State (16) and oiit-of-State (9) William B. N. Berry, Peabody Museum, Yale University, New Haven, Conn. Dr. G. Arthur Cooper, U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. J. A. Fagerstrom, Ann Arbor, Mich. Dr. R. H. Flower, Socorro, N. Mex. Herricks Junior High School, Long Island, N. Y. Dr. Harry S. Ladd, Washington, D. C. Manetuck School, Long Island, N. Y. Mrs. Helen McCammon, Bloomington, Ind. Phelps Lane School, Long Island, N. Y. Mrs. June Phillips, New Haven, Conn. J. F. Pickett, Averill Park, N. Y. Dr. Paul Sartenaer, Ottawa, Canada D. B. Sass, Cincinnati, Ohio Dr. Erwin C. Stumm, Ann Arbor, Mich. Dr. Curt Teichert, Denver, Colo. George Theokritoff, Cambridge, Mass. 11. B. Whittington, Cambridge, Mass. Woods Road School, Long Island, N. Y. 121st Annual Report 43 Zoology Bird study skins (2 loans) Mounted birds Bird study skins Mammals Mounted birds and mammals Department of Conservation, Cornell University, Ithaca, N. Y. Niskayuna Elementary School, Niska- yuna, N. Y. Mrs. George T. Parker, East Greenbush, N. Y. Queens College, Flushing, N. Y. Rensselaer County Junior Museum. Troy, N. Y. Donations Specimens and other material which were duplicated in the collections were given outright to schools, cooperating institutions and individuals. Geology Sterhngbush calcite crystal Samples of Black River sands of New York State (16) Collections of New York State rocks and minerals (31) Ellenville quartz crystals (16) Mineral specimens, anorthosite, prin- cipally (15) Paleontology Fossil specimens, duplicate (23) Fossil specimens, duplicate (22) Duplicate specimens (5) Specimen containing eurypterid frag- ments Rubber casts of type specimens of brachiopods (6) Fossil specimens, duplicate (41) Photographs of a type specimen of brachiopods (2) Fossil specimens, duplicate (22) Reading Public Museum, Reading, Pa. Pan American Petroleum Corp., Tulsa, Okla. Schools, for classroom study Geology Department, Leland Stanford University, Palo Alto, Calif. Students, for Science Fair Exhibits Canastota Central School, Canastota, N. Y. Cherry Lane School, Long Island, N. Y. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Mass. Museum of Comparative Zoology, Cam- bridge, Mass. National Museum of Victoria, Mel- bourne, Australia Norwich University, Northfield, Vt. Dr. Paul Sartenaer, Ottawa, Canada Sidney Central School, Sidney, N. Y. Exchanges Paleontology Trilobites from the Onondaga lime- stone (3) Slab of starfish from Mt. Marion beds, Saugerties, N. Y. Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Buffalo, N. Y. U. S. National Museum, Washington, D. C. 44 New York State Museum and Science Service Museum Exhibits Two major projects were commenced this year. The most significant job was initiation of a complete renovation of Paleontology Hall. A scale model was constructed to show architectural design and color of the new interior walls, the arrangement of cases and the storage area behind exhibits. A close estimate was made of the required storage space and was included in the overall plan of the hall. The specifica- tions and model were the result of numerous consultations between the Exhibits Designer and the State Paleontologist to develop the systematic arrangement and dimensions of the 62 individual exhibits. It is gratifying that study of the model by a number of Department arcbitects and others resulted in uniformly favorable comments and no suggestions for major changes in color or design. The Exhibits Designer drew up detailed plans to permit work to begin in the south- east quarter of the hall. After the full-scale layout was made, jigs were devised to cut the sweeping curves. Serious delays in procuring building material made it necessary to improvise and patch together numerous members of the framework. By the end of the year the skeleton of the wall was completed, from the entrance to and including the end of the first alcove, and the canopy for the latter was installed. Considerable time was required to make the display case around the supporting column at this alcove and to move, cut and reassemble the base slab of fossil glass sponges. Estimates were completed for con- struction material, finishes, spotlights and hardware for the next two years. The first exhibit for the new Hall of Ancient Life, a memorial to the famous paleontologist, James Hall, was virtually completed. Some progress was made on the design of individual exhibits; a scale model for tbe geologic time clock was