AKTHTJB WINSLOW — THE MISSOURI COAL MEASURES. 121 



merging of one into the other with a consequent coalescence and bifurcation of coal 

 beds* Again, in L874, in a paper on the parallelism of coal beds, he adduced many 



instances of coal beds dividing, and concluded that all the coals of the upper Coal 

 Measures are offshoots from the Pittsburgh coal seam, formed by regular subsi- 

 dence and shorter intervals of repose, deltas and marshes being developed during 

 repose, yielding the minor coal beds, while during subsidence the marsh advanced 

 up the sides of the trough, forming the Pittsburgh bed.f Four years later, in a 

 chapter on the structure of coal beds forming part of a report on the Ligonier valley, 

 he again stated the same conclusion, after introducing additional data.t; 



The inference from these references is plain that the explanation of the process 

 of deposition in Missouri applies to other areas, and is doubtless of wide applica- 

 bility, at least so far as ( 'oal Measure deposits are concerned, and perhaps with regard 

 to other formations. 



The next succeeding paper was read by title : 



THE WELLS CREEK BASIN AND UPLIFT IN STEWART AND HOUSTON 



( '< (UNTIES, TENNESSEE. 



BY JAMES M. SAFFORD. 



The following paper was then read, the objects described being ex- 

 hibited : 



THE PELVIS OF A MEGALON YX AND OTHER BOXES FROM BIO BONE 



• 'AVE, TENNESSEE. 



BY JAMES M. SAFFORD. 



( 'ontents. 



Introduction , page 121 



The first known Pelvi9 of Meyalonyx 122 



Other Bones of the Collection 122 



Bones of Megalonyx previously obtained from Big Bone < !ave 123 



Location and History <>r Big Bone Cave 123 



Introduction. 



In September, L886, Mr. A.J. Denton, of Henderson, Tennessee, brought a box 

 of hones to Nashville and left them for my examination. A letter was received 

 from Mr. Denton concerning them, from which I take the following extracts : 



"They were ion ml in :i cave in the Cumberland mountains, Van Buren county, Tennessee, * * * 

 tin- cave in which were found some very large bones about fifty or sixty years ago, and which are 

 now in ;i museum in Philadelphia. * * * The Imuh-s lefl for you were discovered in issi by a 

 laborer who was digging the so-called guano (bat manure) in the cave. * * * They were covered 

 to a depth i.t' aboul three feet, and were Ij Lng in such position as t" show they had never been dis- 

 turbed. The I mm. I. vertebrae and hip bones were in the position which they would necessarily have 



"The Upper Coal Measures West of the Alleghany Mountains: Trans. Amer. Lyceum of Nat. Hist. 

 hi' New York, vol. \. 1872, pp. 226-252. 

 fOn the Vlleged Parallelism of Coal Beds: Proc. Am. Philosophical Soc, vol. xi\. 1874, pp. 

 !95. 

 !nd Geol. Survey of Pa., K K K, 1878, pp. 283 303. 



XVI— Bui i. CtKor,. Snc. \\t.. Vol. ::. 1891 



