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LIBRARY
NEW YORK
’BOTANICAL
GARDEN
N ew Y ork State Museum Bulletin
Published by The University of the State of New York
No. 288
ALBANY, N. Y.
July 1931
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Charles C. Adams, Director
TWENTY-FOURTH REPORT OF THE
DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION
OF SCIENCE AND THE
STATE MUSEUM
CONTENTS
PAGE
Foreword 11
A Summary of the Year’s Work 12
Cooperation with State and Other
Organizations 13
Allegany School of Natural History. 15
Relation of the Museum to Schools
and Colleges 16
Museum Attendance 17
Information and Publicity 17
Condition of the Exhibition Halls,
Exhibits and Study Collections. . 18
Printing and Publications 19
Photography and Drafting 20
Historical Collections and Allied
Matters 20
Scientific Staff and its Activities. . . 23
Retirement of Jacob Van Deloo. . . 27
Staff Changes 28
Museum Collaborators 28
Museum Council 29
Annual Financial and Statistical
Summary 29
PAGE
Financial Status of the State
Museum 31
Needs of the State Museum 33
Museum Accessions for the Year. . 35
Annual Bibliography of the. State
Museum 40
The Importance of Establishing
Natural History Reservations for
Research and Education
Charles C. Adams 51
The Public Functions of the Divi-
sion of Science and State Museum
Charles C. Adams 61
Some Museum Methods Developed
in the New York State Museum
Rudolf Ruedemann and
Winifred Goldring 71
The Wampum Belt Collection of
the New York State Museum
Noah T. Clarke 85
Index 123
ALBANY
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
1931
M268r-Je30-iooo
THE UNIVERSITY OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK
Regents of the University
With years when terms expire
1934 Chester S. Lord M.A., LL.D Chancellor - - Brooklyn
1932 James Byrne B.A., LL.B., LL.D., Vice Chancellor New York
1943 Thomas J. Mangan M.A., LL.D. Binghamton
1933 William J. Wallin M.A. ------- Yonkers
1935 William Bondy M.A., LL.B., Ph.D., D.C.L. - New York
1941 Robert W. Higbie M.A., LL.D. ----- Jamaica
1938 Roland B. Woodward M.A. - ----- Rochester
1937 Mrs Herbert Lee Pratt L.H.D. - - - - New York
1939 Wm Leland Thompson B.A. ------ Troy
1936 John Lord O’Brian B.A., LL.B., LL.D. - - Buffalo
1940 Grant C. Madill M.D., LL.D. - - - - - Ogdenshurg
1942 George Hopkins Bond Ph.M., LL.B., LL.D. - Syracuse
President of the University and Commissioner of Education
Frank P. Graves Ph.D., Litt.D., L.H.D., LL.D.
Deputy Commissioner and Counsel
Ernest E. Cole LL.B., Pd.D., LL.D.
Assistant Commissioner for Higher and Professional Education
PIarlan H. Horner M.A., Pd.D.
Assistant Commissioner for Secondary Education
George M. Wiley M.A., Pd.D., LL.D.
Assistant Commissioner for Elementary Education
J. Cayce Morrison M.A., Ph.D.
Assistant Commissioner for Vocational and Extension Education
Lewis A. Wilson D.Sc.
Assistant Commissioner for Finance
Alfred D. Simpson M.A., Ph.D.
Director of State Library
James I. Wyer M.L.S., Pd.D.
Director of Science and State Museum
Charles C. Adams M.S., Ph.D., D.Sc.
Directors of Divisions
Administration, Lloyd L. Cheney B.A., Pd.D.
Archives and History, Alexander C. Flick M.A., Litt.D., Ph.D.,
LL.D.
Attendance, Charles L. Mosher Ph.M.
Educational Research, Warren W. Coxe B.S., Ph.D.
Examinations and Inspections, Avery W. Skinner B.A., Pd.D.
Health and Physical Education, Frederick R. Rogers M.A., Ph.D.
Law, Irwin Esmond Ph.B., LL.B.
Library Extension, Frank L. Tolman Ph.B., Pd.D.
Motion Picture, James Wingate 'M.A. , Pd.D.
School Buildings and Grounds, Joseph H. Hixson M.A.
Teacher Training, Herman J. Magee M.A., Ph.D.
Visual Instruction, Alfred W. Abrams Ph.B.
New York State Education Department
The State Museum, February ip, IP30
The Honorable Frank P. Graves
President of the University and
Commissioner of Education
Sir: I beg to submit herewith the report of the Director of the
State Museum for the period from July i, 1928, to June 30, 1929.
Very respectfully
Charles C. Adams
Director
THE LEGAL STATUS OF THE NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
[New York State Education Law]
§ 53 Departments and their government. The state library and state
museum shall be departments of the university, and the regents may establish
such other departments and divisions therein as they shall deem useful in the
discharge of their duties.
§ 54 State museum; how constituted. All scientific specimens and collec-
tions, works of art, objects of historic interest and similar property appropriate
to a general museum, if owned by the state and not placed in other custody
by a specific law, shall constitute the state museum, and one of its officers shall
annually inspect all such property not kept in the state museum rooms, and the
annual report of the museum to the legislature shall include summaries of
such property, with its location, and any needed recommendations as to its
safely or usefulness. The state museum shall include the work of the state
geologist and paleontologist, the state botanist and the state entomologist, who,
with their assistants, shall be included in the scientific staff of the state museum.
§ 55 Collections made by the staff. Any scientific collection made by a
member of the museum staff during his term of office shall, unless otherwise
authorized by resolution of the regents, belong to the state and form part of
the state museum.
§ 56 Indian collection. There shall be made, as the Indian section of the
state museum, as complete a collection as practicable of the historical, eth-
nographic and other records and relics of the Indians of the state of New York,
including implements or other articles pertaining to their domestic life, agri-
culture, the chase, war, religion, burial and other rites or customs, or otherwise
connected with the Indians of New York.
§ 1 1 15 Transfers from state officers. The librarian of any library owned
by the state, or the officer in charge of any state department bureau, board,
commission or other, office may, with the approval of the regents, transfer to
the permanent custody of the state library or museum any books, papers, maps,
manuscripts, specimens or other articles which, because of being duplicates or
for other reasons, will in his judgment be more useful to the state in the state
library or museum than if retained in his keeping.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE STATE MUSEUM
“The Museum is the natural scientific center of the State government ; it is
the natural depository of all the material brought together by the state sur-
veys ; it is the natural custodian of all purely scientific state records ; it is the
natural center of the study of the resources of the State as a political unit ;
it must maintain its capacity for productiveness in pure scientific research —
pure science has been the justification of the State Museum from the begin-
ning of its history. * *' * In brief, the distinctive sphere and scope of the
State Museum corresponds with the scientific interests and welfare of the
people within the geographic boundaries of the State.
“The truest measure of civilization and of intelligence in the government
of a state is the support of its institutions of science, for the science of our
time in its truest sense is not the opinions or prejudices, the strength or weak-
ness of its votaries, it is the sum of our knowledge of nature with its infinite
applications to State welfare, to State progress and to the distribution of
human happiness.” — Henry Fairfield Osborn, an address delivered at the dedi-
cation of the New York State Education Building, October 15, 1912.
THE FUNCTONS OF A MUSEUM
“A museum is an institution for the preservation of those objects which
best illustrate the phenomena of nature and the works of man, and the utiliza-
tion of these for the increase of knowledge and for the culture and enlighten-
ment of the people.
“In addition to local accessories, the opportunity for exploration and field
work are equally essential, not only because of considerations connected with
the efficiency of the staff * * * but in behalf of the general welfare of the
[3]
institution. Other things being equal, exploration can be carried on more
advantageously by the museum than by any other institution of learning, and
there is no other field or research which it can pursue to better advantage.
“To aid the occasional inquirer, be he a laboring man, schoolboy, journalist,
public speaker, or savant, to obtain, without cost, exact information upon any
subject related to the specialties of the institution; serving thus as a ‘bureau
of information.’
“A museum to be useful and reputable must be constantly engaged in ag-
gressive work either in education or investigation, or in both.
“A museum which is not aggressive in policy and constantly improving can
not retain in its service a competent staff and will surely fall into decay.
“A finished museum is a dead museum, and a dead museum is a useless
museum.” — G. Brown Goode, formerly assistant secretary, Smithsonian
Institution.
[4l
Museum Committee of the Board of Regents
Wm Leland Thompson, Chairman
John Lord O’Brian
William Bondy
State Museum Council
Benjamin Walworth Arnold
Thomas D. Thacher
Owen D. Young
Pierrepont B. Noyes
Orange L. Van Horne
State Museum Staff
Charles C. Adams Ph.D., D.Sc
Alvin G. Whitney A.B1
Jacob Van Deloo 2
Rudolf Ruedemann Ph.D
David H. Newland B.A
Robert D. Glasgow Ph.D
Homer D. House Ph.D
Chris A. Hartnagel M.A
Winifred Goldring M.A
Sherman C. Bishop Ph.D.3. . . .
Kenyon F. Chamberlain
Elsie G. Whitney A.M.4
Noah T. Clarke
Neil Hotchkiss M.A.5
Edwin J. Stein
Walter J. Schoonmaker
Arthur Paladin
Clinton F. Kilfoyle
Director of the Museum
Assistant Director and Secretary
Secretary
State Paleontologist
..State Geologist
.State Entomologist
State Botanist
Assistant State Geologist
Associate Paleontologist
Zoologist
. . .Assistant State Entomologist
Assistant State Botanist
Archeologist
Technical Assistant
T echnical Assistant
Technical Assistant
Technical Assistant
Technical Assistant
1 Appointed April I, 1929.
2 Retired November 1, 1928.
3 Resigned August 31, 1928.
4 Appointed April 15, 1929.
5 Resigned February 16, 1929.
[5]
Honorary Curators
William L. Bryant Honorary Curator of Fossil Fishes
Benjamin W. Arnold Honorary Curator of Ornithology
Harry S. Peck Honorary Curator of Minerals
Collaborator
Professor George H. Hudson
Temporary Scientific Appointments
R. J. Colony M.A
Nelson C. Dale Ph.D
A. F. Buddington Ph.D.. .
Allen C. Tester Ph.D
L. W. Ploger M.S
Aretas A. Saunders Ph.B..
F. W. Emerson Ph.D
William L. Lassiter M.A.
.Assistant Geologist
.Assistant Geologist
.Assistant Geologist
.Assistant Geologist
.Assistant Geologist
.Assistant Zoologist
. .Assistant Botanist
Assistant Historian
[6]
N ew Y ork State Museum Bulletin
Published by The University of the State of New York
No. 288 ALBANY, N. Y.
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Charles C. Adams, Director
July 1931
TWENTY-FOURTH REPORT OF THE
DIRECTOR OF THE DIVISION
OF SCIENCE AND THE
STATE MUSEUM
CONTENTS
PAGE
Foreword 1 1
A Summary of the Year's Work. .. . 12
Cooperation with State and Other
Organizations 13
Allegany School of N atural History. 1 5
Relation of the Museum to Schools
and Colleges 16
Museum Attendance 17
Information and Publicity 17
Condition of the Exhibition Halls,
Exhibits and Study Collections . . 18
Printing and Publications 19
Photography and Drafting 20
Historical Collections and Allied
Matters 20
Scientific Staff and its Activities. . . 23
Retirement of Jacob Van Deloo. . . 27
Staff Changes 28
Museum Collaborators 28
Museum Council 29
Annual Financial and Statistical
Summary 29
PAGE
Financial Status of the State
Museum 31
Needs of the State Museum 33
Museum Accessions for the Year. . 35
Annual Bibliography of the State
Museum 40
The Importance of Establishing
Natural History Reservations for
Research and Education
Charles C. Adams 51
The Public Functions of the Divi-
sion of Science and State Museum
Charles C. Adams 61
Some Museum Methods Developed
in the New York State Museum
Rudolf Ruedemann and
Winifred Goldring 71
The Wampum Belt Collection of
the New York State Museum
Noah T. Clarke 85
Index
Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2017 with funding from
IMLS LG-70-15-0138-15
https://archive.org/details/newyorkstatemuse2881newy
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
9
ILLUSTRATIONS
Figure i Frontispiece. New York State Education Building. On the upper
floors is the home of the New York State Museum.
Figure 2 Group of pupils from the Hooper School, Endwell, N. Y., visiting
the State Museum, under the direction of E. W. Neff.
Figure 3 The Endwell school children assembled about the state relief map
in the State Museum.
Figure 4 Bronze statue of Joseph Henry, in front of the Albany Academy,
where he attended, taught and made important discoveries in electro-magnetism.
Sculptor John Flanagan.
Figure 5 Albany Academy, Albany, N. Y., showing the setting of the
Joseph Henry statue. The room on the second floor behind the statue was
the place of his important discoveries.
Figure 6 The Ainsworth gold medal. Presented by Dr James Hall to his
legislative supporters of his geological and paleontological studies.
Figure 7 The herb factory or warehouse of the Niskayuna Shakers, near
Albany, N. Y. In this building was found a herb collection and many of the
tools used in their preparation.
Figure 8 Shaker herb press used for compressing herbs, Niskayuna Shakers,
near Albany, N. Y.
Figure 9 A view of the herb room in the warehouse shown in figure 7,
Niskayuna Shakers, near Albany, N. Y.
Figure 10 A small loom used by the Niskayuna Shakers, near Albany,
N. Y.
Figure 11 Section of case to show submarine life in New York State
Museum. (From Bather, 1926, p. 222, fig. 5).
Figure 12 Growth stages of the eurypterid Stylonurus, modeled in plasticine
and cast in plaster of Paris.
Figure 13 Restoration of the cephalopod Rhyticeras, modeled in plasticine
and cast in plaster of Paris.
Figure 14 Restoration of the cephalopod Manticoceras, modeled in plasti-
cine and cast in plaster of Paris.
Figure 15 The coral Romingeria, etched out by suspension in acid.
Figure 16 The coral Syringopora hisingeri, etched out by siphon arrange-
ment. Lateral view.
Figure 17 Top view of large stock of the coral Syringopora maclurei, etched
out by siphon arrangement.
Figure 18 Group of coral sections made transparent by shellac.
Figure 19 The Hiawatha Belt. Considered the original record of the
formation of the Iroquois League of the Five Nations. It is one of the most
important and valuable wampum belts in existence.
Figure 20 The Washington Covenant Belt. Used during the presidency of
George Washington as a covenant of peace between the thirteen original colo-
nies and the Six Nations of the Iroquois. This is one of the finest examples
of workmanship of this nature.
Figure 21 Belt To Mark the Sight of the First Pale Faces. The purple
diagonal lines were used to signify agreement and were symbols of props, or
supports, to the Long House of the Iroquois.
Figure 22 The Champlain Belt. The five white circles symbolized the Five
Nations of the Iroquois into whose country Champlain penetrated in 1609.
Figure 23 Penobscot Council Belt. Used to symbolize the authority for
the Council’s action.
Figure 24 Fort Stanwix Treaty Belt. Passed at the signing of the treaty
between the Six Nations and the United States at Fort Stanwix on October 22,
1784-
Figure 25 Small wampum of unknown origin.
10
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Figure 26 Council Summons Belt. Used in calling a meeting of various
clans. It has been referred tc as an alliance between the Iroquois and the
Seven Nations of Canada.
Figure 27 Treaty Belt Signifying “friendship” by its white background,
and “support” by the diagonal bars, of which it originally had five.
Figure 28 Remembrance Belt. Variously interpreted as signifying some
treachery. The cross was used, on occasion, to signify French Canada. In this
instance it possibly denotes a guarded path to the council fire.
Figure 29 Caughnawaga Belt. To commemorate the event of these Indians
joining the St Regis Indians on a Christian basis, leaving forever their crooked
path for that of the cross.
Figure 30 Seneca Condolence Belt. Dark beaded belts conveyed the idea
of sorrow. This was used in mourning councils by the Senecas when new
names and sachems were “raised up.”
Figure 31 Huron Alliance Belt. Commemorating an affiliation with a
neighboring tribe. It became a Seneca belt in 1650 and was removed to
Canada after the American Revolution.
Figure 32 Ransom Belt. It was a symbol for the authority invested in
women to intercede on behalf of prisoners.
Figure 33 Lewis H. Morgan Belt. Made in 1850 from beads once in the
possession of the celebrated Mohawk war chief, Joseph Brant.
Figure 34 Wing, or Dust Fan of Council President. The Ever-growing
Tree which was displayed whenever the constitution of the Six Nations was
recited. The widest belt known to exist.
Figure 35 To-ta-da-ho Belt. A chain of friendship always “to be kept
bright.” Displayed by the principal chief at the Six Nations Council. Also
called the Presidentia and is the second widest belt known to exist.
Figure 36 Wolf Belt. A Mohawk National Belt. The white background
and central figures denote peace and friendship ; guarded by wolves at' either end.
Figure 37 Alliance Belt. Once thought to have marked the admittance of
the Tuscaroras in 1713 to the League of the Five Nations. It, however, orig-
inally contained seven diagonal bars instead of six.
Figure 38 Five Nations Alliance Belt. Said to have been in the custody
of Mary Jemison (the white captive of the Senecas). Originally had five
diamond-shaped figures and possibly divided because of the nonagreement of
two nations at a council meeting.
Figure 39 Gyantwaka Treaty Belt. A portion of a much longer belt which
was given to the Seneca Chief, Cornplanter, when the treaty of the Cornplanter
Reservation was consummated.
Figure 40 Cornplanter Condolence Belt. Personal belt of the noted Seneca
civil chief, Cornplanter. Mourning was indicated by purple beads and such
a belt was exhibited at ceremonial rites for deceased sachems.
Figure 41 General Eli S. Parker Belt. Held by the Keeper of the West
Door, or Do-ne-ho-ga-wa, of the Long house.
Figure 42 Nomination Belt. Used by Seneca women in their power to
choose, nominate and confirm the “raising up” of civil chiefs.
Figure 43 Hospitality, or Welcome Belt. Reputed to be a Canadian
Mohawk belt used by the presiding officer in welcoming visiting delegates to
the council.
Figure i New York State Education Building
On the upper floors is the home of the New York State Museum
OCT 2 1 1231
library
NEW YORK
botanical
uarobk
TWENTY-FOURTH REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
OF THE DIVISION OF SCIENCE AND
THE STATE MUSEUM
By Charles C. Adams Ph.D.
FOREWORD
Although the Division of Science and the State Museum has been
constantly engaged in scientific and economic studies of the natural
resources of the State for more than 90 years, there are many citizens
who have no definite idea of what this state fact-finding bureau does
or has been doing for this period beyond its museum exhibits. Dur-
ing its long history there has been a natural growth and develop-
ment so that its scientific, economic and industrial studies, surveys
and collections illustrating the mineral, plant and animal resources, as
well as the history and industries of the State, have become of great
value and importance. This agency is today the central official state
scientific, historical and industrial research and museum agency,
viewed in its most comprehensive sense. The museum exhibits are
in reality a permanent exposition of the State’s natural resources —
mineral, plant, animal and human, although of course, all aspects
have not been equally developed for lack of space and funds. Inter-
esting and important as are the exhibits to the general public, how-
ever, they do not represent the most important part of the work of
the Division of Science and the State Museum, because its major
activities consist of state wide, scientific and economic studies by its
staff, of the mineral, plant, animal and human resources of the
State in their economic and social aspects. These fact-finding studies
are of the utmost importance and were so recognized nearly 90 years
ago, before the State had become so thoroughly urbanized and indus-
trialized. At that time the older survey methods alone were satis-
factory, and although certain of these older methods must be con-
tinued indefinitely, they are in themselves inadequate for the present
intensive industrial use which characterizes modern times. The next
important step of advance is to provide adequately for more inten-
sive scientific and technical studies, both in the field and in the
laboratories, in order to adapt these studies more thoroughly to
modern times. Adequate space for the laboratories, offices, storage
facilities and exhibition rooms that are now necessary can be pro-
vided for only by a new modern museum building.
[n]
12
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
This report covers the fiscal year ending June 30, 1929, and its
field is restricted to administrative matters, and to allied museum and
scientific policies.
A SUMMARY OF THE YEAR’S WORK
Among the outstanding results of the fiscal year has been the con-
tinuation of the state wide, scientific surveys of the geology and
natural history of the State. Of the 279 quadrangles of the federal
topographic maps covering this State, modern geological work has
been published by the Museum on only about 66 quadrangles. The
state work is yet incomplete or is unpublished on about 16 quad-
rangles. These quadrangles range from 212 to 227 square miles
in area. Such surveys are never completed, at least so long as the
State is prosperous, because new economic and social conditions are
constantly arising and making new uses and new demands upon these
resources. During the present year intensive field studies were con-
tinued on the following eight quadrangles — Hammon, Antwerp,
Oswegatchie, Schunemunk, Randolph, Cattaraugus, Berne and
Catskill, thus representing the western, northern and southern parts
of the State. A special comprehensive economic study was begun
of the limestones in the lower Hudson valley, with particular atten-
tion to their relation to the cement industry.
The regular annual compilation of the statistics of the mines and
quarries of the State has been continued in cooperation with the
United States Bureau of Census and the Bureau of Mines. This
gives us the best summary of the activity in this field and shows that
the State stands eleventh among the states in the value of its mineral
products, amounting to over $112,000,000.
The biological survey of the plants about the vicinity of Oneida
lake and also in the Allegany State Park has been continued. A
popular handbook on the fleshy fungi, the mushrooms and their
allies, has been completed and will soon be printed. This very
valuable gift to the Museum was made by the cooperation of Dr
Howard Kelly of the Johns Hopkins University, Dr C. H. Kauffman
of the University of Michigan Herbarium, and Charles M. Win-
chester sr, of Albany, N. Y. This handbook, with its numerous
drawings, photographs and beautifully colored plates, will be a valu-
able and convenient botanical contribution that will prove of much
educational and popular interest.
Cooperative studies of the corn borer were continued with the
State Department of Agriculture and Markets, and a study was
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
13
begun of a greenhouse cockroach and the narcissus bulb pests of
Long Island, with the same department, and in cooperation with the
proprietors of the greenhouses and certain producers of these bulbs.
Another cooperative project was begun on the insect pests of orna-
mental trees and shrubs. Residents of the Adirondacks, having
become keenly aroused over the great discomfort and economic loss
to the region by blackflies, punkies and mosquitoes, called upon
Governor Roosevelt for assistance. The matter was referred to the
State Museum, and the State Entomologist revived the efforts,
begun nearly 30 years ago, but discontinued for lack of funds, to
study these insect pests with an idea of improving conditions about
human habitations. As Museum funds were inadequate for this
problem, private subscriptions were pledged to finance the survey,
which began in June just as this report closes.