finished and photographs were made in the field for an exhibit which will explain the work of the paleontologist. Basic ideas for the remainder of the 12 displays in this quarter of the hall were worked out in collaboration with the scientific staff. However, the program for design and construction of the hall was severely curtailed due to emergency work in Biology Hall. Time was also allotted to building several special and temporary exhibits as well as for routine maintenance and repairs. Early in the spring of 1959, progress on the wing of the Education Building virtually cut off access of the Botany offices to light and air. It was decided to put into effect the reestablishment of the herbarium in Biology Hall which had been tentatively planned for the following winter. Despite the generous cooperation of the Department in 121st Annual Report 4S furnishing temporary help for shifting exhibits and moving the herbarium cabinets and other equipment, it was necessary to divert the Museum maintenance personnel to supervise and assist in this work. A new floor plan was worked out for Biology Hall to clear a rectangle approximately 40 x 70 feet in the northwestern part of the area. Several old displays, including the bison exhibit, were dismantled and the specimens were stored. Cases and walls were rearranged and remodeled so that, with the addition of two doors, the public was limited to the remaining exhibit space. Approximately 50 tons of equipment was moved from the Botany offices in the Hawk Street wing of the building, up one flight and into the new location in Biology Hall. There it was rearranged according to plans drawn by the curator. At the end of the year the actual shifting of cases and herbarium cabinets had been completed, but plumbing and lighting in the herbarium was yet to be installed. In the newly arranged exhibit area a great number of old specimens were to be renovated and replaced on display in new settings, and considerable new wiring was to be furnished to permit the use of fluorescent lighting for the exhibits. Several permanent exhibits were finished during the past year. The beaver habitat group and its flanking displays were installed. The small exhibits illustrate some of the major anatomical adaptations of the beaver as well as a diagram of a beaver lodge and paintings show- ing the ecological effects of beaver dams. The entire display, entitled “Life at a Beaver Pond,” depicts the typical ecological area which is utilized by the beaver and many other such animals and plants which are characteristic of the community. An insect display near the Beaver Group was renovated with the assistance of the curator of entomology, who also prepared five exhibits which can be lent to schools or used in Biology Hall. A new exhibit on poisonous plants, including specimens by the senior museum technician and plant sketches by Theodore Bairn of Schenectady was assembled. Eight new reproductions of Iroquois masks from the collections were installed overhead in the False Face Ceremonial Group. This illus- trates some of the mask types, and frees the originals in storage for study. The newest display in Morgan Hall is that of Indian food plants. These 80 replicas include native species as well as European plants introduced by the colonists. The exhibit was enlarged during the year by addition of several specimens. Only two plants remain to be copied to complete the display. The first permanent exhibit in Orientation Hall, “Earth — Our Ship in Space,” was installed and opened to the public in January 1959. The 46 New York State Museum and Science Service The first permanent exhibit in Orientation Hall presents the Earth, its strata and its relationship to space. 121st Annual Report 47 display shows the planet as it might appear from about 30,000 miles in space. The model of the earth, painted in fluorescent colors by Thomas W. Voter, director of the Hudson River Museum at Yonkers, is illuminated by “black light.” The earth model glows against a dull black background, dotted with luminous stars, which represents the darkness of outer space. A plug projects from the model to show in section the strata of the earth from the surface to the center. At the side of the case is a colored column illustrating the layers of the earth’s atmosphere. The exhibit was constructed according to the advice of vari- ous scientists, among them Drs. Vincent Schaefer of the Munitalp Foundation, Curtis Hemenway of