136 KANSAS ACADEMY OF SCIENCE. 



RATE OF DEPOSITION. 



The time required for deposition of the sedimentary rocks must greatly exceed that 

 required for removal. For, the ocean being so much greater than the land, any quantity 

 of soil removed from the land becomes very thin when spread out over the floor of the 

 ocean. However, the rate of deposition is always very unequal, according to the vary- 

 ing conditions; and we know not what the conditions may have been during deposition 

 of any of our older strata. 



Evidences are abundant, showing that at various periods of the earth's development, 

 portions of this continent were elevated above the surface of the sea, and removal of de- 

 posits continued, often until a greater depth of rock was removed than we have con- 

 sidered in this article, requiring either a greater time or more violent forces at work; 

 and again, the land would become submerged, and remain buried until additional great 

 depths of deposition had taken place, and new rocks were formed ; thus showing repeated 

 formation and removal of vast thicknesses of solid rock. If this be true of other parts, 

 why not of Kansas? 



AGE. 



Counting time necessary for such successive deposits and removals, not counting vary- 

 ing conditions, can we safely estimate that, since disintegration and deposition first began 

 on the igneous foundation rocks of Kansas, less than several hundred million years could 

 have elapsed ? Indeed it was probably very far beyond that toward eternity. 



Time is long, and life is fleeting. 



CLOSE. 



In closing this paper, let me urge upon scientists in different parts of the State that 

 they make occasional note of the following points: Breadth and depth of streams near 

 where they live, at stated times; velocity of current, found by throwing in a chip, and 

 noting time taken to pass a given point whose distance is known; amount of sediment 

 obtained from a measured quantity of water; weight of residue obtained on boiling the 

 water away ; length of time the stream runs during the year, and time of year. Such 

 observations, faithfully taken and recorded, will be very interesting and valuable. 



SECOND CONTRIBUTION TO THE IIERPETOLOGY OF KANSAS, WITH 

 nl'.SERVATIONS ON THE KANSAS FAUNA. 



BY F. W. CRAGIN, SC. B. 



The list herewith given includes recent additions to my " Catalogue of Kansas Rep- 

 tiles and Batrachians," * together with further notes on certain species embraced in that 

 catalogue. 



For the identification of several of the species herein reported, I am indebted to Prof. 

 E. D. Cope. 



The remarks following the list are a revision and extension of notes, originally drawn 

 up in the winter of 1880-81, to accompany the catalogue above mentioned, but finally 

 withheld in order that the conclusions set forth in them might be made both more 

 accurate and fuller. They make, even now, no claim to completeness. 



Lack of time prevents me from entering here upon a full discussion of the details 

 upon which these conclusions are based ; but this I hope soon to be able to do in another 

 paper. 



* Transactions Kas. Acad. Sci., Vol. VII, p. 114. 