The general zoological studies have included a continuation of a
survey of the mammals about the vicinity of Albany, giving special
attention to the economically important woodchuck. A handbook
has been completed on Bird Song, giving an excellent popular account
of this phase of birds and adding greatly to our original knowledge
of this subject. A field study and report was begun on birds’ nests,
another subject of general and educational interest.
In the field of history and archeology the most significant addition
has been an important collection of household and agricultural objects
and implements presented by Silas W. Smith of Glens Falls and
Harriet E. Lutman of Painted Post, N. Y.
The Museum exhibits continue to attract more than 200,000 visi-
tors annually and thus furnish to the public recreational education
to the value of at least $200,000 a year.
Interest has increased in the plans of the Legislative Commission
(for 1925) for a new State Museum building, facing the Educa-
tion Building, on State street in Albany, thus completing the pro-
posed civic center. The proposed building would house not only the
scientific and historic collection of the State Museum but would be
a permanent exposition of the resources of the State in relation to
industry, science and education.
COOPERATION WITH STATE AND OTHER
ORGANIZATIONS
The location of the Division of Science and the State Museum
at Albany greatly facilitates cooperation with other branches of the
State Government. The extensive files of records and the large
14
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
study collections make it the natural repository and a bureau of
information on a great variety of subjects falling within the field
of the Museum. This central state agency has cooperated with
other bureaus as follows :
1 United States Bureau of Mines and the Bureau of Census,
Washington, D. C. On the annual state census of mineral
statistics.
2 New York State Department of Agriculture and Markets. Co-
operative experiments on the control of greenhouse and
bulb pests.
3 New York State Department of Conservation. The Director
of the Museum is a member of the State Council of Parks.
4 State Department of Law, Office of the Attorney General.
Cooperation with Office of Land Titles on the purchase of
mineral lands in the Adirondacks and on other legal problems.
5 State Department of Public Works. On the geological conditions
on the site of the State Prison at Attica.
6 Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences, Buffalo, N. Y. Cooperation
on the conduct of the Allegany School of Natural History in
the Allegany State Park.
7 University of Buffalo, Buffalo, N. Y. Affiliated with the
Allegany School of Natural History.
8 Colgate University, Department of Geology and Geography,
Hamilton, N. Y. Cooperation on a geological survey of the
Morrisville Quadrangle.
9 Cooperation within the Education Department : State Library,
exchanges of Museum publications ; Archives and History
Division ; Department Editor, on the publication of Bird
and Arbor Day numbers of the Bulletin to the Schools, and
the State Board of Geographic Names.
10 Dr Rudolf Ruedemann has cooperated with more than 30
geologists in the preparation of a two-volume Geology of
North America.
11 Dana Natural History Society. Cooperation on a lecture on birds
to Albany school children, on Bird Day, by Edward Avis.
12 American Society of Mammalogists. The Director was a member
of two committees; one on wild life sanctuaries and the other
on the study of life histories of mammals.
13 Princeton University, on geological survey of the Potsdam and
Rosendale Quadrangles.
14 Armstrong Brothers of Poughkeepsie, on a study of the insect
pests of ornamental shrubs and trees.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
15
15 Several Long Island narcissus bulb growers have actively cooper-
ated financially with the State Entomologist, of the Museum
staff, on methods of controlling the insect pests of these
plants.
16 Residents of the Adirondacks sought the cooperation of the
State Entomologist of the Museum to assist in improving the
black fly, mosquito and punkie conditions about habitations.
They assisted in a substantial manner financially.
ALLEGANY SCHOOL OF NATURAL HISTORY
The second session of the school began July 7 and closed August
25, 1928. This is an outdoor school of natural history conducted in
cooperation with the Buffalo Society of Natural Sciences in affilia-
tion with the University of Buffalo and with the hearty cooperation
of the Commissioners of the Allegany State Park. The State
Museum is responsible for the educational policy of the school, and
it furnishes a field base for members of the Museum staff who are
conducting the geological and natural history surveys or special
researches in the Allegany Park and its vicinity.
This is the first and only school of this character in the State,
and it supplements the customary teaching in the natural history
sciences, that are taught primarily by the laboratory method in
schools and colleges.
The supervision of the camp and the furnishing of lodging, board
etc. for the school are conducted by the Buffalo Society of Natural
Sciences, of which Mr Chauncey J. Hamlin is president and, as well,
a Commissioner of the Allegany State Park. Throughout the plans
for this school it has had the cooperation of the Commissioners
of the Allegany State Park, the president of which is A. T. Fancher.
An Announcement and a Circular give details regarding the conduct
of the school. Dr R. E. Coker is the director of the school. His
report on the sessions of 1927 and 1928 and other publications on
the school are listed below :
Coker, R. E. 1929. Allegany School of Natural History. First Annual
Report. 67th Ann. Rep’t Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci., p. 44-59.
1929a. The Allegany School of Natural History. Second Annual
Report. 68th Ann. Rep’t Buffalo Soc. Nat. Sci., p. 66-74.
Taylor, Norman. 1928. The vegetation of the Allegany State Park. N. Y.
State Mus. Hdbk. 5:1-126
Zimmer, Carl. 1929. Die Allegany School of Natural History. Der Natur-
forscher, 6 Jahrgang, p. 41-44 (illustrated)
The geological and natural history studies and surveys conducted
for the Museum at the school include geological work by Professor
i6
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
A. C. Tester, on the Randolph quadrangle; and studies of the vegeta-
tion of the “Big Basin,” a large forested tract, by Dr F. W. Emer-
son. Norman Taylor’s Handbook, The Vegetation of the Allegany
State Park, has now been published. A. A. Saunders began a
special study of the butterflies of the park region. These studies
and publications not only give a popular account of the region that
is of value to the school, and to the visitors and campers in the
park, but are likewise a contribution to the natural history and
biological survey of the State. The handbooks already published
have proved to be of considerable value to the schools and colleges
of the State and elsewhere.
RELATION OF THE MUSEUM TO SCHOOLS
AND COLLEGES
(Figs. 2 and 3)
The relation of the Museum to the school system and colleges
of the State (and to other states) includes the extensive distribution
of its various publications, also the volumes and portfolios of colored
plates of birds and wild flowers, and as well, cooperation with the
Department Editor, on the Bird Day and Arbor Day numbers of
Bulletin to the Schools. For many years it has also been the
custom to cooperate with the Dana Natural History Society of
Albany, on a public lecture on birds for the Albany school children.
The records of the Museum custodian or guide show that 175
classes of pupils visited the Museum during the year. The follow-
ing 21 counties were represented : Albany, Greene, Rensselaer,
Schenectady, Columbia, Washington, Montgomery, Herkimer,
Dutchess, Warren, Schoharie, Delaware, Broome, Oneida, Bronx,
Fulton, Chenango, Rochester, St Lawrence, Otsego and Madison.
These school children came largely by bus or automobile. This is
a very creditable showing for the schools and is a phase of school
work that deserves much more attention on the part of public school
officials. Less than 20 per cent of these pupils were required to
make a report on their excursion. It would be well for most teachers
to request such reports. Copies of the reports which have come to
the Museum in the past show that these children gain much from
these visits.
The classes from the cities average 35 and from) the rural dis-
tricts about 20 pupils. The college students from Albany, Schenec-
tady, Troy and Williamstown, Mass., visit the Museum regularly.
The total pupil and student attendance was 4750.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
1 7
Frequent requests come to the Museum from teachers and school
officials for loan collections, or assistance on the unidentified col-
lections which they already have but can not use properly.
MUSEUM ATTENDANCE
The total attendance estimate for the year is about 210,000
visitors. The Sunday attendance, by actual count, is 46,321. The
greatest number on a single day was February 17, 1929, with an
attendance of 2326.
From about June 1st to Labor Day, the active tourist season, the
visitors are from all parts of the United States and Canada. To
these tourists the State Museum is the main permanent state expo-
sition of the natural resources of the State. These visitors give much
time and attention to the exhibits and show a keen appreciation of
what they see. It is not unusual for them to spend several hours
looking over the exhibits.
At a time when there is considerable talk about the need of
advertising the State, there is not a full appreciation of the value of
these exhibits and how the value could be increased if they were
expanded as they should be.
The attendance for the remainder of the year is mainly from
citizens of the State, while the Sunday visitors are largely those
from Albany and vicinity. Those attending the many conventions
in Albany often visit the Museum.
The preceding calculations show that for a city the size of Albany
this is a large attendance. It is fair to estimate that the people of
the State and their summer touring guests are annually receiving
educational recreation free that would otherwise cost them over
$200,000, or nearly three times as much as the annual budget of
the State Museum.
INFORMATION AND PUBLICITY
There has been the usual amount of correspondence with those
seeking information on the natural resources and the plant and the
insect pests. The limited funds available for traveling tend to dis-
courage the staff from making lecture engagements, unless such
engagements are able to provide these for the speakers. In spite
of this limitation the staff has given 24 lectures and has reached
about 1500 persons, in nine counties, as follows: Albany, Dutchess,
Hamilton, Herkimer, Monroe, Onondaga, Schenectady, Suffolk and
Westchester. One lecture was given out of the State.
i8
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Assistance is given the press whenever possible, and the Announce -
ment of the Allegany School of Natural History and its advertise-
ments in the magazines have helped to reach a larger public.
CONDITION OF THE EXHIBITION HALLS,
EXHIBITS AND STUDY COLLECTIONS
The exhibition halls have been considerably improved by repairing
the leaks in the skylights, and there has been progress on the
refinishing of the walls, particularly in Zoology Hall. The stone-
work throughout the exhibition halls was cleaned during the winter
months, and also the skylights in the Hall of Paleontology. The
renovation of the exhibit of mounted fishes has been begun by Mr
Paladin. The locks on many cases in Zoology Hall have been
repaired and the doors fitted. The crowded condition of the halls
and limited funds have retarded the progress of new exhibits. This
is an unfortunate condition because the visiting public tends to lose
interest in exhibits that do not change.
The most notable additions to the collections, besides those made
by the staff during regular field work, have been the gift of
the Hudson Collection of insects and the Smith and Lutman col-
lections of historic objects. The additions to the collections are
given in the list of Accessions.
Dr Glasgow reports as follows on the Hudson Collection :
An extremely valuable collection of insects has been given to the
New York State Museum by Professor George H. Hudson, who,
previous to his recent retirement, had served for many years as head
of the department of biology of the New York State Normal School
at Plattsburg. This collection contains more than 10,000 specimens,
and includes several types. It is particularly rich in butterflies
and moths, but many of the other major groups of insects, like those
which include, respectively, the beetles, the flies, the bees and wasps,
the grasshoppers, the true bugs, the tree hoppers, the dragon flies,
and several other groups, are well represented. The collection was
made almost entirely at Plattsburg and in neighboring territory, and
brings to the State Museum an excellent representation of the
insects of the extreme northeastern part of the State.
The lack of satisfactory and safe storage space is a very serious
menace to the collections and the growth of the Museum. This
condition is growing more acute each year, and the only real solution
seems to be a new building for the exclusive use of the State
Museum.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
19
PRINTING AND PUBLICATIONS
“After all it is the written word that lives.”
— Dr IV. M. Beauchamp
In the case of a fact-finding and research organization such as
the Museum, publication is a vital necessity. It is one of the best
tests of its functional ability and efficiency. The quality and
quantity of its publications are thus of the greatest importance. The
constant demand throughout the scientific and scholarly world for
the Museum publications, and the great quantity of publications
sent to the Museum and the State Library in exchange for them,
show that the public values them highly. A large number of other
states conduct investigations similar to those of the Museum on
various phases of geology, paleontology, botony, zoology and history,
including archeology and ethnology, and are therefore eager to
exchange their publications for our own. This demand has been
an important influence in building up the State Library series of
public documents.
Scientists are often willing to work for the Museum, even on
inadequate salary, with the prospect that the Museum will print
their results, as part compensation for their work. Prompt publica-
tion is only fair to authors under such circumstances.
Under the present policy, the sales of the Museum publications
have returned to the State many thousands of dollars. The clerical
labor and expense of caring for this is a severe drain on our limited
help, and yet none of these funds are available to continue the pro-
duction of new or similar works. In fact, the more successful
and popular a publication is, the more the Museum is penalized by
the extra work demanded to care for requests with no corresponding
increase of help and funds to meet these demands.
A revolving fund, large enough to function for at least 10 years,
would aid this situation. Sales would replenish it and allow a cer-
tain amount of flexibility that would hasten publication. Annual
provision could be made to care for the free copies, such as exchange
to other states, libraries, educational institutions etc., which should
not be allowed to drain the revolving fund. Permission could also
be given for the use of such materials for legitimate educational
purposes meeting with the approval of the Regents.
The inventory of the older publications continues slowly, but as
rapidly as limited help can extend this work. It will require several
years, at the present rate of progress, to complete this.
A gift of $2000 toward publication was expended during the year.
This was greatly appreciated as it materially hastened printing.
20
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
The retirement of Jacob Van Deloo as secretary, upon whom
much of the editorial work fell, in cooperation with the authors,
ended a long and efficient service, particularly in connection with
the printing work of the Museum. Mr Van Deloo’s knowledge of
the Museum publications was unsurpassed and the vast amount of
work which he did on them was appreciated by the staff.
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DRAFTING
Important additional photographic equipment has been secured, so
that field parties are improving their photographs. Mr Stein made
during the year 656 negatives, 1085 photographic prints, 27 enlarge-
ments, 75 lantern slides, many labels and 150 drawings.
Cameras and films are furnished by the Museum to the field
parties, and the negatives are developed by Mr Stein. By this
method a careful standardized treatment is secured in contrast with
the usual unequal and often defective results.
A real beginning has been made on cataloging the negatives. This
accumulation of years will require considerable time to complete,
but it will simplify the work and ultimately save much time.
The amount of photographic work has increased considerably
and more help is needed to care for it promptly. As soon as pos-
sible Mr Stein should be relieved of at least most of the store-
keeping duties, as originally intended.
HISTORICAL COLLECTIONS AND ALLIED MATTERS
(Figures 4-10)
“I warmly sympathize with the ambition expressed in your annual report
to have this Museum more than a mere zoologic or scientific museum. It
should be a museum of arts and letters as well as a museum of natural history.
. . . There should be here a representation of all our colonial and revolu-
tionary life. There should be in this museum for the instruction and inspi-
ration of our people, a full representation of American history since the
time when New York cast off its provincial character and became an integral
portion of the American republic.” — Theodore Roosevelt’s address at the open-
ing of the Ne'w York State Museum, December 29, 1916.
As a part of the general program to build up the general col-
lections illustrating the history of the State, special attention is
being given to preserve and commemorate important scientific achieve-
ments and the inventions of notable personages. The former
Director, Dr John M. Clarke, was the leader in the movement to
commemorate, in a beautiful bronze statue, Dr Joseph Henry’s epoch-
making discoveries in electro-magnetism (figures 4 and 5).
Although Doctor Clarke initiated this plan he did not live to see
its realization, which was concluded under the auspices of the
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
21
Albany Institute of History and Art and the Albany Academy. The
sculptor is John Flanagan. On October 18, 1928, took place the
unveiling of this statue, which stands in front of the Albany
Academy, where Henry rang the first bell by electricity. For earlier
accounts of this movement see :
Clarke, J. M. 1918. Thirteenth Report of the Director of the State Museum
and Science Department for 1916. N. Y. State Mus. Bui., 196:14
• 1919. Fifteenth Report of the Director of the State Museum and
Science Department. N. Y. State Mus. Bui., 219-20:14-15
Finley, J. H. 1928. Doctor Finley Speaks at Unveiling of the Henry Monu-
ment. Univ. State of N. Y. Bulletin to the Schools, 15 :62
Gerhardi, Bancroft. 1917. Joseph Henry’s Experiments in the Albany
Academy, 1827-32, Interpreted in the Light of the Present Day. p. 1-12.
Univ. State of N. Y. (only 300 copies printed)
Rice, E. W. 1916. The Debt of Electrical Engineering to the Work of
Joseph Henry in Albany. Proc. 52d Convocation, Univ. State of N. Y.
October 1916, p. 217-22
Walcott, C. D. 1926. Joseph Henry — Researcher and Administrator. Univ.
State N. Y. Bui., 844:121-27
Carty, J. J. 1920. Science and the Industries. Reprint and circular Ser.,
National Research Council, 8:1-16. (Figures, apparatus used by Joseph
Henry)
The problem of securing public support for high class scientific
and educational work has always been a most difficult problem. New
York State has been no exception to the rule. Dr James Hall, who
conducted the state geological work for so many years with distinc-
tion, experienced the whole gamut of these difficulties. At a par-
ticularly trying period Honorable Danforth E. Ainsworth, Speaker
of the Assembly of the New York Legislature, came to the support
of Doctor Hall and was helpful in securing appropriations for
Doctor Hall’s work during his terms in the Assembly in 1893, 1894
and 1895. Later when he joined the staff of the Department of
Public Instruction he did all he could to forward the work up to
the time of Hall’s death in 1898. In recognition of this assistance
Doctor Hall had prepared gold medals which he presented to several
of his devoted supporters. The one to Mr Ainsworth reads as
follows : “To Hon. Danforth E. Ainsworth, Legislator and States-
man. In recognition of Public Services to Science. In aid of one
of its votaries, April 1893 to April 1895. Gratefully Acknowledged.
James Hall. 1811-1895.” On the obverse is a portrait of Doctor
Hall, as shown in figure 6.
Mr Ainsworth promised to present this to the Museum, and after
his death on October 25, 1927, the executor of the estate deposited
it with the Museum. The Regents, on April 18, 1929, voted: “That
the gift of the gold medal presented to the late Honorable Dan-
forth E. Ainsworth by Dr James Hall be accepted, and that the
22
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Director of the State Museum be authorized to send a suitable letter
of thanks and appreciation on behalf of the Board of Regents to the
members of Mr Ainsworth’s family.”
A brief account of Assemblyman Ainsworth’s relation to Doctor
Hall is given in Dr John M. Clarke’s Life of James Hall, p. 531 ;
1923.
There were several of these medals presented to friends. One
is now in the possession of Mrs George Huntington Williams, to
whose father, Senator Daniel P. Wood, (cf. Clarke, p. 462) it was
presented.
As mentioned elsewhere in this report, the most important addi-
tions to the historic collections have been those derived from Silas
W. Smith, Glens Falls, N. Y., and Harriet E. Lutman, Painted
Post, N. Y. These are largely household and agricultural articles,
several of which are of special interest.
In the preceding Annual Report attention was called to the growth
of the Shaker Historic Collection (figures 7-10). Only a few such
collections of any considerable size and completeness exist, not
excepting library collections. In many respects libraries and
museums have similar historic development, the libraries often being
several years in advance of the museums, and this is true in this
instance. A valuable library collection of Shaker books, documents
and manuscripts has been collected by the New York State Library
(Wyer, J. I., mth Ann. Rep’t, N. Y. State Library. Univ. State of
N. Y. Bui., 920, p. 51, 1929) which is probably the second valuable
one in New York State. Doctor Wyer states : “A collection of 75
volumes, 420 pamphlets, 56 broadsides, and 135 manuscripts printed
by or treating directly of Shaker history and polity. Over 550
titles are included, 80 of which are not in the MacLean bibliography
of Shaker literature, published in 1905.”
The three largest collections in the world of Shaker library mate-
rials are in the Congressional Library at Washington, in the
Western Reserve Historical Society at Cleveland, Ohio, and in the
New York (City) Public Library (cf. U. S. Bur. Edu. Bui., 1912,
no. 23, p. 26; and Cathcart, Ohio Arch, and Hist. Soc. Pub., vol.
35, p. 464,-68, 1927). It is worthy of special attention to observe
that it is only outstanding and important libraries that possess these
Shaker materials.
It is difficult to locate and determine the relative importance of
collections of historic objects or museum collections. Professor
John Uri Lloyd of Cincinnati states that near Lexington, Ky., at
Shakertown, “is a large brick building now a museum of antique
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
23
furniture. In it they have the furniture and many of the implements
used by the Shakers. If I am correctly informed these things are
not for sale but are kept as a Shaker museum.”
A small Shaker collection is on exhibition at the Museum of
Natural History and Art, Pittsfield, Mass. There is also a collection
at the Connecticut Valley Historical Society at Springfield, Mass.
Clara Endicott Sears has a valuable exhibit housed in an old Shaker
dwelling at Harvard, Mass. (Harriet E. O’Brien, Lost Utopias.
Boston. 1929 . There is also a small Shaker collection at the Sche-
nectady County Historical Society, Schenectady, N. Y. These are the
only collections which the State Museum has discovered. Of course
there are many examples of Shaker furniture, and particularly
Shaker chairs, in private homes. At present the Shaker collection
in the New York State Museum is the largest and the most important
one in any Museum.
SCIENTIFIC STAFF AND ITS ACTIVITIES
“It is essential that this Museum should command the services of many
different men for work in many different fields, and that its work should be
so closely related to work of the same kind elsewhere that it shall all repre-
sent a coordinated whole. This is true of all departments of the work, but es-
pecially so of those departments which have a direct utilitarian bearing.
“This Museum, like every other institution of the type, should do everything
to develop large classes of workers of this kind. And yet, friends, we must
never forget that the greatest need, the need most difficult to meet, is the
need to develop great leaders and to give full play to their activities. In the
entirely proper effort to develop numbers of individual workers there must be
no forgetfulness of this prime need of individual leadership if American
achievement in the scientific field is to be really noteworthy. Yet in scientific
as well as in historical associations and academies, this fact is often forgotten.
“The really great works must be produced by some individual great man who
is able to use to the utmost advantage the indispensable preliminary work of a
multitude of other observers and investigators. He will be the first to recognize
his debt to these other observers and investigators. If he does not do so he
will show himself a poor creature. On the other hand, if they are worth their
salt they will be proud to have the great architect use all the results of their
praiseworthy and laborious and necessary labor in constructing the building
which is to crown it.” — Theodore Roosevelt’s address at the opening of the
New York State Museum, December zg, 1916.
A modern fact-finding organization, such as the State Museum,
consists of its scientific and scholarly staff, its collections for study
and for exhibitions, and its equipment in the form of offices,
laboratories and minor facilities for work in the field or laboratory.
The staff of a museum corresponds to the faculty of a university,
and the quality of its research depends upon the character of their
ability. In addition to their office, administrative and curatorial
routine the main activities of the staff for the past year are indicated
as follows:
24
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Geology. Doctor Ruedemann completed his Bulletin on the
Geology of the Capital District — Albany, Troy, Schenectady and
Cohoes, and his report is authorized for printing. This region is
undergoing intensive industrial development so that the results will
be of great value to local industries and to their public policies.