the Dudley Planetarium, and missile expert Wemher Von Braun of the U. S. Army Missile Center. Three temporary exhibits were assembled in Orientation Hall. The State Botanist and other members of the State Science Service con- tributed information for the exhibit on “Pollen as a Research Tool.” A Seneca woman’s costume, purchased from Mrs. Rose Spring, is dis- played draped on a mannequin to illustrate the current feminine ceremonial fashions on New York reservations. The curator of archeology arranged various Iroquois wampum belts to show inter- tribal council relationships within the League of the Iroquois. Repairs and renovations in the Museum halls included the semiannual cleansing of the New York State relief map, restoration of a crumbling magnesium ingot and renovation and rearrangement of the bird exhibits, including the mounts of domestic poultry. Revisions were made in the Myron H. Clark Hall of Indian Groups, where the interiors of the groups were cleaned, the lighting revised and inflammable material readjusted to reduce fire hazard. Diagrammatic labels were painted on the sills and the first section of new aluminum railing was installed. Numerous exhibits were planned or partially completed. A permanent exhibit for Orientation Hall, “How Geology Determines the Topography of New York State,” is in an early construction stage. Two new Devonian dioramas, featuring fossil glass sponges and eurypterids, were virtually completed at the end of the year. Special shows during the year included; a display of Iroquois False Faces and copies by David Bartholomew of Hudson, N. Y.; paintings of grasses by Marguerite Scott, Naples, N. Y.; “Animal Portraits,” a group of photographs by Walter J. Schoonmaker, former exhibits planner at the State Museum. A special show combining examples of the handicrafts of the Shakers and the Iroquois Indians was in prepara- tion at the close of the year. 48 New York State Museum and Science Service The Public Once-weekly counts of visitors to the exhibit halls were made on 53 days. The totals on individual weekdays ranged from a low of 214 (July 23, 1958) to a maximum of 1,035 (March 19, 1959). Excluding Saturdays, Sundays and holidays (when the highest attendance, 1,478 visitors, w'as recorded on Veterans’ Day), the daily average was 550 persons or a total for the year of 177,600. This a material increase over the two previous years (140,000 in 1957-58 and 112,000 in 1956-57) during which the same method of estimating on once-weekly counts has been employed. The Department nurse was called to attend a total of six visitors who required some medical assistance. One woman suffered a fall in the Hall of Indian Life Groups and another fainted in the same area. Of the remaining four instances, involving children who had attacks of fainting, one occurred in Biology Hall and three among the Indian Groups. The concentration of cases of illness emphasizes the fact that this portion of the Museum is poorly ventilated. The best efforts to ameliorate conditions by reducing overheating during the colder months and by placing fans at strategic locations have not solved the problem. Means should he found for bringing fresh air in adequate quantity into the exhibit halls. The Museum guards have continued to carry out their duties faith- fully and efficiently and have performed numerous helpful services beyond the strict confines of their job descriptions. Numerous minor repairs have been made voluntarily, glass has been washed, cases moved and painted, and assistance has been rendered on many occasions to the Museum maintenance and exhibits personnel and to other sections of the staff. Thanks largely to vigilance of the guards, disturbance to visitors and vandalism on exhibits, furniture and the building continued nominal. Valuable assistance in dealing with many of these problems has continued to come from the Building Superintendent’s office. 