KILLIK AIKE. 5 1 



cheerful fire which burned brightly in our stove, while the bitter south- 

 west wind without swept madly over the bleak and barren plain and 

 strove with all its energy to overturn our tent, causing the guy-ropes to 

 strain at their anchors and give forth those peculiar musical notes with 

 which we had become only too familiar through our long experience with 

 Wyoming blizzards and the so-called zephyrs of the Kansas plains. On 

 the following morning, the river being still too high to cross with a cart, 

 I resolved to go over on horseback and spend a couple of days at least 

 prospecting the very promising exposures on the other side for vertebrate 

 fossils, Mr. Peterson meanwhile remaining where we were, to look after 

 the outfit, and continue his work of collecting birds and mammals, in the 

 prosecution of which he was meeting with considerable success. It must 

 be confessed that the stream did not look particularly inviting, as its icy 

 cold waters rushed along with a seven- or eight-knot current. However, 

 while the water was uncomfortably cold, the stream was not particularly 

 dangerous to one accustomed to such streams, and I crossed in safety 

 the water in the deepest portion of the channel just flowing over the top 

 of my saddle seat. Once on the other side I removed my lower clothing, 

 wrung them out as best I could, replaced them, and proceeded to the foot 

 of the nearest bluff, where, leaving my horse and taking my pick, I began 

 a search for fossils. The cliffs at this point have an altitude of four hun- 

 dred and fifty feet, and are composed of alternate layers of sandstones 

 and shales, the former predominating. The sandstones are largely made 

 up of fine volcanic ash, though there are occasional beds of only local 

 extent of conglomerates, consisting for the most part of volcanic materials. 

 Several hours' search at this locality was only rewarded by the discovery 

 of a number of unimportant fragments. I therefore decided to return 

 to my horse and go to Killik Aike some twelve miles farther down the 

 river, where I had been told fossils were to be found in considerable 

 abundance. There was an estancia at Killik Aike owned and operated 

 by Mr. H. S. Felton, to whom, as well as to various other estancieros 

 of the country. Governor Mayer had very kindly and thoughtfully given 

 us letters of introduction, before we left Gallegos. I arrived at Killik 

 Aike shortly after midday, and as Mr. Felton was absent from the 

 estancia, I presented my credentials to his foreman, at the same time stat- 

 ing the purpose of my visit and asking if I might be given accommoda- 

 tion for a day or two, during which to make some preliminary examina- 