Assisted by Mr Kilfoyle, he has also made progress on the mapping
of the eastern two-thirds of the Catskill quadrangle. Continued
progress has been made in Doctor Ruedemann’s monograph of the
graptolites of North America, which has been under way for several
years. Progress continues also on his comprehensive work on the
Geology of North America, which is being written with the
cooperation of about 30 geologists.
Miss Goldring has continued the mapping of the Berne quadrangle
and has about one-third of it completed. She completed the manu-
script of Part 1, of Handbook 9, intended for beginners of paleon-
tology, and its printing has been authorized. About one-half of the
manuscript of Part 2, has been prepared, on stratigraphy.
Mr Newland’s report on the gypsum resources and the allied
industries of the State has been completed and is being printed.
Gypsum has become one of the most valuable mineral resources of
the State, on account of its relation to modern fireproof construction.
The regular annual joint statistical report on the mining and quarry
industries by Mr Newland and Mr Hartnagel, has been prepared for
1925-26. Plans were made for a comprehensive report on the lime-
stones because there has been an immense expansion of the portland
cement industry. The State contains exceedingly valuable deposits
which should be studied from the standpoint of modern industrial
needs. Mr Newland was given a special leave to conduct geological
work in Australia, from May 15 to November 1, 1929, and during
that period Robert W. Jones, formerly an ecologic geologist of the
Museum staff, substituted for Mr Newland and began a careful field
study of the limestones of the lower Hudson valley. Mr Hartnagel
continues the preparation of a report with Dr W. L. Russell, on the
oil fields and a similar report on the gas, with Professor Henry
Leighton. He has also begun to assemble the facts on the under-
ground water resources of the State, a subject which with increasing
population and industrial development is becoming more important
every year.
Professor A. C. Tester continued his field work on the Randolph
quadrangle in the Allegany State Park, Professor N. C. Dale the
field work on the Oswegatchie quadrangle, and Dr A. F. Buddington
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
25
on the Hammond and Antwerp quadrangles. Dr R. J. Colony is
nearing the completion of the field work on the Schunemunk quad-
rangle, Dr Burnett Smith on the Skaneateles quadrangle, and
Professor L. W. Ploger began work on the Cattaraugus quadrangle.
The preceding projects indicate that field work is being con-
ducted on quadrangles in western, northern and southern New York,
in the lower Hudson valley on the economic limestones, and the
mining and quarry statistics throughout the State. The work is
thus comprehensive and statewide.
Plants. Doctor House has continued his field work in the vicinity
of Oneida Lake. Neil Hotchkiss has completed his field work
and his report on the vegetation of the Tug Hill region, west of
the Adirondacks. Doctor House and Mr Hotchkiss began a field
study of the plants at the eastern end of Lake Ontario. Additions
have been made to the list of plants of the State, and an effort is
made to keep this list up to date.
Dr F. W. Emerson made an intensive study and vegetational map
of the Big Basin area of the Allegany State Park.
Through the active interest of Dr Howard Kelly of Johns Hopkins
University, Dr C. H. Kauffman of the University of Michigan
Herbarium, and Charles M. Winchester sr, of Albany, a plan was
made to prepare and to publish a popular handbook on the fleshy
fungi of the State. L. C. C. Krieger began work August 15th and
worked until December 1st, in preparing this report. The donors
of this publication, previous to presenting it to the State Museum,
granted permission to Mr Winchester to sell a certain number of
copies in order to finance the project. Mr Krieger has the manu-
script ready for publication. This handbook will contain 32 colored
plates, numerous halftones and pen drawings, so that it will be a
beautifully illustrated and useful work for beginners and amateurs
and will doubtless be found useful by many botanists themselves.
Insects. Doctor Glasgow has continued, at Scotia, the corn borer
experiments started by Dr E. P. Felt, in cooperation with the
Department of Agriculture and Markets. With a change of the
federal and state policy it seemed best to discontinue this project.
A brood of the 17-year cicada appeared during the 1928 season and
was given careful study. A subtropical cockroach has been causing
considerable injury to roses in greenhouses. This study has been
conducted in cooperation with the owners of greenhouses and in
cooperation with the Department of Agriculture and Markets. New-
ton G, Armstrong, of Poughkeepsie, has also cooperated in a study
26
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
of the insect pests of ornamental trees and shrubs. The Long
Island growers of narcissus bulbs have been in serious trouble with
insect pests and eel worms. The proprietors have given liberal
financial support and hearty cooperation, as has likewise the
Department of Agriculture and Markets.
Continued economic loss by residents of the Adirondacks, caused
by the biting flies, such as the black fly, punkies and mosquitoes,
during the early summer led to a concerted movement to improve
conditions. Dennis Dillon, of Raquette Lake, began the movement,
and the State Museum was called upon for assistance. The resi-
dents of the Adirondacks pledged funds to enable the Museum to
continue studies which were begun in 1901, but which were inter-
rupted for lack of funds, and thus enabled the State Entomologist
of the Museum to secure assistance to extend the field study of
these pests. The financial pledges which were made enabled the
Museum to put two men in the field just as this report closes.
Mr Chamberlain has continued his studies of the lupine insects.
A. A. Saunders has continued his studies of the butterflies of
the Allegany State Park region, and has in preparation a handbook
on that subject. Such a publication will be of value not only to
visitors to the park, but as well to the students of the Allegany
School of Natural History and to the public schools.
Animals. Doctor Bishop resigned August 31, 1928, to accept
a position at the University of Rochester at a greatly increased
salary. Docotor Bishop’s departure was a severe loss. The inade-
quate salary provided has prevented a satisfactory appointment to
the position.
Mr Schoonmaker has continued his extensive studies of the local
mammals about Albany and has made considerable progress on his
report on this subject.
Mr Saunders’ Handbook on Bird Song has been completed and
is in type.
Edmund J. Sawyer, bird artist and field ornithologist, began in
May a special report on birds’ nests. There is great public interest
in this subject but a convenient handbook has not been available.
Archeology. Mr Clarke has continued the important work of
going over systematically the collections and exhibits and assembling
all available data and records and filing flris information in an orderly
fashion.
Materials have been collected for a report on the wampums in the
collection of the Museum. As this collection is historically one of
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
2 7
the most important, if not the most important, it is worthy of care-
ful study and the results should be made available to the public. A
second report has been prepared on the history and all available data
in the construction of the Iroquois Indian Groups, another subject
worthy of careful record.
History. Aside from the care of the historical collections the his-
torical activities of the Museum consist largely of gathering as full
data as is possible about all historic objects that are added to the
collections. Only too often historic objects come into museums,
lacking satisfactory authentication and documentation. The most
valuable addition to the Museum collection during the past year is
a valuable collection from Silas W. Smith, of Glens Falls, of old
household and farm implements, including certain objects of special
interest, and the Harriet E. Lutman collection of Painted Post, N. Y.
The Director has made a study of a state policy for historic and
scientific reservations (N. Y. State Mus. Bui., 284:61-67. 1929).
RETIREMENT OF JACOB VAN DELOO
On October 31, 1928, Jacob Van Deloo, Secretary of the Museum,
retired on a pension after a continuous service to the State Geological
Survey and the State Museum since December 1, 1887. During this
long interval he had by his industry and ability worked up through
several positions, from clerk, stenographer, secretary to tempo-
rary Acting Director on January 1, 1926. He began his work with
Dr James Hall, and continued his work under succeeding directors
— Merrill and Clarke, to the above-mentioned date. His out-
standing achievement during this extensive period of service, in
addition to his usual routine duties, was the supervision of the very
large series of publications published by the Museum. These include
hundreds of volumes, and many thousands of pages of reports,
bulletins and monographs, with innumerable illustrations and hun-
dreds of colored plates. This work has been done with unusual care
and greatly to the credit of Mr Van Deloo. His knowledge of the
publications of the Museum was unsurpassed.
The Board of Regents, at the meeting of November 15, 1928,
voted : “That the Board receives with regret the notification of the
retirement of Jacob Van Deloo, and hereby expresses its apprecia-
tion of his faithful service to the State over a long period of years.”
28
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
STAFF CHANGES
Mention has just been made of the retirement of Jacob Van
Deloo as Secretary of the Museum. The position was not filled until
April i, 1929, when Professor Alvin G. Whitney, of the University
of Michigan, accepted the position as Assistant Director and Secre-
tary. His permanent appointment was made July 5, 1929. Formerly
he was assistant director of the Roosevelt Wild Life Forest -Experi-
ment Station at the New York State College of Forestry at Syracuse.
Dr S. C. Bishop, the Museum Zoologist, resigned August 31, 1928,
to accept a position at the University of Rochester, at a considerable
increase in salary. In spite of the urgency of filling this vacancy
at once, this has not been possible on account of the low salary
available. Doctor Bishop had been a member of the Staff since
May 8, 1916. He was particularly interested in reptiles, amphibians
and spiders. He built up the study collections along these lines, and
made them of considerable importance ; the collection of spiders is
rated as one of the few valuable collections of its kind in the United
States. A part of his investigations yet remains to be published.
His departure is a distinct loss to the Museum.
Neil Hotchkiss, technical assistant in botany, resigned February
16, 1929, to accept a position on the Biological Survey of the United
States Department of Agriculture at a considerable increase in
salary. His position was filled by Mrs Elsie Gibson Whitney, whose
appointment as Assistant State Botanist began April 15, 1929. Mrs
Whitney came to the Museum from the Herbarium of the Univer-
sity of Michigan.
The services of W. L. Lassiter were secured from July 16 to
October 16, 1928, for special work in caring for and cataloging the
Historic Collection. Considerable material was cleaned, wrapped
and labeled for storage, and an improved system of cataloging was
well started. These valuable collections can never be adequately
cared for until the full time of a curator is devoted to them.
MUSEUM COLLABORATORS
As a method of increasing the active cooperation of scientific and
technical students and scholars, it was proposed to the Regents at
the April 18, 1929, meeting, that a new group be established to be
called Collaborators. There are a limited number of professionals
and of amateurs whose special interests, knowledge and scholarship
are such that it would be mutually advantageous for them to be
associated with the Museum. Such students may profitably work on
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
29
the Museum collections or cooperate in field work and thus advance
the activities in which the Museum is engaged. In response to this
request the Regents voted, “That the Director of the State Museum
be authorized to appoint technical and scientific persons as collabora-
tors of the Museum, who will serve without pay as members of
the Museum staff for periods not to exceed three years, unless
renewed.”
The first appointment was made in June 1929, when Professor
George H. Hudson (retired) of the Plattsburg State Normal School,
accepted. Professor Hudson has devoted a very active life to the
study of insects and plants and to the geology of the vicinity of
Plattsburg. It is hoped that he will be able to continue his studies
of the large collection of insects which he presented to the Museum,
and which is mentioned elsewhere in this report.
MUSEUM COUNCIL
As a means of seeking advice and criticism on various kinds of
departmental work, the Board of Regents appoints advisory councils.
At the December 20, 1928, meeting of the Regents the following
appointments were made to the Council of the State Museum, for
terms of one, two, three, four and five years, respectively, from
October 1, 1928: Benjamin Walworth Arnold, Albany; Thomas
D. Thacher, New York City; Owen D. Young, New York City;
Pierrepont B. Noyes, Oneida; Orange L. Van Horne, Cooperstown.
ANNUAL FINANCIAL AND STATISTICAL SUMMARY
The following annual and statistical summary is for the fiscal year
July 1, 1928, to June 30, 1929.
THE MUSEUM BUDGET
The following budget does not include the cost of heat, light,
janitor service, orderlies (watchmen), carpenters, painters and
elevator men. Certain other items also are furnished by the Educa-
tion Department, such as postage, stationery, express, freight, dray-
age in part, telegraph and telephone, and are therefore not included
in the budget. Gifts of funds, in addition to that derived from the
state appropriation, are indicated.
The traveling expenses have been budgeted, so that each member
of the scientific staff is able to plan his work to the best advantage.
As rapidly as possible it is hoped to extend this system to all
expenditures.
30
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
APPROPRIATIONS AND FUNDS FOR FISCAL YEAR
(July i, 1928-June 30, 1929)
APPROPRIATIONS
Salaries:
Administrative staff 9 000 00
Scientific staff 29 770 00
Scientific assistants 6 560 00
Clerical, labor, etc 9 000 00
Total salaries 54 330 00
Equipment and supplies 5 000 00
Temporary services (scientific) 3 000 00
Traveling (of which not to exceed $200 is available for out-of-state
travel) 2 300 00
Printing 10 000 00
Special fund for Sunday opening 1 020 00
Special fund for work on the Historic Collections 399 43
Total budget 76 049 43
Gift Funds
Gift for printing 2 000 00
Total Museum expenditures 78 049 43
DIRECTORY DATA
Name of Museum: New York State Museum.
Location: Albany, New York, U. S. A.
Name of Director: Charles C. Adams.
Name of Secretary: Jacob Van Deloo1
Name of Assistant Director and Secretary: Alvin G. Whitney2
Date of founding: The Museum is the outgrowth of state surveys begun in
1835; formal organization of the Museum was in 1843.
Open to the public: Open week days from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sundays from
2 to 5 p.m. from October 7, 1928, to May 5, 1929: 30 days.
Total number of hours open to the public for the year 2518
Number of members on scientific staff 10
Number of scientific assistants, clerks and laborers 12
Number of part-time employes 8
Total staff 30
Salary schedules, 1928-29:
Director $ 6000
Assistant Director and Secretary 3000
Scientific professional staff 1620 to 4250
Technical assistants (nonprofessional grade) 1380 to 2000
Hours and vacation:
Hours of work a week 36
Vacation allowance comprises 24 working days of 6% hours,
and all legal holidays.
1 Retired November 1, 1928.
2 Appointed April 1, 1929.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
31
FINANCIAL STATUS OF THE STATE MUSEUM
1912-1928
In order to orient and summarize the financial status of the
Museum, a study of the finances for the period from 1912 to June
30, 1928, has been made. This statement is quoted from the last
Annual Report (Bulletin 284). It was in 1912 that the Museum
moved into its present quarters in the Education Building. Some
of the outstanding conclusions to be drawn from the tabulation,
covering a period of 16 years, are the following:
1 Total salary increases were from $35,340 to $49,960, an increase
of $14,620, and with almost no increase in the number of members
on the staff. This is an increase of about 30 per cent, during which
the cost of living has increased about 75 per cent. This is not the
normal growth for a rapidly expanding and prosperous State. Dur-
ing this interval private universities have conducted the greatest
campaign for endowments ever known in the history of education.
2 The Museum has had a printing budget since 1924 of $8000,
and prior to that there had been a great accumulation of unpublished
manuscripts. The funds provided are wholly inadequate to meet the
present current needs with no provision for catching up on the
earlier accumulation.
3 Equipment and supplies, traveling expenses and expert scientific
service funds, were lumped from 1912 to 1916, and remained at
$10,000. The cost of all these has increased greatly. To date the
Museum has had no automobiles and yet it is expected to conduct
efficiently statewide geological and natural history surveys.
4 In 1917, for equipment and supplies and traveling expenses
there was allotted by the Department $7000, and for expert scientific
services there was appropriated $3000.
5 Between 1918 and 1920 the funds allotted for equipment and
supplies were $5000 and for traveling expenses $2000 except in
1920, when there was an increase of $300 for traveling; by
appropriation the scientific services continued at $3000.
6 For the 10-year period from 1918 to 1928 there has been no
increase for equipment and supplies or for expert scientific services,
and only $300 for traveling expenses, which was made in 1920.
Certainly this has been a stationary period.
7 The Sunday opening guide services were contributed free by
the staff to the public from 1912 to 1916, when the sum of $2500
was appropriated. This amount remained stationary until 1926,
when it was increased $1000 and of this amount, $1020 was allotted
32
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
by the Department to the Museum staff for their services, and the
remainder was used for compensation of other Department members
concerned with the Sunday opening of the Education Building.
8 For 16 years there has been no large important or steady
advance or increase in the funds available for the State Museum.
To interpret these facts in terms of practical conditions, let us
consult an editorial in the New York Times for February 8, 1928,
which stated : “That present living costs are more than 50 per cent
above 1913 . . . the actual cost of living in the United States
to have risen 74.4 per cent above 1913, in December 1918, and
1 16 Yz in June 1920, and to have been 73.4 above the pre-war level
in the middle of 1927. Now comes a confirmatory computation
by the New York Federal Reserve Bank . . . thereby reaching
the conclusion that the present average level of prices is 73 per cent
above that of 1913.”
With this emphatic decline in the purchasing power of the dollar
it is strikingly evident that the Museum appropriations and allot-
ments for salaries have been so small that there has been in reality
a very decided relative decline in terms of the cost of living. As
a result of this the staff, not the State, has continued largely to
maintain the high standard in the output of the Museum. There
has been an extensive accumulation of unpublished reports. The
funds available for equipment and supplies, traveling and temporary
expert scientific services, have not advanced (only $300 for travel-
ing) in 16 years beyond $10,000. For the Sunday opening of the
Museum the funds remained about stationary.
The budget of the Education Department for the present fiscal
year is over $83,000,000 and in 1912 it was over $8,000,000. When
we consider that out of the current total budget for the Department
of Education, the State Museum received only about $75,000, it is
seen how very little relatively is devoted to the Museum. In New
York City the city government for 1928 appropriated to the semi-
public American Museum of Natural History for maintenance the
sum of $434,000. In Buffalo, the second city in size in the State,
the city appropriates for the work of the Buffalo Museum of
Science, also conducted by the semipublic Buffalo Society of Natural
Sciences, the sum of $149,000. Rochester allows a budget of
$66,000 for its local Municipal Museum. The richest State in the
Union provides its State Museum a budget of $75,000 — and it is
supposed to conduct statewide activities on that basis.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
33
SUMMARY
Some of the outstanding conclusions shown by the preceding
summary are:
1 There has been a decline in financial support of the State
Museum since 1912, during a period of unprecedented growth of
other public museums in the State. It has been undernourished
for many years.
2 The prestige of the Museum has been maintained during this
prolonged lean period largely by the exploitation of the staff, who
have stayed on with the Museum in spite of the inadequate salaries.
The better men of the staff correspond in ability and professionally
with the professors of our larger and better universities and
research institutions, and yet the disparity in the salaries is glaringly
apparent.
3 A second factor that has helped to prevent the deterioration
of the Museum during this lean period has been gifts of funds to
the Museum for the purchase of valuable objects and for the
scientific reservations.
4 That the Museum has not been a parasite on the Education
Department is shown by the fact that the Museum funds have not
been increased, and therefore it has not been maintained at the
expense of any other phase of the work in the Education Department.
5 During the interval that the Museum funds have been relatively
stationary, the funds of the Department have increased enormously,
and there has been no corresponding additional support for the
Museum.
NEEDS OF THE STATE MUSEUM
In the preceding pages the financial history of the Museum was
summarized for the period of 1912-28, — the period during which
the Museum has occupied its present quarters in the Education
Building. The outstanding facts showed that during this interval
of 16 years there had been no important increase in the appropria-
tions for its work, commensurate with the radical changes in the
economic and social conditions during th£s period. This great
relative decline in public support, the hardships enforced upon the
staff, and the decline in the purchasing power of the dollar, indicate
that increased financial support is essential because the State is
already suffering from this kind of false economy, and its prestige,
as a leading State in these matters, is declining. Therefore the
outstanding needs are:
2
34
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
1 Budget. The present Museum budget of about $75,000 should
be increased greatly. We now have a small one such as any live
municipality of 100,000 population might support. The Museum
is now giving the public, from its public exhibits alone, educational
recreation worth about $200,000 a year. The budget should within
the next few years be increased to $250,000. It is impossible to
conduct statewide work efficiently without automobiles, and pro-
vision should be made specifically for such necessary equipment.
2 New Museum building. The second major need is a new
Museum building for the exclusive use of the State Museum and for
the Office of State Historian, so intimately related to the historical
collections of the State Museum. By law the State Museum is the
central state repository for historic objects not otherwise provided
for by law. These historical collections have been accumulated
since 1843, but there has never been adequate space for their
exhibition or storage. A new building should be constructed on a
scale to house in a worthy, dignified and efficient manner these
exhibits of the resources, history and achievements of the people
of this State.
As a fact-finding and research organization, conducting state-
wide surveys of scientific and economic problems, satisfactory
laboratories, offices, storage rooms, field equipment — including auto-
mobile and allied accessories — are essential if the work of the State
is to be conducted as an efficient modern business.
For a statement of the latest official plan for a Museum Building,
consult the Twenty-third Report of the Director of the Division
of Science and State Museum (Bulletin 284).
3 Trust funds. Everyone knows that public support generally
lags in supporting education and research. For this reason gifts,
fluid funds and trust funds are needed to tide over these sluggish
periods. In the past a number of the outstanding achievements of
the Museum have come from such sources, such as the Iroquois
Indian Groups and the scientific reservations, and doubtless this
policy must be continued.
The attention of friends of the Museum is called to the fact that
gifts up to 15 per cent of net income and all bequests to the Board
of Regents of The University of the State of New York, in trust
for the exclusive use of the State Museum, are exempt from
federal taxation, under the Federal Revenue Act of 1918.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
35
MUSEUM ACCESSIONS FOR THE YEAR
Accessions are new additions to the Museum. These are classi-
fied into the following groups :
1 By donation: objects presented to the Museum
2 By exchange: for other Museum materials etc.
3 By purchase: payment from the Museum budget
4 By the staff: collected by the staff during official duties of any
kind.
5 By transfer, from other state departments or other divisions
of the State Government, as provided by law
Gifts to scientific and educational institutions are listed at the
end of this section.
BY DONATION
Adams, H. J., Albany, N. Y.
Specimens of cat flea, Albany, N. Y.
Alexander, Mrs Murray, Hamilton, Ont., Canada, through Dr A. C. Flick,
State Historian, Albany, N. Y.
Coat and Chapeau worn by Major General John Taylor Cooper
Armstrong, Norman M., White Plains, N. Y.
Specimens of locust miner and hackberry butterfly, White Plains, N. Y.
Arnold, Benjamin Walworth, Albany, N. Y.
3 fossils, Ennis island, Lake Huron
Collection of shells, Ontario, Canada
Belanski, C. H., Nora Springs, Iowa
7 brachiopods from Iowa
Belmont Quadrangle Drilling Corporation, Bradford, Pa.
508 rock cuttings from Gilbert well no. 1, near Richburg, N. Y.
1 17 rock cuttings from Sawyer well no. 1, near Richburg, N. Y.