121st Annual Report 49 Special Services Program for Educational Groups ^T^he museum education office has carried out the policy of provid- ing visiting classes with guided tours which supplement schoolwork. During the tours the children have the opportunity to examine pertinent objects from the Museum collections. The tours are adapted by the instructors to the requirements of each group. Children are encouraged to ask questions and to participate in the discussions. Because of two factors, the number of guided tours declined during the 1958-59 year. The limited education staff was unable to accom- modate all those who requested guided tours. In the fall, when Indian tours are most popular, sections of the Indian Groups were closed for painting. The Museum Education staff was assisted in giving tours during the year by the senior museum technician ( 1 ) and the curators of archeology (11), geology (4) and zoology (7). Problems include poor ventilation, unlighted exhibits and a limited Education staff. Lack of luncheon facilities for visiting classes creates difficulties for those groups which plan to spend the day in Albany. Educational Group Instruction Attendance of organized educational groups at the Museum rose from 25,190 in 1957-58 to 29,678 in 1958-59 (a 15 percent increase). The number of students receiving guided tours declined from 16,319 in 1957-58 to 14,535 (10 percent decrease). The annual attendance of educational groups at the State Museum has increased at a net adjusted rate of almost 2 percent a year. The usual net adjusted rise in tours is even higher. Since both these percentages are adjusted with regard to the net total population increase in New York State, the Museum seems to be attracting a larger segment of the total population annually. Eighty-three percent of those visiting in groups were school classes, and the remaining 17 percent represented organizations, such as Scouts, 4-H groups, church clubs and resident and day camps. Dis- tribution by category and services is shown in the following tables: 50 New York State Museum and Science Service guided tours of related Museum exhibits. 121st Annual Report 51 School Group Analysis TOURS INTRODUCTORY TALKS TOTAL GRADES ATTENDANCE NUMHER ATTENDANCE NUMBER ATTENDANCE K, 1-3 3,691 113 2,549 1 40 4-6 8,474 280 5,946 — 48 7-9 9,669 136 3,884 1 280 10-12 1,086 16 399 2 — MuJtigraded . . . 868 18 543 — — Unclassified .... 84 2 35 • — — College 658 16 210 — — Adult Educ .... 46 2 36 — ■ — 24,576 583 13,602 4 368 Nonschool Group Analysis TOURS INTRODUCTORY TALKS AGE LEVEL NUMBER OF GROUPS TOTAL ATTENDANCE NUMBER ATTEND- ANCE NUMBER ATTEND- ANCE Youth . . . 157 3,890 28 647 2 214 Adult. . . . Family 11 1,212 11 286 1 16 Groups. — — — — — — 168 5,102 39 933 3 230 School groups visiting the Museum came from 45 counties of New York State and from Ohio, Massachusetts and Vermont. Most of the groups came from within a 50-mile radius of Albany; however, there was good representation from Herkimer, Westchester, Onondaga and Suffolk Counties. The shaded areas on the map (page 52) show the counties of origin of visiting school groups. Related Activities Two form letters for tour requests were composed and printed. It is hoped that these will reduce the amount of time spent in answering mail. A letter to the Legislature was prepared which requests cooperation in scheduling tours for the large legislator-sponsored school groups which descend abruptly upon the Museum every March. This measure should reduce crowding and confusion in the Museum halls during this period. On October 30 and April 18, the Edueation staff held three-hour workshops for teachers enrolled in Professor Deering’s extension course at Bugbee School, State University College of Education at Oneonta. The topic was “How To Use the State Museum.” The workshop con- sisted of a lecture and a guided tour. There was excellent response dur- 52 New York State Museum and Science Service 121st Annual Report 53 ing the school year from the memhers of the class who taught in area schools. During the past year, the stock at the sales desk has been extended to include publications, records and kits. The kits have sold especially well during the short period that they have been available. The sales list for these outside publications, which totaled approximately $600, was: 421 Copies of various books and leaflets 187 Booklets on dinosaurs 120 Booklets on insects 181 Publications on the American Indian 227 Cards 73 Boxes of notepaper 28 Kits of fish banners and mastodon skeletons 6 Record albums of bird songs 4 Subscriptions to The New York State Conservationist Museum Library T> EGULAR SERVICE CONTINUED during tbe year. Approximately two hundred additional books were borrowed from the New York State Library with only a small fraction of the number returned. The total number of State Library books on indefinite loan to the staff is con- stantly increasing. Items accessioned in the Museum Library periodical file increased to 3,580 as compared