New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1857-02-26
rhc SNrE EArrP.tI HISTORY cor
LECTFO.vS.


The estss,ssnet Of sMs,sac,, isigrcd 10 dsspt.V
! sns expssH the eei,s Natural His.wy Ct cer Hs.-
both fot the study OF tbc soece6o sad be
o( .Aa>e unfsnh with such subjects, .. e ,tsr.~t ..
,very ra>l!sert cliseo. ard no apology .locn 10
ecst,ry for ~ article liter ied to increase thu e.bs
,tt. ,.ou TO H. ard 70 sGsgss, however unssmGxy
fsw htts for hs ufsos s,meof.
The Stse Of Nev-Yo,k, true 10 her repatsiso. we
among tie 6rst n It's ie'd with explorations 10 de-
v,!np bot osy the nstcrs sources of wealth., but ~
the o's<s Of Stesi.en. ptersN within hx territsy-
Most liberal were the spT-cps made for thes, to
ves igHons, ard wei were they CARED oss ~ The
scientific men nsra,tsd WITTY them
We ma. n cret that tie cA,psoe character q our
state Goytgnns 1t, wFh new SIT OF osSciats eveyy
two .esrs, was unsvor.ble TO ne unity Of defz enc
economy q eseo uncn Of this great ersa-psi,e ,aA
also that 80 large portion Of thu appropriations vers
spets IN branches Of ps,sral s-ercs already w.R
understood or within Ire meaos O. private rrsearsh.
II wac We believe 81 error TO embrace within tho
Plaza al very great cot. ouithclcgy 90 vel d.
picted aud described by Wilson, Nct,an and AUDI.
Dor or our Tuairuped. previously Illustrated a tAs
vNk Of God nan. The works of Hov~y and l,swn-
ing too would seem 70 have rendered unnecesss, TIA,
eNpt usve aud howy volumes fit n o. indeed.
suca subject belot g,d 70 car Natural History al an;
tiop, in 1pessive form 81 some such treatise
DIR. Hsrriss WORK sects furious to Vegetables,
with the add ION OF whatever new . local iaforms-
ton might increase ia value - Ne, would have wed
replaced the volume en- Entomology. Good uats
Of our no llscs, reptiles and fishes INDEED
wanting when the survey undertakes: and gec-
tra work on our B.tsny may have been desirable.
yet reports on thtse subjects might well have beea
public in a Srm less expensive to the Tre>,my.
and more convenient for the Libraries and booksaeves
Of our people.
Such considerations, however come now years To
late. The volumes published and widely dts
tribuied in every county of our State. II not always
intelgcL,ly rad they studied enough to awskes
arc foser much atere 10 tnttr subject and, though
almost given away lat the nominal price of oos scasr
per volume not quarter Of their cost to the btatel
they are now highly priced, As any one will find who
ttmps to purchase a copy. Only one branch Of tho
work I, mains at present unnisheethe PalroGtlSsy,
or A. ripton ct the Fossis by Professor Hs-whch
IT, in fsd a. the hsa and completion of the geo
l,gcs pat OF tae suvey ts most alaable pUtios 70
s,iepce and any stint Of lbersity here would 10
most stake economy. What remains for us nov
is TO ., that an adequate representation OF oil that
dss been leaned, curing the survey and previously.
il displayed AID properly explained in our Sate M
seum alike (S the Instruction Of our citizens at large.
and for the cttdn OF our State among eolisateaed
nstiors.
The new Geoiegical Hall was formally dedicated d
the August Getting of the American Scestlhc hsS'o
Alton such mea Logan. Baehe. Agasslx, Dewey
and Hitchcock bearing eloquent testimony 10 10 in
potance and usefulness Tho Duiding' IRON somo
ov.rsirht curing its erection seems in some reepeets,
H. suited for its peculiar purposes but few atefa
tiose are proposed to improve an incon' enieot and
III. a "a hr,py
into better communication, when the arrangement q
the cole ctions " Ill commence.
These are OF varying charaoter-embracmg tue
whole c. cle OF our States Natural History in all that
n ccuprehcuded in its vegetable and animal ae, ~
minerals and its geology
The botanical collections however valuable Toe tho
examination Il the student OF that science, hardly
BE- avasbS sor elective display, or conveniently ac-
ccssible to tho gene, al VIso.'or Thoy arc "dod ~
,Ls obscure leaves OF hortD siccus, and the ps-
rusal of the pub,ht volumes will yield to most pes-
soils, M re information and interest than turning ovT
| tho cry brown page, OF the hefbanum.
| rufeot series Of quadupeds birds, rel les.
fishes aad mouscs ought to foro prominent ft aurs
OF the Museum; and, indeed, this department Of
Natura History already largely illustrated by great
number OF specimens. Nearly all our qusdrdpe4' and
buda from The elk and the eagle down to the mouse
and the ,pauow, Wen preserved in the spec'atns
from tie former building and not few Of tho OBJ
seuier races vi the eartbs and the waters in tho
cases Such collections well arranged and explained.
arc of great interest in their local character
ns,yes OF our own s0l aud much more whom intel
hxetty studied in connection with the great system q
abu aed na,Me throughout the world.
Toe was n the former building an "amiqssraa
| collect0H.' Such collection, 50 far as 1t IS rss1
SUCH must be interesting to every Thoughtful mind.
| and we stond regard with attention the stone aKss
| and flint @row-heads-flt weapons Of the savage
hunter tubes who preceded u.s. the coarse utensils OF
pottery and bone and the implements Of copper
uad in their ancieH graws; or the rude sculptures
ard Inscriptions which mark the Il lst impulses OF wild
and ur deve opsd races toward ar or letters. Ii MT
strictly admls ,be as objects Of Natural History such
relics seem well placed la Hugh Miller remsrks u
them. as ,een in the Newcastle Museum in England,
follow ng next TO the remains Of the mastodon or giant
beaver-the latest butte predecessors Of man, and
Gorua. the irst chapter Of human history a. those
formed the last ia alat Of the inferior races-the lux
by which the chain Of geology connects with That u
chronology. but We reuonstrote against admitting.
sucos such Objects the gaody trnkets and trspssss
of semi-barbarian oInsment-not the genuine prodst
Of savage labor, but mere adaptations OF laten"s
furnished by civilized manufacture. The Old Stats
collection was respeAdoUt with red breecn-c0ths ooa
blue lee ms beaded moocasiDs and SILVER brooches,
asd dozens Of gimcrscks AID gewgsws having o"
.ore eor.ectia with aboriginal art nan the gay ce'-
tunes ef nsdern Italy have with the works os me
old Romans but merely things made up ~ 'osA-
civilized Indians from materials bought at the store
such % red Cloth soIosed glass leads, thin sfss o.
.lxer Mate. and osher Eropsaa or Yankee mias-