Blunt, Eliza S., New Russia, N. Y.
Pupal case of dog-day cicada, New Russia, N. Y.
Bowen, W. C., Albany, N. Y.
Trilobite, New Salem, N. Y.
Brown, C. A., Baton Rouge, La.
17 specimens of plants from central New York
2 specimens of plants from Pennsylvania
Burnham, S. H., Ithaca, N. Y.
93 specimens of plants from New York and Maine
Burmaster, E. R., Irving, N. Y.
Fossil fish, Silver Creek, N. Y.
Carter, Edward, jr, Cohoes, N. Y.
Stereoscopic photo of Shaker Church Settlement, Albany, N. Y.
Chadwick, C. H., Catskill, N. Y.
Fossil plant, Catskill mountains, N. Y.
Cole, El wood, Saratoga Springs, N. Y.
Specimens of cocoons of a “pinching bug,” Saratoga Springs, N. Y.
Commander, Donald, Batavia, N. Y.
Galls of the hickory gall aphid, Batavia, N. Y.
Connecticut Valley Historical Society, Springfield, Mass., through W. F.
Adams, Springfield, Mass.
Collection of articles exhumed at the site of a French settlement in
Onondaga county, N. Y., destroyed by the Indians in 1660
Ink horn from the field of Buena Vista
Corning, Edwin, Kenwood, N. Y.
Milk snake, Kenwood, N. Y.
36 NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Cosine, Frances M., Suffern, N. Y.
Moth, Suffern, N. Y.
2 underwing moths, Suffern, N. Y.
Crapser, Mrs William H., Catskill, N. Y., through Regent Wm Leland
Thompson, Troy, N. Y.
Corn sheller
Davis, Edward E., Norwich, N. Y.
135 specimens of plants from Chenango county, N. Y.
Denslow, Rev. H. M., New York City
Serapias helleborine from Montgomery county, N. Y.
Dill, Mrs Helen N., Albany, N. Y.
Collection of archeological specimens from western and northern New
York
Dobbin, Frank, Shushan, N. Y.
202 specimens of plants from Washington county, N. Y.
Fames, E. H., Bridgeport, Conn.
39 specimens of plants from New York and Connecticut
Ehlers, G. M., Ann Arbor, Mich.
3 graptolites from Michigan
Erickson, Mrs Eugene T., Millbrook, N. Y.
Parasites of arbor vitae leaf miner, Millbrook, N. Y.
Fairbanks, Mrs L. B., Bainbridge, N. Y.
2 specimens of plants from Chenango county, N. Y.
Fairman, Dr E. E., Lyndonville, N. Y.
Sylpha americana, Lyndonville, N. Y.
Ferguson, W. C., Hempstead, N. Y.
100 specimens of plants, Long Island, N. Y.
Follett, Louis E., Saratoga Springs, N. Y.
12 Revolutionary War soldier buttons from vicinity of Saratoga battle-
field, Saratoga Springs, N. Y.
Folwell, N. T. 2d, Philadelphia, Pa., through Mrs Nellie G. Milligan, New
York City
Admiral Sigsbee’s inlaid chair
Goold, Arthur B., Babylon, N. Y.
Specimens of blister beetle, Babylon, N. Y.
Graves, Arthur H., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Specimens of lady beetles, Brooklyn, N. Y.
Graves, George S., Newport, N. Y.
Shoulder yoke
Wire belt
Gunn, S. C., Albany, N. Y.
Cocoon of Promethea moth, Albany, N. Y.
Cecropia moth, Albany, N. Y.
Hale, M. LeGrand, St Hubert’s, N. Y., through Dr C. C. Adams, Albany,
N. Y.
Carpenter’s plane
Hostetter, Harry B., Lancaster, Pa.
Specimens of wood borers, Monarthnim fas datum and Ncoclytus acu-
minatus, Lancaster, Pa.
Houck, Mrs Leon, Walton, N. Y.
Specimens of Cecropia moth, Walton, N. Y.
Hudson, George H., Plattsburg, N. Y.
Slab of Chazy limestone, Valcour island, Lake Champlain, N. Y.
Trilobite from Crab island, Lake Champlain, N. Y.
Dike specimen from Martins bay, Plattsburg, N. Y.
Specimen of Potsdam sandstone from Salmon river, above Schuyler
Falls, N. Y.
Specimen of Potsdam sandstone, Keeseville, N. Y.
Collection of 10,000 specimens of insects, Plattsburg, N. Y.
Jones, Abbie, Stone Ridge, N. Y.
10 quartz crystals
Jordan, Charles, Rensselaer, N. Y.
Marsh Hawk, Rensselaer, N. Y.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
37
Keller, G. Edwin, Buffalo, N. Y.
19 specimens of plants from western New York
Kittridge, Miss E. M., Ferrisburg, Vt.
25 specimens of plants from New York and Vermont
Latham, Roy, Orient, N. Y.
Duplicate collection of beetles for identification
186 specimens of beetles
135 specimens of plants from eastern Long Island
Levine, Max, Schenectady, N. Y.
Specimens of oriental cockroach, Schenectady, N. Y.
Lewis, C. W., East Greenbush, N. Y.
Specimens of “fish moth,” East Greenbush, N. Y.
Lutman, Harriet E., Painted Post, N. Y., collected by Mrs Harriet Louise
Lutman, Painted Post, N. Y.
Collection of historical and geological objects
Mager, C. E., New York City
Specimens of Japanese beetle, New York City
Mang, William N., Niagara Falls, N. Y.
Specimens of black carpet beetle, Niagara Falls, N. Y.
Marshall, David T„ Hollis, N. Y.
Specimens of Japanese beetle, Hollis, N. Y.
Meeker, Mrs L. R., Albany, N. Y.
Specimens of the vine anomola, Albany, N. Y.
Miller, E. S., Wading River, N. Y.
Specimens of the black carpet beetle, Wading River, N. Y.
Mischler, Walter, Schenectady, N. Y.
Specimens of elm leaf beetle, Schenectady, N. Y.
Moseley, E. L., Bowling Green, Ohio
50 plants from Ohio
Murray, Thomas, Tuxedo, N. Y.
Specimens of clover root curculio, Tuxedo, N. Y.
Myers, L. H., Selkirk, N. Y.
Specimens of the common stalk borer, Selkirk, N. Y.
Patterson, Grace A. E., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Specimens of the hemispherical scale, Albany, N. Y.
Perkins, Dr Anne E., Gowanda, N. Y.
217 specimens of plants from western New York
Petry, L. C., Ithaca, N. Y.
2 fossil plants, Bristol Center, N. Y.
Pickett, C. H., Gansevoort, N. Y.
Luna moth, Gansevoort, N. Y.
Price, Allen L., Sloatsburg, N. Y.
Clover root curculio, Sloatsburg, N. Y.
Ratchelous, William, Hempstead, N. Y.
Specimens of May beetle, Hempstead, N. Y.
Richardson, C. H., Syracuse, N. Y.
36 graptolites, Castle Brook, Magog, P. Q., Canada
Roberts, F. O., Troy, N. Y.
Specimens of work of codling moth, plum curculio, apple curculio, leaf
roller and apple bud moth, Troy, N. Y.
Rockwell, Ella, Utica, N. Y.
Larvae of elm leaf beetle, Utica, N. Y.
Rogers, James, Gloversville, N. Y.
Specimens of black carpet beetle, Gloversville, N. Y.
Scott, R. S., Rochester, N. Y.
Galls on goldenrod, Rochester, N. Y.
Shear, Dr C. L., Washington, D. C.
Specimen of Keithia tsugae, Alcove, N. Y.
Sheldon Slate Company, F. C., Granville, N. Y.
9 specimens of roofing slate, Granville, N. Y.
Sherwood, W. W., Port Henry, N. Y.
Galls of the hickory gall aphid, Batavia, N. Y.
Slack, C. M., Fort Edward, N. Y.
Luna moth, Fort Edward, N. Y.
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
38
Smith, Silas W., Glens Falls, N. Y.
50 agricultural implements, tools, household objects and old almanacs
Soule, M. A., Quaker Street, N. Y.
Specimens of elm leaf miner, Quaker Street, N. Y.
Swift, Marjorie E., Bronx Park, N. Y.
Specimens of an iris weevil, Bronx Park, N. Y.
VanBenthuysen, Charles F., Albany, N. Y.
Brass alidade
Vanderzee, Henry C., South Bethlehem, N. Y.
Lever for passenger “stool pigeon”
Marie-Victorin, Prof., Montreal, Canada
73 specimens of plants from Canada
Wade, Edith S„ Cohoes, N. Y.
Grain moths, Cohoes, N. Y.
Westfall, Rev. L. J., Baltimore, Md.
Specimen of stalagmite, Shutters Corners, N. Y.
Wilcox, William H., Lake George, N. Y.
Bouquet of human hair
Pair of German silver spectacles
Williams, K. F., Albany, _ N. Y. _
Specimens of predacious living beetles, Albany, N. Y.
Wynkoop, John, Voorheesville, N. Y.
Specimens of blister beetle, Voorheesville, N. Y.
Zalsman, Mrs Ruth, New Haven, N. Y.
Larva of a fly, New Haven, N. Y.
Zenkert, Charles A., Buffalo, N. Y.
1 16 plants from western New York
Zimmer, C. H., New York City
Specimens of Japanese beetles, White Plains, N. Y.
BY EXCHANGE
Amherst College, through F. B. Loomis, Amherst, Mass.
3 slabs of Triassic sandstone, Turner’s Falls, Mass.
BY PURCHASE
Batchelder, George, Gansevoort, N. Y.
Dreikanter boulder, Wilton, N. Y.
Reinhard, E., Buffalo, N. Y.
Fossil, northern Buffalo, N. Y.
6 fossils, Gasport, N. Y.
BY MUSEUM STAFF
Adams, Charles C., Albany, N. Y.
Borer injury to elder, Albany, N. Y.
Borer injury to poplar. Albany, N. Y.
Box of hand-made iron nails from Niskayuna Shaker Settlement,
Albany, N. Y.
Miscellaneous group of hand-made iron articles from Niskayuna Shaker
Settlement, Albany, N. Y.
Adams, Charles C., and Glasgow, R. D., Albany, N. Y.
Workers and nests of paper-making wasps, South Berne, N. Y.
Chamberlain, K. F., Albany, N. Y.
Mortar and pestle, Monmouth, Maine.
Glasgow, R. D., Albany, N. Y.
Termites and work, Colonie, N. Y.
Specimens of juniper mite and its work, Millbrook, N. Y., and Tuxedo
Park, N. Y.
Specimens of juniper webworm and its work, Millbrook, N. Y.
Specimens of arbor vitae leaf miner and its work, Millbrook, N. Y., and
Garrison, N. Y.
Specimens of balsam leaf galls, North Elba, N. Y.
Specimens of spruce cone galls, Albany, N. Y. and Millbrook, N. Y.
Specimens of stice spruce galls, Millbrook, N. Y.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
39
Specimens of eelworm injury, Islip, N. Y.
Adults, nymphs and work of thrips, New Rochelle, N. Y.
Galls on goldenrod, John Boyd Thacher Park, Albany county, N. Y.
Glasgow, R. D., and Chamberlain, K. F., Albany, N. Y.
Twigs damaged by egg punctures of the periodical cicada, Palenville,
N. Y.
Larvae of European corn borer, Scotia, N. Y.
Larvae of smartweed borer, Scotia, N. Y.
Termites and work, Colonie, N. Y.
Photographs of termite work, Colonie, N. Y.
Photographs of termite habitats, Colonie, N. Y.
Glasgow, R. D., and Clement, R. L., Albany, N. Y.
Larvae, puparia and adults of the lesser bulb fly, Babylon, N. Y.
Larvae, adults and work of the narcissus bulb fly, Babylon, N. Y.
Glasgow, R. D., and Stein, E. J., Albany, N. Y.
Photographs of sites of experimental colonies of the periodical cicada,
Greene County, N. Y.
Photographs of termite injury, Colonie, N. Y.
Goldring, Winifred, Albany, N. Y.
20 Devonian plants, Gilboa, N. Y.
Goldring, Winifred, Kilfoyle, C., and Schoonmaker, W. J., Albany, N. Y.
51 Devonian plants, Gilboa, N. Y.
Hartnagel, C. A,, Albany, N. Y.
Specimen of stalagmite, Shutters Corners, N. Y.
Newland, D. H„ Albany, N. Y.
Granite specimens, White Lake, N. Y.
Suite of gypsum specimens, Victor, N. Y.
Newland, D. H., and Hartnagel, C. A., Albany, N. Y.
10 specimens of anorthosite, west of Keeseville, N. Y.
5 specimens of hexagonite from talc mines, near Talcville, N. Y.
12 specimens of malachite, at Cole pyrite mine, near Gouverneur, N. Y.
6 specimens of talc from mines of St Lawrence county talc district
10 specimens of zinc ores from mine at Edwards, N. Y.
Ploger, L. W., and Phinney, W. W., Syracuse, N. Y.
Fossil tree, North Evans, N. Y.
Ruedemann, Rudolph, Albany, N. Y.
Oldhamia occidens, Nassau, N. Y.
Fragment of Washington elm, Cambridge, Mass.
Schoonmaker, Walter J., Albany, N. Y.
Collection of mammals from eastern New York
Schoonmaker, W. J., and Kilfoyle, C., Albany, N. Y.
8 fossils, Bemis Heights, N. Y.
BY TRANSFER
Conservation Commission, Albany, N. Y., through Dr Emmeline Moore
Large collection of fish from the waters of Erie-Niagara watershed
Division of Archives and History, Department of Education, through
Dr A. C. Flick, State Historian, Albany, N. Y.
48 old almanacs, Argyle, N. Y.
State Education Department, through Dr Frank P. Graves, Commissioner
Diploma of grand prize awarded the University of the State of New
York by the Panama-Pacific International Exposition, 1915
TRANSFERS TO C>THER INSTITUTIONS
New York State Agricultural Society, Syracuse, N. Y., through resolution
of the State Board of Regents (for exhibition at the State Fair)
11 old-type agricultural implements
23 framed photographs of past presidents of the New York State Agri-
cultural Society
11 paintings of farm animals and farm scenes
LOAN TO MUSEUM
Sanderson, W. E., Albany, N. Y.
Wooden boot jack
40
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
ANNUAL BIBLIOGRAPHY OF THE STATE MUSEUM
(July i, 1928 to June 30, 1929)
Adams, Charles C.
1929 Twenty-second Report of the Director of the State Museum and
Science Department. N. Y. State Mus. Bui., 279:1-68
1929a The Importance of Preserving Wilderness Conditions. N. Y.
State Mus. Bui., 279:37-46
Brigham, Albert P.
1929 Glacial Geology and Geographic Conditions of the Lower Mohawk
Valley. A Survey of the Amsterdam, Fonda, Gloversville and
Broadalbin Quadrangles. N. Y. State Mus. Bui., 280:1-133
Chamberlain, K. F.
1929 Notes on Gyrinus marginellus Fall. Bui. Brooklyn Ent. Soc.,
24:155-56
Clarke, Noah T.
1929 The Thacher Wampum Belts of the New York State Museum.
N. Y. State Mus. Bui., 279:53-58, 4 pis.
Fraleigh, Lucy B.
1929 The Habits of Mammals at an Adirondack Camp. N. Y. State
Mus. Hdbk, 8:119-69
Harper, Francis
1929 Notes on Mammal of the Adirondacks. N. Y. State Mus. Hdbk,
8 : 51-118
Harper, Francis, & Harper, Jean S.
1929 Animal Habitats in Certain Portions of the Adirondacks. N. Y.
State Mus. Hdbk, 8:11-49
Hartnagel, C. A.
1928 Stark’s Knob. Rocks and Minerals, 3:84-85
Nevin, Charles M.
1928 The Sand and Gravel Resources of New York State. N. Y.
State Mus. Bub, 282:1-180
Newland, David H.
1929 The Gypsum Resources and Gypsum Industry of New York.
N. Y. State Mus. Bub, 283:1-188, 59 halftones and 1 drawing
1929a Review of Progress in Geology. The New International Ency-
clopedia, Supplement and Year Book, p. 287-90
1929(7 The Early History of Mining in Northern and Central New York.
Up-Stater, 1, no. 3:9, 15, 18, with cuts
Ruedemann, Rudolph
1929 Neuere Beobachtungen an Graotolithenschiefern in Amerika.
Leopoldina Akad. der Naturforscher, 4 : 7-12
1929a Note on Oldhamia (Murchisonites) occidens (Walcott). N. Y.
State Mus. Bub, 281 : 47-50
Ruedemann, Rudolph, & Goldring, Winifred
1928 Making Fossils Popular in New York State Museum. N. Y.
State Mus. Bub, 279:47-51
Saunders, Aretas A.
1929 Bird Song. N. Y. State Mus. Hdbk, 7:1-202
Schoonmaker, W. J.
1929 Weights of Some New York Mammals. Jour, of Mammalogy,
10:149-52
1929a Taddy: Life Story of a Friendly Toad. National Humane Re-
view, 17 : 8
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
41
1929 b Those Who Live in the Pond. National Humane Review, 17 : 8-9
1929c “Bobby.” Story of the Red Squirrel. National Humane Review,
x7 : 8 . .
1929^ The Raccoon Family. National Humane Review, 17 :6-8
1929c The Hungarian Partridge. N. Y. State Bui. to the Schools, 15:183
1929/ Ruffed Grouse in a Snow Drift. N. Y. State Bui. to the Schools,
15:188
Slater, George
1929 Structure of the Drumlins Exposed on the South Shore of Lake
Ontario. N. Y. State Mus. Bui., 281 :3-i9
Taylor, Norman
1928 The Vegetation of Allegany State Park.
5:1-126
N. Y. State Mus. Hdbk,
Figure 2 Group of pupils from the Hooper School, Endwell, N. Y., visiting
the State Museum, under the direction of E. W. Neff
Figure 3 The Endwell school children assembled about the state relief map
in the State Museum
[43]
Figure 4 Bronze statue of Joseph Henry, in front of the Albany
Academy, where he attended, taught and made important discoveries in
electro-magnetism. Sculptor John Flanagan
[44]
[45 J
Figure 6 The Ainsworth gold medal. Presented by
Dr James Hall to the legislative supporters of b'S
geological and paleontological studies.
[46]
[47]
Figure 7 The herb factory or warehouse of the Niskayuna Shakers, near Albany, N. Y. In this building was found an
herb collection and many of the tools used in their preparation.
[48]
Figure 8 Shaker herb press used for compressing herbs; Niskayuna Shakers, near Albany,
[49]
Figure 9 The herb room in the warehouse shown in figure 8, Niskayuna Shakers, near Albany,
Figure io A small loom used by the Niskayuna Shakers, near Albany, N. Y.
[50]
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
51
THE IMPORTANCE OF ESTABLISHING NATURAL
HISTORY RESERVATIONS FOR RESEARCH
AND EDUCATION
By Charles C. Adams Ph.D.
Director, New York State Museum and Member of State
Council of Parks
“There must be ample research in the laboratory in order even to present
those problems, not to speak of solving them, and there can be no laboratory
study without the accumulation of masses of dry facts and specimens.
“I also mean that from now on it is essential to recognize that the best
scientific men must largely work in the great out-of-doors laboratory of
nature. It is only such out-of-door work which will give us the chance to
interpret aright the laboratory observations.” — Theodore Roosevelt’s address
at the opening of the New York State Museum, December 29, 1916.
URGENCY OF IMMEDIATE ACTION
Although New York State has today thousands of acres of virgin
wilderness, it is possible that as economic pressure increases the State
Constitution may be changed to permit the cutting and destruction at
least, in part, of these wild forest lands. Then the natural history of
the region will also be changed. Industrial, urban and agricultural
changes are making inroads on these wild areas. Today there is
no adequate provision in this State for the preservation of samples
of these natural history wilderness conditions for future generations.
These wilderness conditions were where our American pioneers first
developed their distinctive American traits. We ought to preserve
good samples of these conditions. If this is done the time will
come when these will be considered priceless possessions. We
should, without delay, make adequate provision for such wilderness
preserves. There is a beauty and charm found in wild forests,
not possessed by others. Such forests deserve preservation for their
inspirational value and for their educational and research importance.
We have already destroyed a vast amount of the wilderness before
it was studied from an educational and scientific point of view.
We need now to have reservations where such studies can be con-
ducted on some permanent sustained policy. We have no such reser-
vations adequately endowed in America. This is today a para-
mount scientific and educational need. The studies to be made on
such a reservation should give primary attention to the broad,
outdoor aspects of natural history.
52
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
The state forests and state parks are concerned primarily and
legitimately with economic and intensive recreational use, with the
result that virgin conditions are not preserved. We need some satis-
factory provision to perpetuate areas where nature has a chance
to run her course, unhindered as much as possible by man.
Such land should include the best possible samples of virgin
forests, swamps and natural ponds and lakes, so as to secure as great
a variety of natural conditions as possible. Since no single reserva-
tion can preserve all the variety needed in New York State, a system
of preserves is needed, carefully selected with a view to their pro-
tection and facilities for scientific study.
A given unit area should include several thousands of acres and
should have an endowed income that will provide for its mainten-
ance and a staff of naturalists to conduct their studies of the area.
Facilities for the laboratory study of nature have made more
progress during the past 50 years than during several centuries
previously. The modern educational world and the leaders in cer-
tain industries have made great advances in the appreciation of
and practical support for such laboratories. The extension of
laboratory methods into the field has also made great progress in
agriculture through experiment stations. In the biological sciences
the establishment of marine and fresh water biological stations, for
both teaching and research, has greatly extended the amplitude of
this field. Some of these biological research stations are conducted
along lines closely parallel to the agricultural experiment stations,
but generally speaking the outdoor world at these marine stations is
used for collecting rather than for detailed observation and experi-
mentation. The innumerable encroachments of agriculture, forestry,
manufacturing and towns upon wild or wilderness areas are so rapid
that almost before we are aware of it suitable areas for observa-
tion and experiment have been destroyed and are forever lost before
they have been studied.
One might expect that the preservation of representative sample
areas of virgin forests would find many friends among the leaders
in forestry, because of the extreme importance of such samples in
the study of economic and scientific forest development, but this has
not been the case. A few of the more far-seeing foresters grasped
this, but they received little support among their colleagues, until
competition with the national parks for the wilderness lands made
it to their direct advantage to urge that virgin and wild areas be
sought for additional parks. This motive was supplemented, to
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
53
some degree no doubt, by the growing realization of the back-
wardness of forest research. This policy was followed by much
publicity for the setting aside of wilderness areas and virgin reser-
vations, but to what degree this policy will resist pressure from
economic and other interests — lumbering, grazing and hunting —
remains to be seen.