with 3,276 in the preceding year. Duplicates and selected periodicals dated prior to 1950, of doubtful value to the staff, were taken to the State Library, Gift and Exchange Section. The U. S. Department of Agriculture Experiment Station Record vol. 1, 1889, through vol. 77, 1937, was also sent to Gift and Exchange because of limited space. It will be available for loan to the staff from the State Library. The following Honoraria Reports were received: Heavy Minerals in the Glacial Drift of Western New York, by G. Gordon Connally; Preliminary Report and Geologic Map of the Schunemunk, N. Y. Quadrangle, by K. R. Kothe; Statistical Analysis of Regional Facies Change in Ordovician Cobourg Limestone in Northwestern New York and Southern Ontario, by L. Lippitt; and Geology of Camp Drum, New York; A Preliminary Report, by Paul W. Long. Three gift books were received, presentations of the University of Pennsylvania Library, the William C. Whitney Foundation and Dr. 54 New York State Museum and Science Service Paul Hahn, respectively. The State Library purchased 21 new books for the Museum staff under the departmental loan arrangement. The staff recommended purchase of 73 books and 13 periodicals by the State Library. All books and periodicals mentioned above were checked through the museum librarian. The volume of interlibrary loans in- creased markedly. Forty-four items were obtained for our staff by the State Library; many of these took considerable searching time. A list of selected Geological Journals (with call numbers) in the New \ ork State Library was prepared for the use of the Geological Survey. Basic work in the prenaration of a bibliography on the Iroquois has been completed. A mailing list to be used for the review and notifica- tion of Museum publications has been prepared and coded. From this list, addressograph plates will be made. This innovation, it is hoped, will increase the circulation of Museum publications and save many hours of the typist’s time. Need for an improved method of accessioning Museum Library periodicals is still obvious. A visible record would save time and space. Photography A TOTAL OF 145 REQUESTS for the services of the museum photographer resulted in 335 black and white photographs taken, 1,671 negatives processed from field photographs and 2,920 prints and enlargements made from the preceding. In addition, 93 projection slides were pre- pared, 103 color photographs were taken and 88 special enlargements were made of new exhibits. The above work included both field and office assignments. Some of the major subjects were a series of photographs showing a guided tour of visiting students arriving at the Museum and their progress through the exhibit halls; 4-H Capital Day delegates; events such as “Sunday Musicales”; open house at the State Museum; records of temporary exhibits and progress of construction and completion of per- manent exhibits. Borrowed exhibit material was photographed before being returned to the lenders. Promotion ceremonies for members of the Museum staff were photographed and photographic records w-ere made of damage from vandalism in the exhibit halls. Photographs of material in the collections w^ere made and prints were supplied to the Niagara Power Authority for preparation of a mural. Other photographs were made for institutions and scientists in foreign countries and for schools, book publishers and scientists in America. Prints of numerous subjects were furnished for use in a number of manuscripts destined to become Museum bulletins, and a series of bird 121st Annual Report 55 eggs were photographed and prints were prepared for reproduction in The New York State Conservationist. In addition, a considerable amount of copy work was undertaken on charts, drawings and maps for slide preparation, illustrations for scientific reports and field mappings. Requests for photographic services by the Commissioner’s office included photographs of retiring Department employees, progress photo- graphs of construction of the addition to the Education Building, pro- fessional meetings and members of the Commissioner’s Cabinet. Publications 1%/jroST OF THE MANUSCRIPTS which were submitted by the staff for publication were edited by the Department editorial office and were sent to the printer without material delay. It was necessary to hold one paper over from the previous year, however, because of the expense of publication. At the close of 1958-59, only one