Geological Papers. 81 



building stone. The slialy, buff limestones above the Florence 

 flints contain an abundant brachiopod fauna near Florence, and the 

 shaly limestone above the heavily bedded Fort Riley limestone con- 

 tains an abundant lamellibranch fauna near Fort Riley. 



(3) Mnrion Beds, about 230 feet. The lower portion of these 

 beds consists of various colored shales and shaly limestones, about 

 sixty feet. The next section of the beds contains the Marion gray 

 limestone, with more or less flint, then some yellowish shales, and 

 Marion concretionary limestone, in all thirty feet. The Marion 

 concretionary limestone contains many brachiopods. This is the 

 highest and latest formation of which this is true, for the higher 

 and later formations of the Marion beds are characterized by a very 

 abundant lamellibranch fauna. The next 140 feet of the Marion 

 beds consists of variously colored shaly limestones, with the Abilene 

 conglomerate at the top. This list consists of pebbles of limestone 

 and quartz cemented together. The great change in the physical 

 geography of central Kansas at the close of the deposition of the 

 Marion beds, shown by the absence of fossils from the succeeding 

 beds and the deposition in them of large quantities of salt and 

 gypsum, makes it seem wise to separate the Lower Permian from 

 the Upper Permian at this horizon. 



2. —Rocks of the Upper Permian Epoch. 



The rock beds found in southwestern Kansas. Thickness, 1810 feet. ( The layers are de- 

 scribed, beginning with the lowest.) 



(4) Wellington Beds, about 400 feet. These consist lowest of 

 buff limestones and marls, then of colored shales and marls alter- 

 nating with layers of gypsum and thick deposits of rock salt, and 

 lastly of variously colored shales and marls. In central and north- 

 ern Kansas the Wellington beds are succeeded by the massive dark 

 brown and red sandstones of the Dakota Cretaceous ; in southern 

 Kansas the Wellington beds are covered by the sandstones, long 

 known as the "Red Beds," belonging to the Upper Permian. Cragin 

 has characterized the Wellington beds as made up of "a thick 

 body of blue, gray and slate-colored shales." Thus far no fossils 

 have been reported from them. Salt is mined at Kingman, Lyons, 

 and Kanopolis, and is pumped at Anthony, Wellington, Hutchin- 

 son, and Sterling. 



( 5 ) Harper Beds, 650 feet. These are the red and variegated 

 sandstones of the Red Beds so well exposed in Kingman and 

 Harper counties. These beds are continuous with similar beds 

 which outcrop in Oklahoma. The sandstones and shales were de- 



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