For several years it seemed that safe havens for natural wilderness
conditions were to be found in the national parks and monuments,
as that was the proclaimed policy of the park service. In the effort
to gain public support for these parks, however, and to resist the
aggression of the United States Forest Service, who competed for
these wild lands, a period of publicity was inaugurated with the
consequent rush of people into these parks before adequate funds,
staff and leadership were supplied to protect them. Serious injury
of certain areas resulted. This was caused by the expansion of
roads and the utilization of the timber for construction, the use of
forage for grazing animals and similar uses, not in harmony with
the professed policy of passing our national parks on to future
generations unimpaired.
These and many other indications show that even our national
policy of preserving for the future nature’s wonders unharmed is
a very difficult problem. We have clearly made more progress in
the preservation of natural scenery, dependent on physical nature,
rather than on the preservation of the forests and their animal
denizens. The educational, scientific, esthetic and historic value of
such reservations have been stressed by several authors ( Shelf ord
and others ’26 ; Hall ’29) .
A SUPPLEMENTARY STATE POLICY
When we turn to the corresponding problem in the various states
we find that no state in the Union has yet adopted a definite policy
for the presevation of natural wild nature for historic, educational,
scenic or scientific purposes. To gain public financial support for
such reservations not to be used intensively by large crowds of
people, is the practical problem that awaits solution. Proposals
have been made for a policy for the scientific and historic reserva-
tions, owned and maintained by New York State, (Adams ’29;
Flick ’29), and the present proposal is supplementary to this (cf.
Dice ’26). Following this paper is printed the formulated principles
54
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
adopted by the New York State Council of Parks for guidance. The
reservations here advocated are supplementary to such a system.
The very widespread and popular movement for state parks
throughout the United States has not made much progress in help-
ing the preservation of virgin wilderness conditions. Under the
leadership of Jens Jensen, and the Friends of the Native Landscape,
a program has been proposed for state parks in Illinois involving
this ideal, but actual parks of the kinds desired have been slow in
developing. Dr John M. Clarke, the former Director of the New
York State Museum at Albany, made the first start on a series
of state scientific reservations, intended primarily for the preserva-
tion of sites of special geological interest, and adopting the national
park ideal, but there were not sufficient funds to protect or to study
the plants and animals of these reservations. Later these reserva-
tions were diverted into the state park system, where the plants
and animals suffered from the intensive use of these areas for
recreation (cf. Adams ’29:19-23; 37-46; ’29b).
The prospects for increasing the number of these reservations
and providing for their care from public funds look so unfavorable
that rather than allow these areas to become injured or ruined while
waiting for a lagging public sentiment and support, it seems best
to urge the establishment of such reservations in trust, putting
them in the hands of responsible semipublic or public officials, who
should be authorized to administer them with the aid of interested
and competent naturalists. The funds or endowment might either
be held in trust by some bank, or be invested by the officials them-
selves, the income to be used exclusively for the maintenance of the
reservations and for a staff to conduct scientific research on and
to protect such reservations. To secure the best results there
should be both conservative and scientific work done on such reser-
vations, instead of devoting attention solely to the protective or
conservative phase. The general public should be allowed only
such use of these reservations as experience would justify, and
always under strict supervision by competent leaders or guides.
To be sure, in addition to the form of limited use by the public,
there would be derived from such reservations published popular
and scientific reports and bulletins resulting from the studies by the
scientific staff.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
55
METHODS OF SELECTING RESERVATION AREAS
Anyone contemplating the establishment of such a reservation
should consult competent naturalists and have a careful survey
made of the proposed area. Some of the outstanding characteristics
of such areas should be:
1 The region should be as near a natural virgin wilderness as is
possible to secure, with natural physical features, plants and animals
worthy of special care and study. Insistence upon virgin areas
can not be too strong, and is absolutely essential for certain
reservations.
2 The area should be large enough to make a practical admin-
istrative unit.
3 It should be physically diverse, with lakes, ponds, swamps,
brooks and creeks, to provide a variety of physical conditions or
habitats for a variety of plants and animals. The more diversified
the area, the greater its interest and the greater the number of
problems that can be studied from a single base through a period
of years.
4 Outstanding and unusual or striking physical features, geo-
logical outcrops of special importance, and even certain scenic
features might well be included in such reservations to give them
distinctive merit. There is an advantage in combining geological
or other physical features with those of biological significance, in
order to concentrate interest and support.
5 The possibility of the permanence of the site should be given
very careful attention. Sites should not be selected, when avoidable,
which are likely to become injured by drainage projects, highways,
industrial plants or encroaching settlements.
KIND OF STUDIES WHICH COULD BE CONDUCTED
ON SUCH RESERVATIONS
In addition to the protective aspects of such a reservation special
attention should be given to such studies as the following:
1 Prolonged studies should be made by resident naturalists of
the life history and habits of the plants and animals of the region
under natural conditions. The facilities for such work are deplor-
ably few or lacking in our general educational system.
2 In the more densely settled regions, where natural conditions
have been largely destroyed, reservations are needed with the definite
policy of restoration of conditions as nearly as possible approach-
56
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
ing those of a virgin wilderness. A scientific study of this restora-
tion problem is urgently needed and could best be done on such
a reservation.
The paper following, by the New York State Council of Parks,
on the criterions which should be used in the selection of parks,
brings out clearly the standards toward which the State Parks are
at present tending, and contrasts them with reservations, which are
emphasized in this paper.
REFERENCES
Adams, Charles C.
1929 Twenty-second Report of the Director of the State Museum and
Science Department. N. Y. State Mus. Bui. 279:19-23; 37-46
1929a The Importance of Preserving Wilderness Conditions. N. Y.
State Mus. Bui., 279:37-46
1929Z? A Policy for State Historic and Scientific Reservations. N. Y.
State Mus. Bui., 284:61-67
Ahrens, Theodor G.
1921 Aims and Status of Plant and Animal Preserve Work in Europe,
with Special Reference to Germany, Including a List of the
Most Important Publications on These Preserves. Roosevelt
Wild Life Bui., 1 :83-94
Conwentz, H.
1909 The Care of Natural Monuments with Special Reference to Great
Britain and Germany. i8sp. Cambridge, England
Dice, L. R.
1926 A Suggested Program for State Preserves in Michigan. 27th-
28th Ann. Rep’ts, Mich. Acad, of Science, Arts and Letters,
P- 32-38
Flick, A. C.
1929 Suggestions for a State Policy Relating to Historic and Scientific
Reservations. N. Y. State Mus. B'ul., 284:68-71
Hall, H. M.
1929 European Reservations for the Protection of Natural Conditions.
Jour, of Forestry, 27 :667-84
Shelford, V. E. and others
1926 Naturalist’s Guide to the Americas. 76ip. Baltimore
Whitman, C. O.
1902 A Biological Farm. For the Experimental Investigation of
Heredity, Variation and Evolution and for the Study of Life-
Histories, Habits, Instincts’ and Intelligence. Biological Bulletin.
3 :2i4-24
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
57
ADDENDUM
PRINCIPLES GOVERNING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
NEW YORK STATE PARKS
The State is committed to the development of a unified park sys-
tem developed on a regional basis. There are ten park regions
including the forest preserve region. These park specifications apply
to all regions except the forest preserve, the development of which
is governed by totally different considerations. The state program
for each region is based primarily upon scenic attraction and recrea-
tional needs. An even geographical distribution of “a park every
50 miles” or “a park for every county” is manifestly impossible on
account of scenic, recreational and other requirements, and because
it is fundamentally unscientific.
A park site should possess both conspicuous scenic and recrea-
tional value, or at least some scenic value and very unusual recrea-
tional possibilities.
By conspicuous scenic value is meant rare natural scenery which
is unlikely to be preserved for enjoyment by the public of this and
future generations if the property remains in private hands, and
which is sufficiently distinctive to attract and interest people from
distant parts of the State as well as local people.
By conspicuous recreational value is meant topography, trees,
vegetation, streams, lakes or ocean shore, which will attract and
interest people of a wide surrounding area and which would not be
available to the public if the property remained in private hands.
In the absence of striking scenic value, this may be compensated
for by very unusual recreational value such as is represented by a
very fine bathing beach or by an exceptional location with respect
to population centers and main arteries of travel.
The State Parks should be sufficient in number to meet the pros-
pective demands of the people of each region over and above facili-
ties which are or should be provided by local, city, county, town and
village parks, and without requiring a state park budget which is
unreasonable or excessive in the light of other financial demands.
Minimum area. Except in extraordinary cases the site should
include not less than 400 acres of land well adapted for park use
and development. Existing parks of smaller area should be ex-
tended to at least this minimum acreage.
Group of smaller units. In certain special cases, a group of
smaller units may be desirable when the several sites are close
58
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
enough together for a central management and it is not practical
to acquire the land between units. This situation is illustrated by
the several sites comprising the Niagara Reservation. Even here
the ultimate objective should contemplate the connection of these
units by a parkway or wide boulevard under park management.
Small units along a state parkway for parking or picnicking are
always desirable.
Nearness to cities and large villages. The site generally should
be well beyond the limits of cities or large villages. A state park
should be “ out in the country,” attractive to tourists and to the
people of the State in general, or should serve a great metropolitan
area.
The large park compared to smaller parks. It is better to con-
centrate on one large fine park than to scatter efforts over a number
of smaller parks in the same neighborhood.
Requirements for new parks to be increasingly strict. The estab-
lishment of new parks must not be carried to an extent which will
interfere with the proper development of existing parks. For this
reason the requirements for new park sites must become increas-
ingly strict. A state park should be developed in a dignified and
substantial manner and park funds should not be scattered over so
many sites as to result in partial or improper development.
Historic and scientific features. The value of a state park site is
enhanced if it contains historical and scientific features which are
interesting and educational, but such factors are incidental and not
controlling like scenic and recreational requirements.
Sites which are primarily historical and scientific should not be
administered by the park authorities which lack the interest and
knowledge to care for them. No new sites of this kind should be
acquired, and those now in existence should be transferred to the
Education Department as soon as the Legislature can make pro-
vision for a Bureau of Historic and Scientific Places in that
department.
Type of land to be taken. In general, the policy is not to take
unattractive, open farm lands for park purposes, but to utilize prop-
erty which can not be farmed economically. However, this should
not be construed to prevent taking necessary open land to provide
entrances, parking areas, recreational fields, etc., as adjuncts to the
main park area.
Woods and water. A site possessing a fair percentage of wooded
area is to be preferred. A stream, lake or ocean shore with water
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
59
of sufficient purity for bathing is practically indispensable. Parks
without bathing facilities or the possibility of such facilities, or
without water views are not desirable.
Cost of land. The cost of land should be relatively low con-
sidering the section of the State in which the park site is located.
Other things being equal, a site involving a small number of present
owners is to be preferred.
Cost of development. The park site must eventually have entrance
and other roads, drinking water, sanitary facilities, central building,
clearing of grounds, etc. A site which necessitates unusually large
expenditures to provide for basic developments should be avoided.
Adopted April 22, 1930
State Council of Parks.
Robert Moses
Chairman
Henry F. Lutz
Secretary
Approved, May 1, 1930
Alexander MacDonald
Conservation Commissioner
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
61
THE PUBLIC FUNCTIONS OF THE DIVISION OF
SCIENCE AND STATE MUSEUM
By Charles C. Adams Ph.D.
Director, Division of Science and State Museum,
Albany, N. Y.
THE GENERAL BACKGROUND
The modern civilized world has been remade almost completely
during the past few generations. The leading factor in this change
is the progress of science and invention as applied to modern life.
In the old days governments, like most people, lived from hand
to mouth and seldom planned for the future. As H. G. Wells has
said, the discovery of the future is a very modern experience.
States and nations today have begun to realize that they should
not merely look forward but should formulate policies just as should
a wisely conducted business enterprise. Modern government is a
huge undertaking and should adopt some of the methods and technic
already perfected in other fields of activity.
The emphasis put on science in recent years in relation to indus-
trial development is so well known as to become a commonplace
remark. The fundamental fact is that the slow perfection of the
scientific method, as worked out in the physical and natural history
sciences, is now being consciously extended to those natural history
sciences which center about man and which have come to be called
the humanities. The application of the same methods of careful,
scientific analysis and synthesis is today the primary scientific and
practical problem of human society.
In the early days our federal leadership was fortunate in having
such friends of science as Franklin and Jefferson, and it is no
accident that we find today clustered about the Federal Government
a whole series of scientific bureaus. There are the Smithsonian
Institution, the United States National Museum, the United States
Geological Survey, the Bureau of Fisheries, the Bureau of Stand-
ards, the Bureau of Mines, and in the United States Department
of Agriculture are hundreds of meteorologists, chemists, botanists,
foresters, zoologists and entomologists. It is very evident that the
natural history sciences are at hand with facilities for securing facts.
Some of these agencies are fairly well supplied with funds and
others are not, but they show that the Federal Government has
clearly recognized the necessity of these fact-finding staffs, and
62
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
such repositories of facts and objects as the National Museum,
Smithsonian Institution, Freer Art Gallery and the Congressional
Library are realities and not merely remote dreams. This efficient
federal organization has been built gradually, and perhaps without
fully realizing how much has been accomplished.
Before passing from the Federal Government, I wish to point
out that even here it is constructive policies which are probably
the most neglected aspect in the federal scheme. Too often these
comprehensive programs have been made only for military pre-
paredness rather than for the broadest public economic and social
welfare.
Turning now to the various states, we find that they tend to
follow the federal example, although the states have preceded the
Federal Government in certain matters. Thus the system of making
an inventory of natural resources, which we are accustomed to call
the geological and natural history surveys, started with the states
before the Federal Government undertook such work systematically,
rather than by sporadic exploring expeditions. Most states, how-
ever, have lagged far behind the Federal Government in the com-
pleteness of their scientific, historical and art bureaus. Not all of
the states have geological and natural history surveys, or a state
museum, and there are also many inadequate state libraries and
historical and art museums. This backwardness has perhaps in
some cases been due to dependence on the federal bureaus as a
substitute for some of their own activity. The older history of
New York is very creditable, because this State began its geological
and natural history survey far in advance of most other states, and
it is only during these later years that, relatively speaking, she
has fallen behind. The great economic expansion of recent years
has not been met by a corresponding support of the scientific organi-
zations, libraries, natural history and art museums.
CONDITIONS IN NEW YORK STATE
With the reorganization of the State Government in 1927 all
educational and research organizations were concentrated in the
State Education Department. This Department, therefore, in addi-
tion to its administrative or law enforcement functions, has general
charge of the state educational and research organizations. Within
the Education Building are located the State Library, the State
Museum and the Division of Archives and History. The activities
of these three organizations are in marked contrast with the other
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
63
divisions located in this same building. They are not primarily
administrative bureaus, but are devoted to the accumulation and
utilization of books, documents and objects of science, history and
art, and lastly, and of equal importance, they are devoted to scientific
and scholarly research, not merely on these accumulated materials
and work in their laboratories, but as well on statewide field work
in their respective fields. At present there is active and hearty
cooperation between these three groups.
A primary motive for the consolidation of the State Government
was to avoid undesirable duplication, to secure closer cooperation
and an economy of effort and finance. Research by state institu-
tions outside of Albany is centered at Ithaca, Geneva and Syracuse,
so far as agriculture and forestry are concerned. These state
agencies within the Education Department, are the State College
of Agriculture, the Geneva Agricultural Experiment Station and
the State College of Forestry. The correlation and cooperation of
these within the Department are thus an internal problem.
The state departments with which the Division of Science and
State Museum is most closely related are the following :
1 The Department of Law. Most of the cooperation with the
Attorney General's office has been regarding litigation over or the
purchase of land by the State. As you well know, the State has
become the owner of millions of acres of land, including dry land,
that under fresh and salt water. The land acquisition policy for
forests, parks and other purposes has demanded consideration of
their mineral resources. For 90 years the State has had in its
employ very competent geologists who have furnished their assist-
ance to the State. The Attorney General’s office and the Judiciary
Department of the State Government have taken advantage of these
scientists and their technical knowledge. During the past year a
dozen cases involving mineral rights have received the attention
of our geologists. This involves weeks of work in the field, office,
laboratory and in the courts. This kind of work attracts little
attention, often has antagonized powerful interests, and has been
of little advantage to the Museum, but no fair-minded person
will belittle such public service.
2 Department of Agriculture and Markets. This department
in its administrative functions is constantly meeting with new prob-
lems that demand scientific study, such as that of the corn borer,
the Japanese beetle and the narcissus bulb insect pests. I am pleased
to report that hearty cooperative relations already exist between
the Museum and this department, and the results have been mutually
64
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
advantageous. Certain of these problems can best be handled at
Albany, and others at Ithaca and Geneva. All these agencies are
needed and should be intelligently coordinated.
3 The Department of Conservation. At present the main point
of contact has been that the Director of the State Museum is a
member of the State Council of Parks, in the Department of Con-
servation. This council has general supervision of the state parks
and the state scientific and historic reservations. This relation is
the outgrowth of the transfer of the State Museum’s reservations,
which formerly had been secured by the State Museum, and which,
with reorganization of the State Government, were transferred to
the Department of Conservation (Clark Reservation, Chittenango
Falls, Squaw Island, Stark’s Knob and the Cryptozoon Ledge).
Other points of contact, which have not been developed and which
should be, concern scientific studies of various problems involving
fish, game and fur-bearing animals, as well as forest, plant and
insect pests, which infest state and private lands administered by
the Department of Conservation. Other departments than the
Education Department cannot maintain the library, collections,
laboratories and scientific staff needed for such purposes, and there
should be very close cooperation in such matters.
4 Department of Public Works. Very naturally the relation
to the Department of Public Works has been mainly in connection
with construction plans, such as foundations of bridges, dams and
public buildings, as well as the state canal problems, and with high-
ways regarding road materials. In recent years, with extensive
highway construction, deposits of sand and gravel have increased
greatly in importance. There has been hearty cooperation between
the Museum and the Bureau of Highways. Such assistance is not
limited to state departments but is extended to municipalities and
other public agencies and to legislative commissions. I may also
add that the Legislature has not always been aware that it had
on the Museum staff experts who were the most competent men
to advise on certain subjects, and have hired — at considerable
expense — less informed and less experienced men.
THE FUNCTIONS OF THE DIVISION OF SCIENCE
AND STATE MUSEUM
The preceding discussion outlines in general terms the relation
of this Division of Science and State Museum to the Education
Department and to other state departments. These functions may
be considered to advantage from the following points of view :
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
65
1 Its fact-finding or research functions. To conduct the state
scientific surveys of the natural resources is a large undertaking.
The rocks, minerals, fossils, plants, animals and the study of special
scientific and economic problems, such as relate to sand and gravel,
limestones, injurious plants, insects and other animals, constitute
an unending succession of field and laboratory studies urgently
demanding attention. Our work should not be limited to the pre-
liminary or “survey” aspects alone of these problems, but should
extend to thorough investigations leading to and bearing directly on
broad public policies. There should be some agency that will be
primarily concerned with the State’s interest as a whole, and not
be limited too exclusively to the special, local or sectional interests.
Administrative officers whose hands are already overflowing, and
who have not the facilities for scientific work, can not be expected
to conduct such research. It is work of this character which lies
primarily within the field of the Division of Science and State
Museum, as the central state scientific agency.
2 Its reference collections. During the conduct of all state
surveys there has been an accumulation of field notes and specimens
or objects. It was originally the accumulations of the early surveys
that largely led to the Museum’s collections. Such collections are
essential equipment, as well as the product of these surveys.
At present we lack an adequate staff to conduct research on the
historical objects, which have been and are being accumulated, but
in time, no doubt, this defect will be remedied.
The value of these study or reference collections is difficult to
impress upon the mind of even the educated public. Many see the
value of a well-stocked library, so that one may, upon a moment’s
notice, secure information on almost any subject. But they do not
realize that it requires very extensive collections of specimens
or objects in order to have, on short notice, corresponding museum
specimens or samples. This occasional use is only a secondary
matter, because any careful study demands representative samples
in quantity in order to reach sound conclusions in these sciences.
Very valuable private collections naturally drift into public
museums, because they have a stable policy and have certain facilities
to care for such materials. Then too, objects which are too bulky
to find place in private homes, and which are expensive to store are
gradually forced into public museums. In time such collections
come to have unusual value. This is true of our own collections.
We have much material that can not be duplicated. Today, unfor-
3
66
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
tunately, we are losing much valuable material because of an inade-
quate staff, storage and exhibition facilities.
3 Museum exhibits. Study or reference collections are one of
the most important parts of a research museum, and are generally
the basis for the exhibits, which the general public usually thinks
constitute the real museum. We may roughly compare the relation
of study collections and exhibits to the sunken part of the iceberg
and the part above water. The largest part is submerged and a
small part shows beautifully above the surface, as the exhibit, but
there would be no “exhibit” were it not for the submerged portion.
Just because of these degrees of visibility, it is difficult to secure
public and other funds for these fundamental collections. Exhibits
are primarily designed for educational purposes, and are a phase
of applied science and art, combined so as to tell a story that the
general public may readily understand.
The exhibits, because they are open to the public nearly 350
days a year, are a permanent exposition of the resources of the
State to residents and to tourists. In spite of the fact that the
State Museum is on the top floor of the Education Building, and
with no sign on the outside of the building to indicate that it con-
tains a public museum, we have about 200,000 visitors annually,
and give to them free about $200,000 worth of recreational education.
4 Publications. In addition to the visitors to the Museum exhibits,
a large, unmeasurable public is reached through the technical and
popular Museum publications. These have an extensive distribu-
tion throughout the State in public libraries, and in exchange with
other governmental agencies throughout the country and in foreign
lands. No one can get an adequate account of the natural resources
of this State without consulting the publications of this Museum.
These cover about 40 lineal feet of shelving and constitute quite a
library in themselves.
The colored plates of birds and wild flowers are in great demand
and have an extensive sale throughout the Eastern States. The
popular handbooks have met with a hearty response on the part of
the public. The technical publications have for several generations
been considered among the best in their class. We now have on
hand a manuscript for two fine volumes, with colored plates, on the
shells of the State, and other valuable technical papers are awaiting
publication.