manuscript (which had been completed but a short time previously) was awaiting editing. Four Museum Bulletins (including an annual report) and 1 miscel- laneous item were printed during the year. These 5 numbers totaled 396 pages of text and 147 plates, figures, maps and tables. Another paper of more temporary value was multilithed; it comprised 42 pages and one map. This “production” was only one-third of the printing secured in the previous year when a backlog of manuscripts had accumu- lated. However, the output of technical papers promises to increase materially during 1959-60. At the end of the year, 7 technical manuscripts were in press for publication by the State Museum. One paper was in the field of areheology, 2 in botany, 2 in geology, 1 in paleontology, and 1 in zoology. Six additional manuscripts had been accepted by the editors of “outside” media. Fourteen others were in the writing stage — 1 in archeology, 1 in botany, 3 in entomolgy, 6 in geology and 3 in paleontology. 56 New York State Museum and Science Service Publications State Museum and Science Service 1959 120th Annual report of the New York State Museum and Science Service, July 1, 1957-June 30, 1958. N. Y. State Mus. & Sci. Serv. Bull. 374. Jan. 1959. 68pp. 10 pi. Jainnback, H. & Wall, W. 1959 The common salt-marsh tabanidae of Long Island, N. Y. State Mus. & Sci. Serv. Bull. 375. July 1959. 77pp. 27 fig. Offield, T. W. 1958 Mineral production in New York State, 1950-56. N. Y. State Mus. & Sci. Serv. Nov. 1958. 19pp. 14 charts, 10 tab. Reilly, E. M. & Parkes, K. C. 1959 Preliminary annotated checklist of New York State birds. N. Y. State Mus. & Sci. Serv. 1959. 42pp. 1 map. Ritchie, W. A. 1959 The Stony Brook site and its relation to archaic and transitional cultures on Long Island. N. Y. State Mus. & Sci. Serv. Bull. 372. Jan. 1959. 169pp. 7 fig. 2 tab. 53 pi. Stein, R. C. 1958 Two populations of the alder flycatcher. N. Y. State Mus. & Sci. Serv. Bull. 371. July 1958. 63pp. 6 fig. 18 tab. In “Outside’’ Media Collins, D. L. 1958 Some spiders of New York State. N. Y. State Conserva- tionist, V. 13, No. 1, pp. 2—4. Aug.-Sept. 1958. 1959 Developments in forest pesticides in New York. New York Forester. May 1959, 16(2) : 22-26 Connor, Paul F. 1959 The bog lemming, Synaptomys cooperi, in southern New Jersey. The Museum, Michigan State University, Biological Series, 1(5): 161-248. 1959 Fenton, W. N. 1959 “Folklore.” (American Indian). Encyclopaedia Britannica. March 3, 1958. 121st Annual Report 57 Kreidler, W. L. 1959 Gas and oil developments in New York State in 1958. Amer. Assn, of Petroleum Geologists, v. 43, No. 6, June 1959, pp. 1139-1143 1959 Gas and oil developments in New York State in 1958. National Oil Scouts & Landsmen’s Association. Yearbook, 1959. Review of 1958. Reilly, E. M. 1959 Eggs and nests. New York State Conservationist, v. 13, No. 6, pp. 22-26. June-July 1959 Ritchie, W. A. 1958 (Review of) The Adena people, No. 2, by W. S. Webb and R. S. Baby. American Antiquity, v. 24, No. 2, pp. 211-212, Oct. 1958 1959 Archeology: Western Hemisphere, Encyclopaedia Britannica, Book of the Year, pp. 50-52. 1959 Van Tyne, A. M. 1958 New York. American Institute of Mining, Metallurgical and Petroleum Engineers. In a volume. Statistics of Oil and Gas Production in 1958. 121st Annual Report 59 Appendix A 1959 Graduate Student Honoraria Recipients Anthropology Buedingen, Columbia Museum survey of Iroquoian $192 Robert W. University (agriculture) materials Taylor, Columbia Cataloging and analyzing Iro- 504 Donna University quois wampum collections in New York State Botany Brodo, Cornell Lichen ecology of Long Island 288 Irwin M. LIniversity Geology Berman, Columbia Petrological and ore genesis study 240 Byrd L. University of Clinton iron beds CUTCLIFFE, Rensselaer Poly- Geological mapping of North 420 William E. technic Institute Troy and Tomhannock quad- Dodd, Princeton rangles Geological mapping of Schune- 504 Robert T., Jr. University munk quadrangle Nugent, University of Stratigraphy and sedimentation 504 Robert C. Rochester study of some Upper Devonian strata Platt, Yale University Geological mapping of Cossayuna 480 Lucian B. Simmons, M. G. Harvard quadrangle Gravity survey of Adirondack 504 University area Zoology Coler, Syracuse Biological, physical, and chemical 504 Robert A. University analyses of a polluted stream Whitaker, CorneO University Natural history of the meadow 408 John 0., Jr. jumping mouse $4,548 60 New York