16 PROCEEDINGS OP THE ACADEMY OF 



the Cretaceous sandstones on the summits of the Smoky Hills, lat. 38 30 / N., 

 long. 98 W., and descending through the various intermediate formations 

 seen along the Smoky Hill and Kansas rivers, to the base of the bluff already 

 mentioned, opposite the mouth of Big Blue river, on the Kansas. It is true, 

 there are a few gaps in this section, where we were unable to see the beds 

 along some of the slopes, but as we know the position in the series, as well as 

 the extent of these gaps, it will be easy to determine, when a greater number 

 of exposures have been examined, the nature of the beds occupying them. 



General section of the Rocks of Kansas Valley from the Cretaceous down, so as to 

 include portions of the upper Coal measures. 



Feet. 



1. Red, brown, and yellowish, rather coarse grained sandstone, often 

 obliquely laminated, and containing many ferruginous concretions ; also, 

 fossil wood and many leaves of dicotyledonous trees, some of which belong 

 to existing genera, and others to genera peculiar to the Cretaceous epoch. 

 Locality, summit of Smoky Hills 60 



2. Whitish, very fine grained argillaceous sandstone, underlaid by bluish 

 purple and ash colored clays. Locality same as preceding 15 



3. Long, gentle slope, with occasional outcrops of ash colored red, blue, 

 and whitish, more or less laminated clays, with thin beds of sandstone. 

 Locality same as preceding, and extending down at places nearly or quite to the 

 bluffs of Smoky IIUl river; thickness about 200 



4. Red sandstone, with some layers of hard, light gray calcareous, 

 do., and both containing ferruginous concretions. Locality, bluffs Smoky 

 Hill river, five or six miles above Grand Saline river. Probably local, thick- 

 ness seen about 15 



5. Bluish, red, light yellow, and gray clays, and soft claystones, with 

 sometimes a few thin layers of magnesian limestone. In many places 

 these clays have been traversed in every direction by cracks, into which 

 calcareous and argillaceous matter have found their way, and subsequently 

 become consolidated so as to form thin seams of impure yellowish 

 limestone, which cross and intersect each other at every angle. The 

 red clays are usually less distinctly laminated, contain more arenaceous 

 matter, and often show ripple marks on the surfaces. Locality, Bluffs along 

 Smoky Hill river, above the mouth of the Grand Salme 60 



6. Light gray, ash colored, and red clays, sometimes arenaceous, and 

 often traversed by cracks, filled with calcareous matter as in the bed 

 above, alternating with thin layers and seams of gypsum. Locality, near 

 mouth Smoky Hill river 40 



7. Rather compact amorphous white gypsum, with near the base dissemi- 

 nated crystals, dark colored do. Locality same as last 4 -J to 5 



8. Alternations of ash colored, more or less arenaceous clays, with thin 

 beds and seams of gypsum above ; towards lower part, thin layers of clay- 

 stone, and at some places soft magnesian limestone. Locality same as last.. 50 



9. Rough conglomerated mass, composed of fragments magnesian lime- 

 stone and sandstone, with sometimes a few quartz pebbles, cemented by 

 calcareous and arenaceous matter ; variable in the thickness and probably 

 local. Locality, south side Smoky Hill river, ten or twelve miles below Solo- 

 mon's Fork seen 18 



10. Bluish, light gray, and red laminated clays, with seams and beds of 

 yellowish magnesian limestone, containing Monotis Hawni, Myalina perat- 

 tenuata, Pleurophorous? subcuneata, Edmondia"? Calhouni, Pecten undt. and 

 Spirigera near S. subtilita ; also Nautilus eccentricus, Bakevellia parva, Leda 

 subscilula, Axinus rotundatus, and undetermined species of Eellerophon, 

 Murchisonia, $c. Locality, near Smoky Hill river, on high country south of 

 Fort Riley, as well as on Cottonwood creek 90 



11. Light grayish and yellow magnesian limestone, in layers and beds 

 sometimes alternating with bluish and other colored clays, and containing 



[Jan 