The State Museum should be the natural outlet for publications
on the geological and natural history of the State. There is a field
here for this public service.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
67
THE NEEDS OF THE DIVISION OF SCIENCE AND
STATE MUSEUM
Time is available to mention only the outstanding needs of the
Division and the Museum. A bird’s-eye view of the situation is
needed in order to get a proper perspective. The following may be
mentioned :
1 A new Museum building
2 An increased scientific and technical staff
3 Professional research fellowships
4 Natural history reservations (in trust)
5 Financial support and trust funds
1 A new Museum building. For many years there has been an
agitation for a new State Museum building. There are several rea-
sons for this. The Education Department needs not only all the
space in the Education Building but all on the present block, and
none seems to be available in the new Office Building. The needs
of the State Library and for offices are more than urgent, and
demand all of this space. Another reason is that not only has the
Museum outgrown its present quarters, but they were never prop-
erly planned for a museum. The system of skylights and their
height, the lack of all storage space, wholly inadequate light in all
the offices and laboratories, and the very imperfect system of venti-
lation indicate some of the major defects.
Lack of space prevents the Museum exhibits from giving a satis-
factory picture of the resources, history and the industries of the
State. The geological and fossil exhibits are the most complete; that
of the plant world, including its ramifications in horticulture, agri-
culture, floriculture and forestry, is wholly inadequate. The rela-
tion of plant products to industry is not represented at all. Here is
a wonderful field for the modern group exhibits which have great
public interest. The animal exhibits have also lagged, and are not
up to the latest standard. The field of anthropology is well repre-
sented by the justly famous Iroquois Indian groups, which are unsur-
passed. The remainder of the Indian collection, though valuable
and interesting, is not outstanding. Regarding the history and art
of the white man, while we have very valuable collections in storage,
we have only temporary exhibits, and this phase has an importance
and interest which deserves much better attention. Our best his-
torical collections are those related to the farm and household
industries. If the history of the State could be portrayed by a series
68
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
of groups similar in quality to those of the Indian groups, as the
former Director, Dr John M. Clarke, suggested, it would make this
a very outstanding Museum. As to art, what little we have is almost
negligible, and yet this State has and is producing representative
work in many lines which should be exhibited here.
1 have spoken of the exhibits first because of their popular appeal,
but the storage rooms or Museum stacks, corresponding to the stacks
of a library, are of paramount importance. With an abundance of
storage space there will be room to care for a variety of materials
which will enable the curators to change or rotate the exhibits and
give them a freshness that is not a luxury in a museum but a neces-
sity, if the place is kept really alive and not as a museum morgue.
Laboratories, work rooms and offices are a necessary element in
a properly equipped modern museum. As a rule, these facilities are
not given sufficient attention or space.
As to the site, everyone who has given any serious attention to
the problem and who has a real knowledge of the requirements of
such a building, recognizes that there is only one satisfactory site
remaining and that is on State street facing the Education Building.
The Legislative Commission in 1925 recommended for the State
Museum the site now used by the new Office Building. Now the
only remaining site is the one above named, facing the Education
Building. The same commission submitted a drawing showing the
type of building which it considered suitable for this Civic Center
harmonizing with the Education Building and completing the civic
center so well planned.
Such a building, facing on State street, should have wings extend-
ing backward to provide for each of the major divisions of work
of the Museum and an administrative section. One wing, from
basement to attic should be devoted to geology and the related phy-
sical sciences and industries ; a second one to the plant world and its
allied industries ; a third central one to administration ; a fourth to
the animal world and the allied industries, and the fifth to his-
tory and anthropology, and including offices for the Division of
Archives and History. This Division is not a part of the Museum
but is so closely related that both should be under the same roof.
2 An increased scientific and technical staff. The staff of
a scientific department or museum is its crew, and without a com-
petent staff little can be expected. The staff has not grown during
the past 17 years that it has occupied the Education Building, and
certain valuable scientists and workmen have been lost. The salaries
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
69
have advanced only about 30 per cent and the cost of living has
advanced 75 per cent during this period. The result is that its
standard of work has been maintained for years by the staff rather
than by the State, certainly an unsatisfactory condition, and below
the standard for such a wealthy state. Our staff should be doubled
within the next few years, and satisfactory provision should be made
for several new positions, including professional men for the work
in history and art and the various neglected industries.
3 Professional research fellowships. There is urgent need of
facilities and supervision of scientific problems impinging upon
public administrative and industrial difficulties, and in the various
industries, that a central state agency, such as the Division of
Science and State Museum, ought to be able to do much to meet.
Thus, with sufficient office and laboratory space we could supervise
a series of investigations in cooperation with industries. A very
successful method of doing this is by professional research fellow-
ships financed by the interested industries. Such a policy would be
justified only, of course, provided that the subjects chosen were
important and the results were made public, by means of appro-
priate publications. There are also field problems as well as those
in the laboratory which can be handled by this method. As a con-
crete example, the clay industries of the Hudson valley might estab-
lish such fellowships in order to test certain properties of these
clays and greatly increase their value. This same idea is applicable
to other mineral resources, as gypsum, limestone and shale, and
to a great variety of biological problems which need not be elaborated
here.
4 Natural history reservations (in trust). There are a vast
number of problems in science and industry, particularly in industry,
that are essentially laboratory problems and must be solved by those
methods. There are also others, especially those involving rural
problems — those of the field, forest and waters — that depend for
their solution primarily upon field research, supplemented, of course,
by the laboratory. We hear very little about this phase of research,
and it is one of the most neglected fields of scientific activity today.
There are a number of possible solutions of this group of problems,
but I wish to emphasize at this time only one of them. There is
the need of a large tract of diversified wild land and waters which
should be made a preserve where natural history studies may be
carried on continuously by a resident scientific staff. Such a tract
should be large enough to furnish a great variety of biological con-
ditions, and should afford natural and experimental facilities that
70
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
will permit the conduct of varied studies of wild plants and wild
animals under the most favorable conditions.
A sufficient endowment should be made available to furnish
facilities for work and living conditions for an able staff, and on
a scale large enough to produce important results.
Such a research station should be in trust in order to give it
stability of policy, and endowed so as not to be at the mercy of
fluctuating appropriations. A budget of from $50,000 or $100,000
a year would make a valuable unit for such a station.
5 Financial support and trust funds. The present budget for
the work of the Division of Science and State Museum is less than
$75,000. Within the next few years this should be at least $250,000.
The city of Buffalo now contributes $149,000 to its local Museum,
and New York City gives to the American Museum of Natural
History, $434,000. This shows the backward condition of our
finances.
In addition to the regular appropriations trust funds and gifts
are needed to provide for special projects, and to furnish fluid funds
in advance of the slowly moving public support necessary to secure
appropriations. For years many opportunities to do valuable scien-
tific work and to secure valuable historical collections have been
lost because of the lack of such funds.
Without question the most successful scientific and educational
organizations in the country are those which combine public funds
with trust and gift funds. This lesson is so emphatic that no oppor-
tunity should be lost to indicate the importance of this kind of
support.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
71
SOME MUSEUM METHODS DEVELOPED IN THE
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
By Rudolf Ruedemann and Winifred Goldring
Paleontologists , New York State Museum
When the State Museum was moved in 1912 from its cramped
quarters in the Geological Hall into the top floor of the Education
Building, it found itself in possession of five times the floor space it
had before and a general expansion of exhibits took place. This
was especially the case in the departments of geology and paleon-
tology, which took over the Main Hall, nearly 600 feet long.
As in the more than 80 years that the Geological Survey had been
carried on large collections had been brought together from the
State, among them over 10,000 types or originals of figures of
fossils, there was no lack of material for exhibition, but the problem
was how to make this unwieldy mass attractive and instructive to
the visitor. We have in a former article (Ruedemann and Goldring
’29) described the restorations that were undertaken for this pur-
pose and the arrangement of the material to give it educational value.
In the present article we shall set forth a number of minor methods
that were developed in the process of installation and that serve to
make the exhibits more attractive and instructive. We have not
found these methods described in other publications on museum
installation but have frequently been asked about them by visiting
experts and therefore believe that their publication may be helpful
to others who have to meet similar problems.
In putting the thousands of invertebrate fossils on exhibition, it
was found of good advantage to select originals which had been
figured and to place the figures alongside the specimens, because
the figures add, so to say, a human element that attracts the eye
first and leads to an inspection of the specimen.
In numerous cases the fossil was but a mold, from which a gutta-
percha squeeze had been made that served as original for a figure.
Usually the body of the fossil on the squeeze had been blackened
with Chinese sepia or Indian ink to bring it out more sharply, a
process that, however, only served to dull or hide the sculpture. An
attempt to rub the blacking off] with a wet finger, showed that
thereby the finest details of sculpture became beautifully outlined in
black on the red gutta percha. Numerous very attractive squeezes
were thus obtained, especially among the crinoids, star-fishes and
72
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
crustaceans. The older the squeezes and the ink covering, the
better the process will work.
Many fossils, as for example the trilobites of the Trenton and
Hamilton formations, are made black and lustrous by a thin coat of
banana oil that does not destroy the visibility of sculpture details
and can easily be removed with absolute alcohol without harm to
the fossils.
There was a good-sized collection of large, fairly thin slides of
corals, especially of the Onondaga limestone, once made by Hall
for a study of the corals. These were not transparent and lacked
cover glasses. It was found that by treating them with shellac and
putting the section inside against a black background, they became
most beautiful transparent sections, exhibiting the delicate tracery
of the coral structure in the finest detail ; and a large exhibit of these
was made.
The Museum contained extensive collections of Devonic corals,
again largely from the Onondaga limestone, partly or wholly silicified
in limestone. Specimens partly etched by weathering were collected
in the early days in stone fences etc. It became desirable to etch
these corals to such a depth that the larger part of the stock became
free. It was found that in dipping the corals into diluted acid, the
effervescing carbonic acid would destroy some of the more delicate
structures. A siphon arrangement, however, developed by C. A.
Hartnagel, by which the acid was dripped slowly on a particular
spot, served to etch out gradually whole coral stocks without loss
of the thinner corallites. Where it was desired that a solid platform
remain for the coral stock to stand on, the block was suspended by
clamps held in holes in the block with the coral downward in diluted
acid; and beautifully etched specimens, as that of Romingeria, were
obtained in this way. This method was not mentioned in the very
complete chapter on chemical preparation in Stromer von Reichen-
bach’s Pal'dozooJogischcs Praktikum and therefore is undoubtedly
new.
In some cases, as in that of crinoids, it was desired to show both
sides of the fossil, a result easily obtained by placing a small hand
mirror behind the tilted object. In other cases, where enlargements
of objects in the cases were to be shown, plano-convex lenses were
attached by Canada balsam to the inside of the glass pane of the
case. This otherwise excellent method of bringing the exhibit nearer
to the visitor, has the disadvantage that small children want to look
through the lenses and are liable to kick and scratch the drawers
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
73
under the cases, or the legs of the latter, when held up by their
elders.
Models of various objects, mostly to show their interior struc-
ture, were made first in the rough in plasticine, then cast in plaster
of Paris by way of a plaster of Paris mold. The final cast was
worked out in detail— especially as far as reentrants, undercuts and
hollow places that could not be cast were concerned — while the
plaster was still moist and soft, with specially made tools of steel
and boxwood. The senior author made thus the models of cepha-
lopods and of growth-stages of eurypterids on exhibition, the latter
in some cases standing free on their legs. The work proved to be
both easy and interesting and can easily be carried out by scientists
with no great artistic skill.
Later, under the influence of Henri Marchand, the plaster of
Paris was replaced by wax, which allows more delicate tints and
adds a transparency that gives life and beauty to the restorations
and models. Mr Marchand was the first to develop in the Museum
the making of wax groups of mushrooms by using glue molds. He
later made for the Illinois State Museum a forest with some four
hundred groups of mushrooms and a brook in the middle of the
forest, an altogether admirable piece of museum work.
Mr Marchand also used running water falling in a cascade from
the rocks in the Gilboa group, partly to add life to the group and
partly to settle the dust into the pool by the resulting spray and
moisture, as the group was too large to be encased in glass. The
water seems so far to have succeeded well in keeping the group free
from thick accumulation of dust.
Speaking of water, we should mention Mr Marchand’s method of
attaining an underwater effect in our Portage group of submarine
life. Dr F. A. Bather in his valuable paper, A Cargo of Notions,
has described this method as follows :
An ingenious way of managing light for a special purpose is
illustrated by figure 5, which is a section through a case displaying
submarine life, in the New York State Museum. The light is day-
light coming from the top. The top and front of the case are of
clear glass. At the surface of the supposed water is a sheet of glass
coated with a green varnish. All above this receives the ordinary
daylight, while all below it is in a subdued green light, which gives,
without loss of clearness, precisely the effect of being under water.
Above the green glass is an ordinary painted background of shore
scenery. Below it is a sheet of ground glass, on the far side of which
are painted seaweeds ; light comin'g from above is reflected through
this and produces the illusion of a fading distance.
74
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
The lifelike restoration of the mastodon, with its coat of fur, was
a new venture in instalment work. This has been already described
by Noah T. Clarke in a previous Director’s Report.
A very instructive model of the Mineville iron mine was obtained
by a series of parallel glass plates, upon which sections of the ore-
body, the parts of it already worked out and the surrounding rock
are painted. This model was made by Robert Jones under the super-
vision of D. H. Newland.
We may finally add a few hints on methods of preservation and
drawing used for years in our laboratory but not mentioned in books
on museum work. Finding that the gutta-percha squeezes of fossils
— often all that is left of a type when the fossil was but an impres-
sion in soft shale — became brittle and fell to pieces we have made
copper electroplates of a number of them by covering the squeezes
with graphite to make them conductive and putting them in an
electroplating tank. Thus a copper mold is obtained from which the
replica of the fossil is made. The process is very successful when
handled with sufficient care and skill.
In the study of the eurypterids it was found that the leathery or
chitinous shell of these creatures in the Bertie waterlime had been
altered into a carbonized film that is not amenable to treatment by
Eau de Javelle and other chemicals for the purpose of making the
test transparent, as had been done by Holm with eurypterids from
the island of Oesel. It was, however, found that by brief, carefully
timed immersion in muriatic or nitric acid, the test could be lightened
so that details of structure not visible before could be brought out.
The senior author thus brought out the genital tubes of Eurypterus
rcmipes (Clarke and Ruedemann, ’12, pt 2, pi. 8, fig. 1), the epistoma
of Pterygotus macro pht hakims (op. cit. pi. 71, fig. 5), the epistoma
of Hughmilleria socialis in place (op. cit. pt. 1, p. 428, fig. 118) and
other details figured by Clarke and Ruedemann in their memoir on
the Eurypterida. This method is to be used with great care, how-
ever, as the film is easily destroyed.
The senior author in desiring to make natural size drawings of
graptolites and other flat objects found a fairly easy and accurate
method by putting a sheet of lithographer’s gelatine over the fossil
and tracing it with a lithographer’s needle. Then, so that the drawing
is not to appear reversed, its outlines may be traced with a needle
on the reverse side. Into this drawing lamp-black is rubbed with a
fine brush and transferred, by rubbing with the finger nail over the
opposite side of the gelatine onto the paper laid below. The Lap-
worth-Parkes microscope offers now a means of obtaining more
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
75
accurate drawings of graptolites, but for larger objects, as
eurypterids, the gelatine process is still very useful and easily
applied.
We may add that our systematic collection was mounted on wood,
following the National Museum method of mounting, with a mixture
of glue and plaster of Paris. It was found that when the specimens
were mounted on the painted surface they would come off in a few
years, but where the paint was removed before mounting they have
stood now for more than 15 years without any indications of
loosening.
The authors will be glad to give more detailed information to
any one interested, concerning any of these methods.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Bather, F. A.
1926 A Cargo of Notions. The Museum Journal, 25:216-25; 252-58;
278-86; 305-11
Clarke, J. M. & Ruedemann, R.
1912 The Eurypterida of New York. N. Y. State Mus. Mem. 14,
439P- (Pt 1), 88 pi. (pt 2)
Ruedemann, R. & Goldring, W.
1929 Making Fossils Popular in the New York State Museum. N. Y.
State Mus. Bui., 279:47-51
Stromer, Ernst
1920 Palaozoologisches Praktikum. I04p. Berlin
Figure ii Section of case to show submarine life
in New York State Museum (From Bather, 1926, p. 222,
fig- 5)
[76]
[77]
Figure 12 Growth stages of the eurypterid Stylonums, modeled in plasticine and cast in plaster of paris
Figure 13 Restoration of the cephalopod Rhyticcras, modeled in plasticine
and cast in plaster of paris
[78]
Figure 14 Restoration of the cephalopod Manticoceras, modeled in
plasticine and cast in plaster of paris
[79]
[8o]
Figure 15 The coral Romingeria, etched out by suspension in acid
[8i]
Figure 16 The coral Syringopora liisingeri, etched out by siphon arrangement. Lateral view.
[82]
Figure 17 Top view of large stock of the coral Syringopora maclurei, etched out by siphon arrangement
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REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
85
THE WAMPUM BELT COLLECTION OF THE
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
By Noah T. Clarke
Archeologist, New York State Museum
The majority of the wampum belts in the New York State Museum
collection were obtained through the action of the Onondaga Nation,
who were the former keepers of the wampum belts of the Iroquois
Confederacy. In 1898 they elected The University of the State
of New York the keeper of the wampum and the wampum records
of the Onondaga Nation, the Five Nations and the Six Nations
of the Confederacy. They, at the same time, sold and conveyed to
the State these symbolic documents which recall early laws, alliances
and other important events of historical interest. Thus the State
of New York is charged with the duty and right to keep, hold and
recover all the wampums of said nations as follows :
§ 27 Custody of wampums. The University of the State of
New York, which was duly elected to the office of wampum-keeper
by the Onondaga nation on February twenty-sixth, eighteen hundred
and ninety-eight, and which by unanimous action of its Regents on
March twenty-second, eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, accepted
such election as authorized to do by law, and which accepted the
custody of the wampums as formally transferred to the Chancellor
as part of the exercises and with the unanimous approval, both of
the election and transfer, by the council of the Five Nations held in
the senate chamber of the capitol at Albany on June twenty-second,
eighteen hundred and ninety-eight, by duly chosen representatives
of all the original nations of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee, shall hereafter
be recognized in all courts and places, as having every power which
has ever, at any time, been exercised by any wampum-keeper of
the Onondaga nation, or of any of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee, other-
wise known as the Five Nations, or the Six Nations, or the Iroquois,
and shall keep such wampums in a fire-proof building, as public
records, forever, and is hereby authorized to secure by purchase,
suit, or otherwise, any wampums which have ever been in the pos-
session of any of the Ho-de-no-sau-nee, or any preceding wampum-
keeper, and which are now owned by any of them or to which
any of them is entitled, or to which it is entitled, in law or in equity,
and to maintain and carry on suit to recover any of such wampums
in its own name or in the name of the Onondaga nation at any
time notwithstanding that the cause of action may have accrued more
than six years, or any time, before the commencement of any
such suit.
The provisions of this section shall not apply to the subject matter
of any litigation pending on March twenty-seventh, eighteen hundred
and ninety-nine, in any court of this State.
[New York State Indian Law]
86
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Altogether the State Museum collection consists of 25 belts, includ-
ing two of the largest known, the George Washington Covenant
Belt, and the “Wing or Dust Fan Belt,” both of which are examples
of exquisite workmanship. Another very large belt is known as
the “Presidentia,” a chain type which was to have always been kept
bright in friendship. The Hiawatha Belt is one of outstanding
merit as it commemorates the establishment of the Iroquois
Confederacy.
The name “wampum” is a term which the early New England
colonists derived from the Algonkian name “wampomeag,” mean-
ing “a string” (of shell beads). Indians were attracted to the use
of shells in their personal adornment by their natural beauty. On
account of their thin, sharp edges, shells were brought into service
as implements and utensils such as cups, spoons, scrapers, digging
tools and knives.
Shell beads were the handiwork of the woman, whose skilful
hands were accustomed to the delicate and tedious operation of
their manufacture. Wampum beads are small cylindrical shell beads
which measure about a quarter of an inch in length and one-eighth
of an inch in diameter. They were wrought from various species
of shells, but those made in the eastern section of the United States
were cut from those found along the Atlantic sea coast, such as
the common hard-shell clam, Venus mercenaria; the periwinkle,
Pyrula carica and P. canaliculata ; the whelk, Buccinum undatum;
and fresh-water shells of the genus Unio (Hodge, To, 904). These
afforded the manufacture of two color varieties — the white, which
was formed from the thicker portion of the shell, and the dark,
or purple bead, cut from the purple spot in the clam shell.
In trade, wampum was used either in strings or loose. When
loose, they were counted out and six beads equalled in value three
of the dark ones or, according to one authority, the amount of one
penny. By the string, they were measured into strands of 360
white and 180 dark beads. These were known as “fathoms” and
each “fathom” was valued at 60 cents in trade.
Shell beads, or wampum, besides their use as necklaces and for
purposes of exchange, were used in strings in public transactions
of various nature and significance. Strung in different order or
color combinations, they conveyed or recorded a definite idea or
thought, which could be interpreted without confusion. White
beads used alone in ritual or ceremonies conveyed the idea of peace,
health and harmony; the dark or purple beads used alone in cere-
monies denoted the idea of sorrow, death, mourning and hostility.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR 87
White beads were sometimes dyed red to signify the declaration
of war, or used as an invitation to friends to join them in war.
The wampum belt was another product of these white and purple
shell beads. In ancient times these beads were strung on twisted
threads made from the inner bark of the elm tree and fashioned
into mats or belts. A variety of symbolic designs were incorporated
in the manufacture of these belts as a means of recording important
events, in the ratification of treaties and, in some cases, to guarantee
proposals made by one people to another.
Lewis H. Morgan (’52, p. 72) gives an account of making wam-
pum belts, as follows :
The most common width was 3 fingers or the width of 7 beads,
the length ranging from 2 to 6 feet. In belt-making, which is a
simple process, eight strands or cords of bark thread are first
twisted from filaments of slippery elm, of the requisite length and
size; after which they are passed through a strip of deerskin to
separate them at equal distances from each other in parallel lines.
A splint is then sprung in the form of a bow, to which each end
of the several strings is secured, and by which all of them are held
in tension, like warp threads in a weaving machine. Seven beads,
these making the intended width of the belts, are then run upon a
thread by means of a needle, and are passed under the cords at right
angles, so as to bring one bead lengthwise between each cord and
the one next in position. The thread is then passed back along the
upper side of the cords, and again through each of the beads ;
so that each bead is held firmly in its place by means of two threads,
one passing under and one above the cords. This process is con-
tinued until the belt reaches its intended length, when the ends of the
cords are tied, the end of the belt covered and afterwards trimmed
with ribbons. In ancient times both the cords and the threads
were of sinew.
Hiawatha Belt
(Figure 19)
(Museum Catalog No. 37309)
Size: length, 21 inches; width, 10^4 inches; rows wide, 38.