State Museum and Science Service Appendix B Conferences and Professional Meetings in which the Museum and Science Service Staff particijrated. American Anthropological Association, Washington, D. C. — Fenton*, Ritchie* American Association of Museums, annual meeting, Pittsburgh — Cahalane American Ethnological Society, annual and spring meetings. New York and Brooklyn — F enton American Folklore Society, annual meeting. New York — Fenton American Institute of Biological Sciences, Canada — Connor American Institute of Mining Engineers, Bloomington, Indiana — Broughton American Ornithologists Union, annual meeting. New York City — Palmer, Reilly American Philosophical Society Library Committee; Conference on Research in American-Indian Studies — Fenton American Society of Mammalogists, Washington, D. C. — Connor Association of American State Geologists — Broughton Conference on Archeological Sites, LIniversity of Syracuse — Ritchie Conference on Conservation Research, College of Forestry, Syracuse (April) — Broughton, Cahalane, Collins and Fenton Conference of Directors of Systematic Collections, (Research Museums) Gainesville, Florida — Fenton Conference on Moravian Archives, Bethlehem, Pa. — Fenton Conference with U.S.G.S. personnel at Washington — Broughton (with respect to the State Geological Map) Eastern States Archeological Federation, Wilmington, Del. — Gillette, Ritchie* Entomological Society of America, Baltimore, Md. — Collins, Connola, Jamnback Federation of New York State Bird Clubs, Inc., Syracuse — Palmer, Reilly Forest Insect Survey Conference, New Haven, Conn. — Connola Forest Tree Improvement Conference, Beltsville, Md. — Collins Geological Society of Canada — Borst, Isachsen Gypsy Moth Conference, New Haven, Conn. — Campbell (Temporary Expert), Collins, Connola Gypsy Moth Control Conference, New York City — Collins International Conference on Scientific Information, Society for Ethno-history, Washington, D. C. — Fenton Massachusetts Archeological Society, Worcester, Mass. — Ritchie Mohawk-Caughnawaga Museum, Fonda — Gillette Mosquito Control and Wildlife, Washington, D. C. — Collins New Jersey Mosquito Extermination Association, Atlantic City, N. J. — Jamnback New York Academy of Sciences Symposium — Broughton, Isachsen, Offield New York State Air Pollution Control Board — Ogden New York State Archeological Association, Rochester, N. Y. — Fenton, Ritchie* New York State Archeological Association, (Van Epps-Hartley Chapter), Albany — Fenton, Gillette, Ritchie New York State Forest Pest Control Survey — Collins, Connola Read formal paper. 121st Annual Report 61 New York State Geological Association — Borst North American Wildlife Conference, New York City — Palmer Northeastern Forest Pest Council, summer meeting, Boothbay Harbor, Maine — Connola Northeastern Forest Pest Council, Boston, Mass. — Collins, Connola Northeast Museums Conference, Wilmington, Del. — Fenton Northeastern Mosquito Control Association, Boston, Mass. — Jamnback Northeastern Weed Control Conference — Ogden Northern Gas & Oil Scouts Association — Van Tyne Pennsylvania Grade Crude Oil Association — Kreidler, Van Tyne Society for American Archeology, member. Highway Salvage Committee — Ritchie Society of American Foresters, Albany, N. Y. — Collins, Connola Society of American Foresters, New York Section, Syracuse — Collins, Connola U. S. G. S. Geologists’ Conference, Washington, D. C. — Fisher, Richard Wenner-Gren Foundation Viking Fund Awards Dinner, New York City — Fenton, Ritchie Wilson Ornithological Society, Rockland, Maine — Palmer World Petroleum Congress — Kreidler, Van Tyne 62 New York State Museum and Science Service Appendix C Cooperative Work (Service) : Talks given by the staff of State Museum and Science Service to various groups. Adirondack Mountain Club — Collins Alan Devoe Bird Club — Reilly Albany Chapter of Nature Conservancy — Ogden Brown University, Anthropology class — Fenton Castleton Elementary School — Reilly Chatham Central School — Reilly Coeymans-Ravena Garden Club — Wilcox Cohoes Elementary School — Ogden, Reilly Colgate University — Broughton Exchange Club of Albany — Fenton Fort Orange Council, Boy Scouts of America — Reilly Gloversville Garden Club — Reilly Gloversville Rotary Club — Cahalane Guilderland Central School — Reilly Kinderhook Garden Club — Reilly Men’s Garden Club — Wilcox Newburgh Free Academy — Fisher New York State Federation of Garden Clubs — Collins Philip Livingston