174 proceedings: biological society 



(about 1883 to 1907) it came, "without additional study of the plants, 

 to be regarded as Laramie on the basis of its supposed similarity to the 

 Laramie of the Denver Basin. The renewal of interest in the region began 

 in 1907, at which time W, T. Lee detected the presence of a Avide-spread 

 unconformity in the midst of this supposedly continuous Cretaceous 

 section. To the coal-bearing beds below the unconformity the name 

 Vermejo formation has been given, while those above are loiown as the 

 Raton formation. The present paleobotanical study was undertaken 

 to give such answers as it might as to (1) the distinctness of these forma- 

 tions and (2) as to their age. The results of this study are satisfactory 

 and seemingly conclusive. 



The fossil flora of the Raton Mesa region comprises 257 forms of which 

 number 106 are found in the Vermejo formation and 151 in the Raton 

 formation. As only 4 species have been found to cross the line of the 

 unconformity we have the answer to the first question, namely as to the 

 distinctness of the two formations. 



The Vermejo flora is shown to have no appreciable relation with the 

 Laramie of the Denver Basin, since there is but one species in common. 

 Its close affinity (identity of over 90 per cent of the species having an 

 outside distribution) is with the Mesaverde, and the conclusion is reached 

 that Vermejo formation is Montana in age and in the approximate posi- 

 tion of the Mesaverde. 



The Raton flora has 5 species in common with the Laramie of the 

 Denver Basin, 4 with the Arapahoe formation, between 30 and 40 with 

 the Denver, and over 30 with the Wilcox formation. As the Wilcox 

 has intercalated layers of marine Eocene invertebrates, and itself rests 

 on the marine Eocene Midway formation, the conclusion is reached that 

 the Raton formation is in approximately the same stratigraphic position, 

 and is also Eocene in age. As the Denver formation occupies approxi- 

 mately the same position as the Raton formation, it may be taken as 

 additional proof that the Denver is likewise of Eocene age. This latter 

 result, however, is merely a confirmation of the original contention of 

 Cross, who named and described the Denver formation. 



The broader application of these results to the stratigraphic position 

 of the ceratopsian dinosaurs elsewhere is obvious. 



Frank L. Hess, Secretary. 



THE BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 



The 38rd annual meeting was held in the hall of the Cosmos Club, 

 December 14, 1912, with Vice-President W. P. Hay in the chair. Re- 

 ports of officers for the year 1912 were received and the annual election 

 of officers took place. The election resulted as follows: President, 

 E. W. Nelson; Vice-Presidents, J. N. Rose, Paul Bartsch, W. P. Hay, 

 A. D. Hopkins; Recording Secretary, D. E. Lantz; Corresponding Secre- 

 tary, N. Hollister; Members of Council, Hugh M. Smith, Vernon 

 Bailey, Wm. Palmer, A. B. Baker, and A. K. Fisher. 