Acquired: May 24, 1927, by bequest of Emma Treadwell Thacher
of Albany, N. Y.
Description: This is in the form of a beaded mat on which a
symbolic design in white beads has been worked in along its length,
consisting of two hollow squares on either side of a figure of a
heart (tree?) which occupies the center.
It is one of the most important and valuable Iroquoian wampum
belts in existence and is considered the original record of the forma-
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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
tion of the Iroquois League when representatives sat at the great
council to ratify the union of the Five Nations. The exact age
of this belt is unknown, but General Carrington has said that (Beau-
champ, ’oi, p. 41 1 ) it is “the official memorial of the organization
of the Iroquois Confederacy, relating back to the middle of the 16th
century.” It is referred to (New York State Supreme Court, ’00,
p. 11) as a “belt of dark wampum beads representing the Confedera-
tion organization of the Five Nations under Hiawatha.” General
John S. Clark, a witness for the plaintiffs in the Thacher case, is
quoted as saying (New York State Supreme Court, ’00, p. 59) “That
it was made at the formation of the League representing the Five
Nations united to'gether by white lines through the central part of
the Nations.” The “reading” of this belt was made by Daniel and
Thomas La Forte at Onondaga Castle, July 19 and August 1, 1898,
as follows: (Beauchamp ’01, p. 420) “One heart of the Five Nations
- — that if any hurt of any one animal would pierce that heart then
they would all feel it — all of the Five Nations. This was in
Hiawatha’s belt. That they are a united people. This is the
original Hiawatha belt — a record of the first agreement to make
the League.”
Under section 60 of the original Iroquois Code (Emblematical
Union Compact) of the Great Binding Law, (Parker, T6, p. 47)
reference is made to the interpretation of the designs on this belt :
The first of the squares on the left represents the Mohawk Nation
and its territory ; the second square on the left and the one near the
heart, represents the Oneida Nation and its territory; the white
heart in the middle represents the Onondaga Nation and its terri-
tory; and also means that the heart of the Five Nations is single
in its loyalty to the Great Peace, that the Great Peace is lodged in
the heart (meaning the Onondaga Confederate Lords), and that
the Council Fire is to burn there for the Five Nations, and further,
it means that the authority is given to advance the cause of peace
whereby hostile nations out of the Confederacy shall cease warfare;
the white square to the right of the heart represents the Cayuga
Nation and its territory and the fourth and last square represents
the Seneca Nation and its territory.
White shall here symbolize that no evil or jealous thoughts shall
creep into the minds of the Lords while in council under the Great
Peace. White the emblem of peace, love, charity and equity sur-
rounds and guards the Five Nations.
In reversing the belt, the figure of the “heart” in the center
assumes the appearance of a tree and at the same time brings the
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
89
geographical position of the Five Nations in the correct order on
the belt. A figure of a tree might well represent the Onondaga
Nation as the Onondagas were designated to keep the Council Fire
and it was under the Great Tree of Light that the nations met in
council.
References
Beauchamp, ’80, p. 229, (third belt) ; ’01, p. 411-12, 416-17, 420, pi. 22,
fig. 252; Holmes, ’83, p. 252-53, pi. XL; Parker, ’16, p. n-12, 47; Reynolds,
’09, p. 231, 254 (O), pi. fac. p. 208; N. Y. State Supreme Court, p. 11, 53-59,
pis. fac. p. 56, 57, 104 ; U. S. Dep’t Interior, p. 471-72, pi. fac. p. 472.
Washington Covenant Belt
(Figure 20)
(Museum Catalog No. 37310)
Size: length, 6 feet 3^2 inches; width, 5% inches; rows wide, 15;
a total of about 10,000 beads.
Acquired: May 24, 1927, by bequest of Emma Treadwell
Thacher of Albany, N. Y.
Description: The symbolic figures of 15 men with outstretched
arms and clasped hands, extend along its length. In the center is
a figure of a house, from the roof of which extends a protecting
shelter for the man standing on either side. These two figures may
be considered to be the Keepers of the East and West Doors, respec-
tively, of the Iroquoian Long House and to be acting as guards to
the open door of the effigy of the pale face house, or the National
Capitol Building. The other remaining 13 figures, signifying the
13 original colonies, are joined in unity by the clasped hands. The
designs are woven in the dark or purple beads on a solid white
beaded field which denotes peace and friendship.
It is reputed as being unsurpassed in the excellence of its con-
struction and it was the belt most highly prized by the wampum
keepers of the Onondaga Nation. It is so called by reason of the
fact that during the presidency of George Washington it was used
as a covenant of peace between the 13 original states which he rep-
resented and the Six Nations of the Iroquois. Edward W. Paige,
a New York attorney, says (Beauchamp, ’01, p. 422) that this was
the treaty of 1789 which is printed among the United States
treaties.
The above belt is referred to (New York State Supreme Court,
’00, p. 11 ) as “the First Treaty stipulated between the Six Nations
and Gen. George Washington, picturing in wampum bead work the
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NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Council House, General George Washington, the O-do-ta-ho, or
President of the tribes, and 13 representatives of the Colonies.”
Again (op. cit., p. 60), General John S. Clark is quoted thus: “This
was represented to be the belt that was made at the first treaty of the
Five Nations with the general government at the time of the Revo-
lutionary War, in which the 13 states are represented by human
figures and the Five Nations are represented in the center. The
13 states represented as holding hands and connected with the
central figure, who is To-do-da-ho, I suppose.” A letter from Mr
Thacher to Melvil Dewey, Secretary to the Board of Regents, writ-
ten December 26, 1896 (op. cit., p. 5, 6) acknowledges that “the
Washington belt is most interesting although far inferior in histor-
ical interest to the Hiawatha Belt” (Cat. No. 37309).
References
Beauchamp, ’80, p. 229 (sixth belt) ; ’01, p. 413, 422, pi. 22, fig. 248; Con-
verse, ’08, p. 143, pi. 10 ; Holmes, ’83, p. 253, pi. XLII; N. Y. State Supreme
Court, p. 5, 6, 11, 60, 75, pis. fac. p. 56, 57, 104; U. S. Dep’t Interior, p. 471,
472, pi. fac. p. 472.
Belt To Mark the Sight of the First Pale Faces
(Figure 21)
(Museum Catalog No. 37311)
Size: length, 28 inches ; width, 3F2 inches ; rows wide, 13.
Acquired: May 24, 1927, by bequest of Emma Treadwell Thacher
of Albany, N. Y.
Description: It is woven on buckskin thongs with a purple back-
ground bearing four groups of three white-beaded diagonal lines.
It was made by the Iroquois to commemorate “the first coming of
the people with white faces” (Beauchamp, ’01, p. 423). We do not
know whether this refers to the first sight of Spaniards, French or
Dutch. John Buck, who was an Onondaga chief and once wampum
keeper, remarked that diagonal stripes across a belt were symbols of
agreement that the tribe giving the belt would help the Six Nations
in war. These were props, or supports, for the Long House; the
symbol of the Confederacy. In this sense the diagonal lines may
be considered to signify the willingness of support to the whites
by the Indians.
References
Beauchamp, ’80, p. 230 (nth belt) ; ’01, p. 415, 423, pi. 22, fig. 249; Holmes,
’83, p. 253; Reynolds, ’09, p. 231, 254 (B2) ; N. Y. State Supreme Court,
p. 60, 81, 82, pis. fac. p. 56, 57, 104; U. S. Dep’t Interior, p. 472, pi. fac.
p. 472.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
91
Champlain Belt
(Figure 22)
(Museum catalog No. 37312)
Size: length, 39)4 inches; width, 2 inches; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: May 24, 1927, by bequest of Emma Treadwell Thacher
of Albany, N. Y.
Description: This belt is practically a duplicate of the Eli S.
Parker Belt (37434) in the State Museum collection. Both belts
are woven with purple-beaded backgrounds carrying five white
hexagons equally spaced along its length. At each end, for the length
of an inch, are alternating rows of white and purple beads, and the
only apparent difference between this and the Parker Belt is that
the latter has three white stripes at each end, while this one carries
four. The “reading,” as given by Daniel and Thomas La Forte
(Beauchamp, ’01, p. 419) at Onondaga Castle, July 19 and Au'gust
1, 1898, is as follows: “Represents a sorrow meeting of the Five
Nations. If a misfortune happen : if little boys and girls were taken
and one killed — to consider what should be done for remedy that
misfortune — a tooth for a tooth, an eye for an eye. This is a Hia-
watha belt. This belt is used when meeting of that kind is called.”
A label on this belt states that it commemorates the excursion of
Samuel Champlain into the country of the Iroquois in 1609.
References
Beauchamp, ’08, p. 229 (first belt) ; ’01, p. 414, 419, pi. 22, fig. 251 ; Holmes,
’83, p. 251-52, pi. XXXIX, fig. 2; Reynolds, ’09, p. 231, 254 ( B3)) ; N. Y.
State Supreme Court, p. 60, 81, pis. fac. p. 56, 57, 104; U. S. Dep’t Interior,
p. 472, pi. fac. p. 472.
Penobscot Council Belt
(Figure 23)
(Museum catalog No. 37416)
Size: length, 22^2 inches; width, 2)4$ inches; rows wide, 8.
Acquired: by purchase in 1907 from Mr W. C. Hill of New
York City.
Description: This is a dark purple belt made on hemp thread and
carries six double white diagonal bars distributed along its length.
At the center is a small white square, the corners of which radiate
four white lines to form an X-shaped figure.
It is reputed to have been made by the Iroquois and in the posses-
sion of Penobscot Indians at Oldtown, Maine. A. C. Parker (’08,
p. 109) believes the “X” in the center signifies that “it is a command
92
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
and summons to a condolence council at Onondaga.” The dark
background may place it as originally used for condolences
ceremonies.
References
Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. io; Parker, ’08, p. 108-9, pi- 49, fig- 1.
Fort Stanwix Treaty Belt
(Figure 24)
(Catalog No. 37415)
Size: length, 15F2 inches; width, 2 inches; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: donated to the Museum in 1918 by Mrs Abraham
Lansing (Catherine Gansevoort Lansing) of Albany, N. Y.
Description: This belt bears six diagonal purple bars, or braces,
arranged in pairs on a white background. White denotes peace
and friendship while the diagonal bars are supports to the Long
House, the symbol for the Confederacy of the Six Nations. It is
made on buckskin thongs.
When the peace treaty between the Six Nations of the Iroquois
and the United States was signed on October 22, 1784, at Fort
Stanwix (site of Rome, N. Y.) this belt was made and used to
record that event. It was once the property of General Peter
Gansevoort and was presented to the Museum by his granddaughter,
Mrs Abraham Lansing.
Reference
Parker, ’19, p. 102.
Small Wampum of Unknown Origin
(Figure 25)
(Catalog No. 36514)
Size: length, 6l/2 inches; width, 2 y2 inches; rows wide, 7.
Description: Two purple circles on a white beaded field; woven
on buckskin thongs.
Ransom Belt
(Figure 32)
(Catalog No. 37417)
Size: length, 24^4 inches; width, 2 inches; rows wide, 6.
Acquired: through Mrs Harriet M. Converse.
Description: A partly mutilated purple beaded belt woven on
thread and buckskin thongs. It carries five white diagonal stripes,
one at each end and two at the center. On each side of the latter
is a white open hexagon.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
93
It was offered as a sign of ransom by women to release and adopt
a condemned prisoner or murderer. According to the title attached
when Mrs Converse obtained it, this “could save a life if presented
by the youngest unmarried female in the family” (Beauchamp, ’oi,
p. 428). Lewis H. Morgan remarked that among the Iroquois “six
strings was the value of a life, or the quantity sent in condonation,
for the wampum was rather sent as a regretful confession of the
crime with a petition for forgiveness, than as the actual price of
blood.” It was the symbol for the authority invested in women
to intercede on behalf of prisoners.
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 428, pi. 21, fig. 247; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Converse,
’08, p. 132-33; Parker, ’08, pi. 30, fig. 1.
Lewis H. Morgan Belt
(Figure 33)
(Catalog No. 37419)
Size: length, 27% inches; width, 2 inches; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: in 1852, through Lewis H. Morgan.
Description: A comparatively recent dark purple belt made on
threads and bound at each end by ribbon. This wampum is in perfect
condition and carries nine white open diamond-shaped figures along
its length, with a small white open square at one end.
This belt was made at Tonawanda, N. Y., from beads which Mr
Morgan purchased (in October 1850) at Grand River, Ontario, Can-
ada, from the daughter of Joseph Brant ( Thayendanagea ) , the
celebrated Mohawk war chief, to whom they formerly belonged.
A. C. Parker remarks that it is “said to symbolize the peace between
clans and villages” ; but its principal value lies in the association it
bears to the names of Brant and Morgan.
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 386, pi. 21, fig. 241; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Holmes,
’83, p. 251 (not accurate), pi. XXXVIII, fig. 1 (not accurate) ; Morgan, ’52,
p. 72 (not accurate), pi. 1, fig. 1 (not accurate) ; Parker, ’08, pi. 30, fig. 2.
Council Summons Belt
(Figure 26)
(Catalog No. 37433)
Size: length, 25 J4 inches; width, 2 inches; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: June 29, 1898, through council action of the Onondaga
Nation.
Description: This belt consists of four pairs of diamond-shaped
figures worked in purple on a white beaded background. Near one
94
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
end is a purple rectangular patch 22 beads long, on which is figured
a small white cross. The other end is somewhat mutilated but it
partly reveals a purple diamond containing a white cross. The belt
is made on buckskin thongs.
Doctor Beauchamp remarks there should be five pairs of diamond-
shaped figures if it is to be considered an alliance belt given at a
treaty between the Seven Nations of Canada and the Five Nations
of the Iroquois before 1600, as stated by Thomas Donaldson. He
records it as a recent belt, by reason of the fact that wampum of
this nature was unknown in inland New York at so early a date.
Thomas Webster, O-ya-ta-je-wah, the Onondaga wampum keeper
in 1888, referred to it as an Iroquois League Admission Belt.
Daniel and Thomas La Fort, Onondaga Indians, gave the following
interpretation (Beauchamp: ’01, p. 422) on July 19 and August 1,
1898, to E. W. Paige. ‘‘This belt was used to call a meeting of the
Five Nations, at which should be read all the laws. This was made
when Hi-a-wat-ha was traveling and distributing the clans, and this
belt made to represent the nations were divided into clans, and were
to remain strictly so — that there could be no intermarriage.”
References
Beauchamp, ’80, p. 229 (eighth belt) ; ’01, p. 415, 422, pi. 20, fig. 239; Clarke,
’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Converse, ’08, pi. 9, fig. 1; Holmes, ’83, p. 251-52; Parker,
’08, pi. 22, fig. 1, pi. 24, fig. 2; ’16, pi. 7, fig. 1; N. Y. State Supreme Court,
pis. fac. p. 56, 57, 104; U. S. Dep’t Interior, p. 472, pi. fac. p. 472.
Treaty Belt
(Figure 27)
(Catalog No. 37421)
Size: length, 27 inches; width, 2^4 inches; rows wide, 6.
Acquired: June 29, 1898, through council action of the Onondaga
Nation.
Description: A white Onondaga belt woven on twine. It carries
four diagonal purple bars distributed along its length. These bars
are formed by a series of six small purple rectangles which touch at
opposite diagonal corners. Each rectangle is composed of ten purple
beads which are half the length of the white beads. The belt origin-
ally had five diagonal bars when first seen by Doctor Beauchamp,
who says (’01, p. 414) that it was then perfect and probably referred
to the Five Nations of the Iroquois. The interpretation, as given
by Thomas Donaldson when it had but the four bars, was : “A
treaty when but four of the Six Nations were represented.” In 1886
the Onondaga wampum keeper, Thomas Webster, said that it rep-
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
95
resented “the submission of each tribe when they joined the Con-
federacy.” Again, in 1898, Daniel and Thomas La Fort of the
Onondaga Nation related that the belt was made when the St Regis
Indians were accepted for membership in the League, and that the
diagonal bars on the belt represented braces, or supports, to a house
to keep it from falling (the “house” meaning the Long House, or
the League of the Iroquois). In other words, the support would be
mutual among the nations.
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 414, 423, pi. 20, fig. 238; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10;
Converse, ’08, pi. 9, fig. 2; Parker, ’08, pi. 22, fig. 2; ’16, pi. 7, fig. 2; N. Y.
State Supreme Court, pi. fac. p. 57, 104; U. S. Dep’t Interior, p. 472, pi. fac.
p. 472.
Remembrance Belt
(Figure 28)
(Catalog No. 37423)
Size: length, 40)4 inches; width, 2)4 inches; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: June 29, 1898, through council action of the Onondaga
Nation.
Description: A long narrow purple pictographic belt. The beads
are strung on fine white thread and woven over buckskin thongs.
It is in perfect condition.
The traditional description does not seem to be appropriate in that
it mentions that it carries the figure of a “Long House” (the symbol
of the Confederacy) at one end, which is connected to a cross at the
other by a long single ribbon of white beads. Donaldson’s interpre-
tation (Beauchamp, ’01, p. 414) is more apt: “the guarded approach
of strangers to the councils of the Five Nations” is shown by the
figure of a man before an open diamond-shaped figure which could
be the representation of an Indian Castle.
The cross was sometimes used to symbolize Canada, but instead
of its referring to French Canada, Doctor Beauchamp thought “it
is more likely to have been Moravian,” as the Moravian Indians
produced a somewhat similar belt in 1775 at the Grand Council of
the Delawares and there was more or less intercourse between the
Moravians and the Onondagas.
Arthur C. Parker believes the belt “records the treachery of a
French missionary at Onondaga who sought to summon the French
army from Canada” and memorizes the French invasion against the
Five Nations. At the same time “it is an admonition against the
French religion.” As Doctor Beauchamp related, however, “the sole
96
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
reason for the missionary theory is found in the cross terminating
the white line which reaches the man’s head toward the other end.”
Thomas Webster’s interpretation and record (Beauchamp, ’oi,
p. 422) (inaccurate, but interesting) given at Onondaga in 1886
follows : “The priest told the Onondagas that a building right by
the mission house — and told them that there were goods there stored
for the Onondagas, but he could not open them until the king came,
and a white boy who had been captured had been told by the priest
that it was full of arms — and when the king came they would an-
nihilate the Onondagas. The boy told the chief, and they held a
council and resolved to open the building. The priest tried to keep
them from it, but they opened the door in spite of him, and found
the building full of arms. They heated an ax red hot, and hung it
upon the priest’s heart, and it burnt his heart out. The French did
come, and the Onondagas met them at Camden, and defeated them
in a great battle, and then the Onondagas all renounced Catholicism.
It was between Pompey and Jamesville, about this side of Pompey
Hill. Cross means Canada. The white line a road from Canada
to the Onondagas and the village at the other end.”
References
Beauchamp, ’80, p. 229, (seventh belt) ; ’01, p. 413-14, 422, pi. 20, fig. 237;
Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Converse, ’08, pi. 9, fig. 3; Holmes, ’83, p. 251-52, pi.
XXXIX, fig. 3; Parker, ’08, pi. 22, fig. 3, pi. 23, fig. 1 ; ’16, pi. 7, fig. 3; N. Y.
State Supreme Court, p. 54, pis. fac. p. 56, 57, 104; U. S. Dep’t Interior, p.
472, pi. fac. p. 472.
Caughnawaga Belt
(Figure 29)
(Catalog No. 37418)
Size: length, 31^ inches; width, 2j4 inches; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: June 29, 1898, through council action of the Onondaga
Nation.
Description: This is a white belt strung on twine thongs. It
carries a series of seven purple crosses along its length with a purple
zigzag pattern at one end.
Donaldson alluded to this belt in 1890 (Beauchamp, ’01, p. 415)
as embodying “the pledge of seven Canadian ‘Christianized’ nations
to abandon their crooked ways and keep an honest peace.” In 1886
Thomas Webster (Beauchamp, ’01, p. 415) called it a “St Regis
tribe belt, given to mark their submission to the power of the Six
Nations, with a promise of peace.” According to A. C. Parker, it
records the secession of the St Regis and Caughnawaga Indians from
the League and their removal to Canada ; interpreting it as meaning.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
97
“Their path is not straight, they have forsaken the law and gone
to the land of the cross.”
References
Beauchamp, ’80, p. 229 (fifth belt) ; ’oi, p. 415, 422, pi. 20, fig. 236; Clarke,
’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Converse, ’08, pi. 9, fig. 4; Parker, ’08, pi. 22, fig. 4; ’16, pi.
7, fig. 4; N. Y. State S'upreme Court, pis. fac. p. 56, 57, 104; U. S. Dep’t In-
terior, pi. fac. p. 472.
Seneca Condolence Belt
(Figure 30)
(Catalog No. 3743i)
Size: length, 40 inches; width, inches; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: through Mrs Harriet M. Converse.
Description: A dark purple belt woven on buckskin thongs. It
bears the designs of two white diamonds and a horizontal V-shaped
figure in white at one end.
Dark wampum belts were used in mourning councils when the
ceremony of “raising up” new names and sachems (hoyaneh) took
place. The custom in these ceremonies dictated that one clan should
do the mourning, while the opposite clan condoled. These two clans
may be represented by the diamond figures, while the V-shaped
figure may signify the spreading antlers or “horns,” the emblem for
“authority” or “power.”
Mrs Harriet M. Converse, who procured this belt for the
Museum, said it once was held by the well-known Seneca, Chief
Blacksnake.
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 427-28, pi. 20, fig. 235; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10;
Converse, ’08, pi. 9, fig. 5; Parker, ’08, pi. 22, fig. 5, pi. 23, fig. 2; ’16, pi.
7, fig. 5-
Huron Alliance Belt
(Figure 31)
(Catalog No. 37430)
Size: length, 31 34 inches; width, 3J4 inches; rows wide, 10.
Acquired: through Mrs Harriet M. Converse, who purchased it
from Chief John Buck, Grand River, Canada.
Description: A perfect white belt woven on buckskin thongs.
There are three diagonal purple bars distributed along the length.
Each bar consists of three hollow purple squares placed corner to
corner.
Chief John Buck, Skan-a-wah-ti, who was wampum keeper of the
Grand River Reservation (Ontario, Canada) when Mrs Converse
4
98
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
purchased this belt for the Museum, related that it had originally
belonged to the Seneca Nation and since the American Revolution
it had been removed to Canada. Mrs Converse believed “this belt
may have been an affiliation between the Huron and some of their
neighbors, the Wyandots, Quatoghies, Neuters, Ka-kwas or others.”