Junior High School, panel — Reilly Piseco Lake Town Board — Jamnback Saddlewood Elementary School — Wilcox Sanford Memorial Lecture, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute — Fenton Saranac Lake Town Board — Jamnback Social Science Club of Mount Holyoke College — Fenton State University College of Education at Albany, Biology Club — Koster State University College of Education at Albany, panel — Reilly State University College of Education at Oneonta — Koster Tupper Lake Town Board — Jamnback Van Rensselaer Garden Club, Troy — Reilly 121st Annual Report 63 Appendix D: Cooperating Agencies A common function of the Museum and Science Service is to coop- erate with agencies and organizations concerned with museum and research activities in this and other States, with government of U. S. and Canada, with universities and industry in the discovery, analysis and dissemination of scientific information. These contacts are fre- quently of reciprocal services and they arise often out of the personal contacts of the staff, and if so listed would measure individual par- ticipation, but they are here tabulated for the organization. By no means complete, the list indicates ranges of cooperative activity. Adirondack Museum American Cyanamid Co. American Ornithologists Union Brookhaven National Laboratory California Department of Mines California Institute of Technology Canadian Department of Agriculture Canadian Biological Survey Cornell University, College of Agriculture Cranbrook Institute of Science Eastern New York Botanical Club Federation of New York State Bird Clubs Griffiths Air Force Base Harvard University Kansas State College Lament Geological Observatory National Park Service New York Botanical Garden New York State Department of Agriculture & Markets New York State Department of Commerce New York State Department of Conservation New York State Department of Public Works New York State Health Department New York State Highway Department New York State Police Department, B.C.I. Office of Atomic Development Quebec Geological Survey Royal Ontario Museum Shell Chemical Co. St. Bonaventure University State University College of Education at Albany State University College of Education at Oneonta State University College of Ceramics State University College of Forestry State University Harpur College Suffolk County Mosquito Control Commission 64 New York State Museum and Science Service Syracuse University Torrey Botanical Club Town of Webb Union Carbide and Chemical Corporation U. S. Bureau of Mines U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service U. S. Forest Service U. S. Geological Survey U. S. National Museum University of Iowa University of Massachusetts University of Michigan University of Tennessee University of Wisconsin Velsicol Corporation WGY Farm Forum of the Air Appendix E : Professional Affiliations Adirondack Mountain Club, vice chairman — Cahalane (reelected) Albany Club of the Society of the Sigma XI, secretary — Fisher American Ethnological Society, president — Fenton American Folklore Society, president — Fenton American Institute of Mining Engineers, Industrial Minerals Division, chairman. 1959-60 — Broughton American Institute of Mining Engineers, Industrial Minerals Division, secretary-treasurer, 1958-59 — Broughton American Society of Mammalogists, member, Board of Directors — Cahalane Second Conference of Directors of Systematic Collection, (Research Museums), Albany, N. Y., chairman — Fenton Entomological .Society of America, (Section on Shade Trees and Ornamentals of Eastern Branch), chairman — Collins; also member, Program Committee Fifth World Forestry Congress (Section on Wildlife and Recreation), Program Committee, member — Cahalane Grassland Research Foundation, Inc., member, Scientific and Advisory Board — Cahalane Mosquito News, editor — Collins National Parks Association, president — Cahalane New York State Archeological Association, chairman, Committee of Chapters and Memberships — Ritchie New York State Archeological Association, treasurer — Gillette (reelected) Northeastern Forest Pest Council, member for New York State — Collins Northeastern Forest Tree Improvement Committee, member for New York State — Collins Northeastern Mosquito Control Association, president — Jamnback Society of American Foresters, New York Section, member. Committee on Forest Insects and Diseases — Connola Society of Mining Engineers, director, AIME, 1959-60 — Broughton