GEOLOGY AND PALEONTOLOGY. 181 
the line of outcrop of the McCann sandstone, from Caldwell to Redrock, a dis- 
tance of fifty miles. The area occupies the greater part of Kay and a small part 
of Noble and Grant counties. 
The work already done on the geology of the region is but fragmentary. The 
data collected on one or two reconnaissance trips, made at various times, consti- 
tute almost all of the available information at present. Although no fossils 
have been found in these formations in Oklahoma, it is now known that the hori- 
zons immediately sub- and superjacent contain organic remains: and it is by no 
means improbable that research will reveal fossils in these beds. The lithological 
character of the rock is, in some cases, of especial significance. It may often be 
observed that a shale bed becomes distinctly arenaceous to the south, so much so 
that in many instances the lithology changes entirely, and the rock will become 
a true sandstone. Further south in the territory there are several hundred feet 
of gray and brown sandstones and shales below the Harper, for which the name 
Stillwater sandstone has been proposed. It may eventually be proven that the 
Stillwater is but a southern continuation of the Sumner. While no attempt has 
been made to correlate these rocks with the Texas beds, it may not be considered 
improbable that future investigation will demonstrate that the Wichita beds 
south of the Arbuckle mountains are contemporaneous in time with the Salt 
Fork or lower division of the Red Beds in Kansas and Oklahoma. 
The investigations of the Oklahoma Geological Survey during the past sum- 
mer revealed the fact that the ledges of limestone and shale that form the Flint 
hills thin out to the south and disappear before reaching the middle of the terri- 
tory. The culmination of these hills is evidently in eastern Cowley county. 
Even within Kansas, however, ledges of sandstone appear near the top of the 
Flint hills. These sandstones become more pronounced to the south, and in the 
southern part of the Osage nation occupy perhaps half of the thickness of the 
formations. In eastern Payne county, Oklahoma, and the northwestern part of 
the Creek country only a few comparatively thin ledges of limestone remain, and 
in Lincoln county the last of these disappears. Along the line of the North Cana- 
dian, from Oklahoma City to Okmulgee, no limestone appears. In this region 
only sandstones and shales occur. 
From what has preceded, it will appear that south of the Kansas line the 
Carboniferous sandstones from the east and the Red Beds from the west grad- 
ually approach each other. At the same time, the Flint hills and the Sumner 
division become less and less pronounced, until, in central’ Oklahoma, both of 
these divisions have disappeared and sandstones and shales occupy the entire 
area. 
THE OKLAHOMA SALT PLAINS. 
BY C. N. GOULD, NORMAN, OKLA. 
Read before the Academy December 28, 1900. 
There are in the Permian rocks of Kansas and Oklahoma two distinctively sal- 
iferous horizons. To these Cragin, in his article, ‘‘The Permian System in Kan- 
sas,’’?! gave the name Geuda salt measures and Salt Plain measures. Prosser’s 
name, Marion, ? however, had priority over the term Geuda salt measures, and 
is now in general use. 
The Marion formation lies immediately above the Flint hills. It consists of 
from 400 to 500 feet of saliferous and gypsiferous shales and clays, with a con- 
siderable amount of fossiliferous limestone in the lower part. The salt obtained 
1. Colorado College Studies, vol. VI, p. 9. 2. Journal of Geology, vol. III, No. 7, p. 786. 