In 1650 the Hurons were overthrown by the Iroquois, and on this
account it was at one time thought that these diagonal bars or
“braces” may have referred to some such alliance previous to that
date, but Doctor Beauchamp points to the fact that the Hurons
seldom employed treaty belts at that time, and says “the belt, if
Huron, may be assigned to their later days.”
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 427, pi. 20, fig. 234; Clarke, '16, pi. fac. p. 10; Converse,
’08, pi. 9, fig. 6; Parker, '08, pi. 22, fig. 6; ’16, pi. 7, fig. 6.
Wing, or Dust Fan of Council President
(Figure 34)
(Catalog No. 37420)
Size: length, 31^ inches; width, 14^/2 inches; rows wide, 50.
Acquired: 1898, through Rev. William M. Beauchamp.
Description: It is an Onondaga National Belt woven on buckskin
thongs and is the widest wampum belt known. The design is com-
posed of a series of ten connecting purple hexagon-shaped figures,
on a white background; both of which are edged with a white and
a purple line of beads.
Doctor Beauchamp has stated that the pattern and design are
quite modern and that “it seems to represent an alliance, actual or
proposed, and to be of the variety termed chain belts.” It has been
variously referred to as the “Wing,” or “Dust Fan of the President
of the Council” of the Six Nations; the “Wing Mat” used by the
head man to shield him from the dust while presiding at the council;
the “Second Belt used by the Principal Chief of the Six Nations.”
A. C. Parker refers to the design as representing “The Ever-
growing Tree” which was the symbol of permanence of the Iroquois
Confederacy, and says “It was displayed in confederate councils and
was therefore sometimes called the ‘Wing of the Chief Royaneh,’
It was to protect the council and to keep the eyes of the 50 civil
rulers free from dust. It was displayed whenever the League
Constitution was recited.”
References
Beauchamp, ’80, p. 229 (fourth belt) ; ’01, p. 412, 420, pi. 21, fig. 244;
Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Converse, ’08, p. 141 ; Holmes, ’83, p. 253; Parker,
’08, pi. 25; ’16, pi. 2; N. Y. State Supreme Court, pis. fac. p. 56, 57, 104; U. S.
Dep’t Interior, p. 471, 472, pi. fac. p. 472.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
99
To-ta-da-ho Belt
(Figure 35)
(Catalog No. 37428)
Size: length, 27 inches ; width, 14 inches ; rows wide, 45.
Acquired: 1898, through Rev. William M. Beauchamp.
Description: A remarkably wide belt (the second widest known)
woven on buckskin thongs. This belt is somewhat similar in general
appearance to the “Wing,” or “Dust Fan Belt” (cat. no. 37420) and
may be contemporaneous, if not made by the same person. The
design consists of a series of large overlapping purple triangles which
are regularly arranged over the length. Along its central axis ap-
pears a chain of 14 small white open diamond-shaped figures. The
background is made in white beads.
This is an Onondaga belt and sometimes termed the “Presidentia.”
It is known to have been longer at one time and bore 16, instead of
14, diamonds, as at present. The chain of diamonds has been
represented as signifying a covenant, or a chain of friendship, al-
ways “to be kept bright.” The belt was employed during council
meetings of the Six Nations and, according to Thomas Webster,
(Beauchamp, ’01, p. 412) it was “the first belt used by the principal
chief” at such meetings. It was placed in the custody of the Onon-
daga wampum keeper at Onondaga in 1847 and is considered a com-
paratively modern belt.
References
Beauchamp, ’8o, p. 229, (second belt) ; ’01, p. 412-13, pi. 19, fig. 232; Clarke,
’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Converse, ’08, pi. p. 119; Holmes, ’83, p. 253, pi. XLI ;
Parker, ’08, pi. 26; N. Y. State Supreme Court, p. 82, pi. fac. p. 56, 57, 104;
U. S. Dep’t Interior, p. 471, 472, pi. fac. p. 472.
Alliance Belt
(Figure 36)
(Catalog No. 37422)
Size: length, 28 inches; width, 3J6 inches; rows wide, 12.
Acquired: June 29, 1898, through council action of the Onon-
daga Nation.
Description: A white beaded national belt of the Onondagas,
containing six purple diagonal bars, or braces, along its length. It
is somewhat mutilated and when first seen by General John S. Clark
of Auburn, N. Y., it contained seven of these diagonal bars, and
it may have contained a greater number once, for General Clark’s
photograph of it then showed it to have been mutilated at both ends.
It has been incorrectly explained as commemorating the entrance
of the Tuscarora Nation into the League of the Iroquois in 1713.
IOO
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
As the belt once bore seven bars, this interpretation may be elimi-
nated for the reason that the Tuscaroras were the sixth nation to
enter the League.
The use of diagonal bars on a belt signified support to the Long
House, the symbol for the League.
References
Beauchamp, ’80, p. 230 (ninth belt) ; ’01, p. 414, 422, pi. 21, fig. 240;
Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Parker, ’08, pi. 27, fig. 2; ’16, pi. 8, fig. 2; N. Y.
State Supreme Court, pis. fac. p. 56, 57, 104; U. S. Dep’t Interior, p. 472,
pi. fac. p. 472.
Wolf Belt
(Figure 37)
(Catalog No. 37429)
Size: length, 32J/2 inches; width, 4^4 inches; rows wide, 14.
Acquired: July 24, 1898, by Mrs Harriet M. Converse from a
St Regis Indian.
Description: This is a pictographic National Belt of the Mo-
hawks. In the center are two human figures joined by clasped hands.
Near and facing each end is the effigy of a wolf and at the extreme
ends are seven short purple horizontal stripes which alternate with
seven white stripes. These stripes are practically eliminated at one
end by partial mutilation. The belt is made on buckskin thongs.
The seven purple stripes, according to Mrs Harriet M. Converse,
represent seven nations. The central figures denote friendly rela-
tionship between the white man and Indian ; the white beaded back-
ground indicates peace, while the wolves are an insinuation of
guardianship of this peace and friendship. It has been mentioned
that wolves symbolize the keepers of the east and west door of the
Long House, but Beauchamp infers some doubt as to this by taking
issue with John Buck’s statement that “the hereditary keeper of the
eastern door of the Long House was a wolf.”
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 427, pi. 19, fig. 229; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Parker,
’08, pi. 27, fig. 1 ; ’16, pi. 8, fig. 1.
Five Nations Alliance Belt
(Figure 38)
(Catalog No. 37424)
Size: length, i6j4 inches; width, 2 inches; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: through Mrs Harriet M. Converse, who obtained it
on June 23, 1899, from the heirs of Mary Jemison (the white cap-
tive of the Senecas), who once held this belt in her custody.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
IOI
Description: This is a dark purple belt woven on fine buckskin
thongs which are double along the edges. It has a series of three
open white diamond-shaped figures.
The name given this belt was applied when it contained five
diamond-shaped figures. Doctor Beauchamp related (’oi, p. 406)
that he had seen the remainder of this belt and estimated that it
measured 24 inches in length before mutilation. Mrs Converse
thought (Beauchamp, ’01, p. 407) that the belt had been divided
“according to the old law” for purposes of ransoming some promi-
nent or important captive. She remarked that “this belt is excep-
tionally rare and has no duplicate.” A. C. Parker believes that it
was “used to signify the voice of the Confederacy in some inter-
national affair” and that the removal of the two diamond figures
from the belt was caused by the dissension of two nations of the
Confederacy to some proposal advanced in a council meeting.
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 406-7, pi. 21, fig. 243; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10;
Parker, ’08, pi. 29, fig. 1.
Gyantwaka Treaty Belt
(Figure 39)
(Catalog No. 37432)
Size: length, 7% inches; width, inches; rows wide, 10.
Acquired: on the Cornplanter Reservation (Pa.) in June 1899,
through the efforts of Mrs Harriet M. Converse.
Description: A short fragment made on buckskin thongs and
woven solely in purple beads.
This is a portion of the belt given to the civil chief, Cornplanter
(Gyantwaka) when the treaty of the Cornplanter Reservation was
consummated. At the time of Cornplanter’s death in 1836, the belt
was divided among his heirs and these portions have been broken up
into burial and council strings and variously scattered. Mrs Con-
verse said of it : “This remnant has never been separated from the
treaty, and is a record of the history of the Five Nations. Corn-
planter’s name and mark head the list of the chiefs who signed, and
the treaty and belt were given to him to preserve for his people.”
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 407-8, pi. 21, fig. 245; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10;
Parker, ’08, pi. 29, fig. 2.
102
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Cornplanter Condolence Belt
(Figure 40)
(Catalog No. 37426)
Size: length, 36^4 inches; width, 2 inches; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: through Mrs Harriet M. Converse.
Description: A long, narrow, somewhat mutilated belt made
entirely of purple beads strung on fine buckskin thongs which are
double and twisted along the edges. It once may have carried five
white designs of some nature in the now regularly distributed gaps
along its length.
It was the personal belt of the once noted Seneca civil chief,
Cornplanter. The demonstration of sorrow was portrayed by dark
wampum and was conveyed by this belt when exhibited during the
ritualistic ceremonies performed for deceased sachems.
In obedience to a dream, Cornplanter destroyed all of his personal
effects except this belt and a tomahawk (also in the State Museum).
He resigned his title in favor of an Indian by the name of Canada
who resided on the Tonowanda Reservation and when this successor
was installed in office he received these two tokens.
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 406, pi. 19, fig. 230; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. iO; Parker,
Arthur C., ’08, pi. 29, fig. 3; Parker, Eli S., ’51, p. 100-1.
General Eli S. Parker Belt
(Figure 41)
(Catalog No. 37434)
Size: length, 37^ inches ; width, 2 inches ; rows wide, 7.
Acquired: In 1899, through Mrs Harriet M. Converse.
Description: This fine belt is woven with a purple beaded back-
ground bearing five white open hexagons equally spaced along its
length. At each end there are three short white stripes. It is almost
identical with the Onondaga belt (cat. no. 37312) received from the
Thacher estate, except that the latter carries four short white hori-
zontal stripes at each end. It is made on buckskin thongs which are
twisted double on the edges.
The five white hexagons have reference to the Five Nations; and
from the notes and comments concerning this belt written by Mrs
Converse at the time when she obtained it for the State in 1899, we
learn that it is a “Five council fires, or death belt of the Five Iroquois
Nations, or the confederacy of the Iroquois.” “This belt,” she
continues, “I value perhaps more than any other in the possession of
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
103
the State, inasmuch as the death belts were in the custody of the
keepers of the east and west doors of the Ho-de-ne-sau-neh. This
one was always held by the Do-ne-ho-ga-wah, the keeper of the west
door, the Seneca Nation, who were the guardian of the west door,
the watcher and army guard of the confederacy. The Mohawks of
the east door should have its mate in Canada. This belt signified
death or war against some other nation or nations. When it was
sent to the east door, the Hudson river, it was held in the council of
war of each of the nations, Cayugas, Oneidas, Onondagas, Senecas
and Mohawks, till returned by the latter, which signal was that the
war must begin at once. It represented death or absolute exter-
mination, or absorption by adding to the numbers of the Iroquois,
whichever they decided on. The red paint, with which it was always
decorated at the time of its journeys may be seen on it now.”
“In 1845 Senecas abandoned the tribal government, and the
one surviving portion of the body — the Tonawanda Senecas — became
the actual proprietors of the death belt. During the lifetime of the
Donehogawah, General Eli S. Parker, he held it, and bequeathed it
to his daughter. By the consent of his widow I have procured it for
the State. To the Tonawandas it was of no material value, as they
have been at peace for more than a century ; therefore they relin-
quished their title to it when they ratified the transfer of the wam-
pum to The University of the State of New York last June. This
precious relic will now forever remain with the State, and it is my
request that the name of General Eli S. Parker shall be attached to it
in his memory, not only as the most distinguished of his later people,
but as the last ‘keeper of the west door’ of the confederacy of the
Iroquois.”
In this connection, it may be interesting to note that General
Parker, as military secretary to General Grant during the Civil War,
engrossed the terms on which General Lee surrendered.
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 404-5, pi. 19, fig. 231; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Parker,
’08, pi. 29, fig. 4.
Nomination Belt
(Figure 42)
(Catalog No. 37427)
Size : length, 24^ inches; width, 3 inches; rows wide, 9.
Acquired: through Mrs Harriet M. Converse, who obtained it in
1882 from Martha Hemlock, an old Cattaraugus Seneca Indian, who
had then had it for 60 years.
104
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Description: It is a pictographic Seneca National Belt woven
with a white beaded background on buckskin thongs. Six purple
beaded human figures, joined by extended arms, are distributed along
its length. Between the two central figures is a purple square, to
denote the council fire.
This Nomination Belt is so called because it was the document of
authorization to Iroquois women giving them the right to choose,
nominate and confirm the “‘raising up” of the 50 sachems, or civil
chiefs (Ho-di-ya-ne-sho-onh) of the Confederacy.
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 428, pi. 21, fig. 246; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Parker,
’08, pi. 28, fig. 1 ; ’16, pi. 4, fig. 1.
Hospitality, or Welcome Belt
(Figure 43)
(Catalog No. 37425)
Size: length, 22% inches ; width, 2 inches ; rows wide, 6.
Acquired: through Mrs Harriet M. Converse, who obtained it
in 1898 on the Grand River Reservation, Ontario, Canada.
Description: This is a Canadian Mohawk belt made on thread
and buckskin thongs. It has three diagonal purple beaded bars, or
“braces,” distributed equidistantly over its white beaded background.
The central portion has been partly mutilated.
The “braces” infer an extension of friendship by the presiding
officer to visiting delegates to the League Councils.
References
Beauchamp, ’01, p. 428, pi. 21, fig. 242; Clarke, ’16, pi. fac. p. 10; Parker,
’08, pi. 28, fig. 2; ’16, pi. 4, fig. 2.
The Museum of the American Indian has 3 7 belts in its collection.
The New York State Museum collection consists of 25 belts with
much more complete information concerning them, which correspond-
ingly enhances to a greater extent their historical value. The United
States National Museum regards the New York State Museum col-
lection with “preeminence” in comparison to the three belts in its
collection. Now, with the recent bequest of the Thacher estate of
four valuable belts, the New York State Museum collection of
wampums may be considered to excel any other of this nature.
REPORT OF THE DIRECTOR
105
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Beauchamp, William M.
1880 Wampum Belts of the Six Nations. Amer. Antiq. 2 1228-30
1901 Wampum and Shell Articles Used by the New York Indians. N. Y.
State Mus. Bui, 41:319-480
Clarke, John M.
1916 Present Condition of the Science M'useum. N. Y. State Mus. Dir.
Rep’t 1915, p. 10-18
1919 Codification of the State Museum Law. N. Y. State Mus. Dir.
Rep’t 1917, p. 10-18
Clarke, Noah T.
1929 The Thacher Wampum Belts. N. Y. State Mus. Dir. Rep’t 1926,
P- 53-58
Converse, Harriet M.
1908 Myths and Legends of the New York State Iroquois. N. Y. State
Mus. Bui., 125:1-195
Hodge, F. W., ed.
1910 Handbook of American Indians North of Mexico. Bur. of Amer.
Ethn. Bui., 30, 2:1221
Holmes, William H.
1883 Art in Shell of the Ancient Americans. Bur. of Amer. Ethn. 2d
Ann. Rep’t 1880-81, p. 179-305
Morgan, Lewis H.
1852 Report on Fabrics, Inventions, Implements and Utensils of the Iro-
quois. 5th Ann. Rep’t N. Y. State Cabinet of Nat. Hist. p. 1-117
New York State Supreme Court
1900 Onondaga Nation vs Thacher. Papers on Appeal, reported 53,
App. Div. 561, p. 1-166.
Parker, Arthur C.
1908 Report on the Archeology Section. N. Y. State Mus. Dir. Rep’t
1907, p. 85-110
1916 The Constitution of the Five Nations. N. Y. State Mus. Bui.,
184 :i-i58
1919 Report of the Archeologist and Ethnologist. N. Y. State Mus. Dir.
Rep’t 1918, p. 99-120
Parker, Eli S.
1851 The Cornplanter Tomahawk. 4th Ann. Rep’t N. Y. State Cabinet
of Nat. Hist. p. 1-146
Reynolds, Cuyler
1909 New York at the Jamestown Exposition. Rep’t of the Jamestown
Exposition of the State of N. Y. p. 1-159
United States Department of the Interior
1891-92 Report on Indians Taxed and Indians not Taxed in the United
States at the Eleventh Census, 1890. 52d Congress, 1st Session.
Mis. Doc. no. 340, pt 15, p. 1-683
University of the State of New York
1901 Annual Report of the Regents, p. 1-533
j i ji i n <Mf tit t j i
[107]
Figure 19 The Hiawatha Belt. Considered the original record of the formation of the Iroquois League of the Five Nations.
It is one of the most important and valuable wampum belts in existence.
[ ioS]
Figure 20 The Washington Covenant Belt. Used during the Presidency of George Washington as a
covenant of peace between the 13 original colonies and the Six Nations of the Iroquois. This is one of the
finest examples of workmanship of this nature.
[iorj]
[no]
Champlain penetrated in 1609.
Figure 23 Penobscot Council Belt. Used to symbolize the authority for the council’s action.
I I 12]
1 1 13]
Figure 25 Small wampum of unknown origin.
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Figure 32 Ransom Belt. It was a symbol for the authority invested in women to intercede on behalf of prisoners.
Figure 33 Lewis H. Morgan Belt. Made in 1850 from beads once in the possession of the celebrated Mohawk war chief,
Joseph Brant.
[H7]
Figure 34 Wing, or Dust Fan of Council President. The Ever-growing Tree which was displayed whenever the constitution
of the Six Nations was recited. The widest belt known to exist.
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Figure 42 Nomination Beit. Used by Seneca women in their power to choose, nominate and confirm the “raising up” of
civil chiefs.
Figure 43 Hospitality, or Welcome Belt. Reputed to be a Canadian Mohawk belt used by the presiding officer in welcom-
ing visiting delegates to the council.
INDEX
Adams, Dr Charles C., Importance of
establishing natural history reserva-
tions for research and education,
51-56; Public functions of the Divi-
sion of Science and State Museum,
61-66; cited, 40, 56
Accessions for the year, 35-39
Agriculture and Markets, Department
of, cooperation with, 63
Ahrens, Theodor G., cited, 56
Allegany School of Natural History,
15
Alliance belt, 99
Animals, 26
Appropriations and funds, 30
Archeology, 26
Bather, Dr F. A., quoted, 73 ; cited, 75
Beauchamp, William M., cited, 105
Belt to mark the sight of the first pale
faces, 90
Bibliography, 40, 105
Brigham, Albert P., cited, 40
Budget, 29, 34
Building, new, 34, 67
Caughnawaga belt, 96
Chamberlain, K. F., cited, 40
Champlain belt, 91
Clarke, John M., cited, 105 ; and
Ruedemann, R., cited, 75
Clarke, Noah T. The wampum belt
collection of the New York State
Museum, 85-105 ; cited, 40, 105
Collaborators, 28
Colleges, relation of Museum to, 16
Conservation, Department of, coopera-
tion with, 64
Converse, Harriet M., cited, 105
Conwentz, H., cited, 56
Cooperation with state and other or-
ganizations, 13
Cornplanter condolence belt, 102
Council summons belt, 93
Dice, L. R., cited, 56
Directory data, 30
Drafting, 20
Exhibition halls, condition of, 18
Exhibits, 66
Financial status of the State Museum,
3i
Financial summary, 29
Financial support, 70
Five Nations alliance belt, 100
Flick, A. C., cited, 56
Fort Stanwix treaty belt, 92
Fraleigh, Lucy B., cited, 40
Geology, 24
Goldring, Winifred, and Ruedemann,
Rudolph. Some museum methods
developed in the New York State
museum, 71-75
Gyantwaka treaty belt, 101
Hall, H. M., cited, 56
Harper, Francis, and Harper, Jean S.,
cited, 40
Hartnagel, C. A., cited, 40
Hiawatha belt, 87
Historical collections, 20
History, 27
Hodges, F. W., ed., cited, 105
Holmes, William H., cited, 105
Hospitality, or welcome belt, 104
Huron alliance belt, 97
Information and publicity, 17
Insects, 25
Law, Department of, cooperation with,
63
Morgan, Lewis H., belt, 93 ; cited, 105
Museum attendance, 17
Museum collaborators, 28
Museum council, 29
[123]
124
NEW YORK STATE MUSEUM
Museum methods developed in the
New York State museum, (Ruede-
mann and Goldring) 71-75
Museum needs, 33
Natural history reservations (in
trust), 69; importance of establish-
ing (Adams), 51-56
Nevin, Charles M., cited, 40
New York State parks, principles
governing, 57
New York State Supreme Court,
cited, 105
Newland, David H., cited, 40
Nomination belt, 103
Parker, Arthur C., cited, 105
Parker, Gen. Eli S., belt, 102; cited,
105
Parks, see New York State parks
Penobscot Council belt, 91
Photography and drafting, 20
Plants, 25
Printing and publications, 19
Public Works, Department of, coop-
eration with, 64
Publications, 19, 66
Publicity, 17
Ransom belt, 92
Reference collections, 65
Remembrance belt, 95
Research fellowships, 69
Research functions, 65
Reservation areas, methods of select-
ing, 55
Reservations, importance of establish-
ing (Adams), 51-56; kinds of
studies conducted on, 55
Reynolds, Cuyler, cited, 105
Ruedemann, Rudolph, and Goldring,
Winifred. Some museum methods
developed in the New York State
museum, 71-75 ; cited, 40, 75
Saunders, Aretas A., cited, 40
Schools, relation of Museum to, 16
Schoonmaker, W. J., cited, 40
Science and state museum, division of,
functions, 64; (Adams), 61-66;
needs, 67
Scientific staff and its activities, 23, 69
Seneca condolence belt, 97
Shaker Historic Collection, 22
Shelford, V. E., and others, cited, 56
Slater, George, cited, 41
Small wampum of unknown origin, 92
Staff changes, 28
State and other organizations, cooper-
ation with, 13
Statistical summary, 29
Study collections, condition of, 18
Stromer, Ernst, cited, 75
Summary of the year’s work, 12
Taylor, Norman, cited, 41
Technical staff, increased, 69
To-ta-da-ho belt, 99
Treaty belt, 94
Trust funds, 34, 70
United States Department of the In-
terior, cited, 105
University of the State of New York,
cited, 105
Van Deloo, Jacob, retirement, 27
Wampum belt collection of the New
York State Museum (Clarke), 85-
105
Washington covenant belt, 89
Whitman, C. O., cited, 56
Wing, or Dust Fan of council presi-
dent, 98
Wolf belt, 100
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