SWALLOW — MEEK'S NOTES ON GEOLOGY OF KANSAS. 511 



made in 1858, except so far as it has been clone by the parties 

 above named. It is not proposed to follow them through all 

 their devious course on this subject, but to bring out some of 

 the salient points. 



It seems Mr. Meek had long entertained the hope* that 

 Permian Rocks would be discovered somewhere in the West. 

 He also had in his possession Permian fossilsf from three or 

 four localities some six months or more previous to the dis- 

 covery and announcement of these fossils in Kansas. He 

 also had vague suspicions that these fossils might be " Car- 

 boniferous" " Triassic or Permian" and wrote many times 

 to Maj. Hawn and Dr. Hayden, urging them to find and send 

 him more fossils, that he might determine what they really 

 were. He also urged Maj. Hawn to get the fossils out of my 

 hands before I had examined them. 



And yet, with all these materials, and all this anxiety to 

 get more fossils, and all this fear lest I should examine and 

 determine the character of the fossils, he did not come to any 

 definite conclusion that they were Permian until the an- 

 nouncement was made, and even then he was doubtful. J 



But it is said Messrs. Meek and Hayden made a record in 

 the Smithsonian Instituted This way of announcing a dis- 

 covery is unique, and ought to have been made in the Patent 

 Office. This record consists of fossils spread on a table, and 

 a statement to Prof. Baird, that the first fossils are "Potsdam" 

 the next are " Carboniferous" the next, "forms indicating 

 Permian." This certainly shows that Meek and Hayden had 

 discovered some Potsdam and Carboniferous fossils, and that 

 certain forms will probably prove to be Permian. It is no 

 declaration that they are Permian, but an indication that 

 they may prove to be such. This is a safe record to make. 



* Perhaps he got it while an assistant in the Missouri Survey, where 

 the matter was often discussed. The prophetic declaration that it would 

 be found in Missouri, points in this direction. See Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. 

 Phil., 1858, p. 144. 



t Amer. Jour., July, 1867, p. 39, note; Trans. Albany Institute, 1858, 

 pages 1, 2, 4 and 15 of M. &, H.'s paper; Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., 1858, 

 pp. 42 and 47. 



J His convictions are expressed in his letters to Maj. Hawn. In one, he 

 says : "Your fossils from the Smoky Hill are of a suspicious character, 

 that is, they lead me to think the beds may be, after all, Triassic or Per- 

 mian, although they may belong to the Coal Measures." 



On the 21st December, 1857, he wrote, " I do not pretend to say that 

 they are Permian, but that some of them look suspicious. They may be- 

 long to the Coal Measures." (See Trans. Acad. t'ci. St. Louis, vol. 1, No. 

 2, Feb. 22, 1858, Maj. Hawn's note.) 



These letters prove conclusively that Mr. Meek had made no discovery 

 of Permian fossils. He thought they belonged to one of three formations, 

 and that was all he could say. 



$ Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Phil., 1858, p. 44, E. and F. of section. • 



