GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 341 



Academy, page 305, remarks, on the lower sandstone, " that it has often 

 been considered as Eocene, but that it is ]):oved to be of Cretaceous age 

 by the large number of Cretaceous species ^hich it contains, these 

 already resembling Tertiary types." He adds, however, that these Upper 

 Cretaceous strata are '•'■ everyu-here overlaid by an immense deposit of non- 

 fossiUferous sandstone.''^ It is this last non-fossiliferous sandstone which 

 belongs to the Eocene. It has in California the same characters which 

 mark it on the eastern side of the Eocky Mountains. Professor Gab has 

 found fucoidal remains in it. It has been seen all over California at the 

 base of the Coast Range, and I believe that the lignite-beds from Oregon 

 southward, even from Vancouver's Island, will be recognized in the 

 Eocene, formed as at other localities, either near the base or within or 

 above the sandstone.* The objections against the Tertiary age of the 

 Lignitic are partly answered by these remarks. They have, however, to 

 be considered in detail. 



To my knowledge only two specimens of Cretaceous fossil have been 

 as yet found in the Eocene sandstone of the Rocky Mountains and in 

 strata overlying it, south of Golden. One specimen of hadly preserved 

 Inoceramus was seen at or near the base of the Eocene sandstone, by 

 Dr. F. V. Hay den, and still another hadly preserved specimen of the 

 same genus was found by Dr. John Leconte in a bed of sandstone, over- 

 lying the Lignitic beds of the Raton. It is useless to argue on the 

 chances which may have brought these remains at the places Vv'here 

 they have been found. These cases are exceptional and unimportant. 

 Large companies of explorers have passed the same localities without 

 discovering any other marine fossil mollusk in these strata, and I have 

 myself carefully searched the indicated stations with the same result. 

 It is otherwise, however, with the beds of oyster and other shells 

 Temarked in great abundance from Rock Springs to Black Butte, where, 

 too, the bones of a large Binosanrian were found mixed with fossil-shells 

 and dicotyledonous leaves, and which have served as authority to 

 many geologists for their opinion on the Cretaceous age of the strata.t 

 The o})inion of Professor Meek on this subject is especially to be con- 

 sidered, as he has not only given much time and care to the determina- 

 tion of the fossil-shells, and has himself visited the localities, but is so 

 cautious and careful in coming to his conclusions that they merit full 

 confidence. ZsTow, in a letter on this subject, the celebrated professor 

 remarks : "Looking on these invertebrate remains alone and aside of all 

 other facts, I could scarcely doubt from their affinities that they are 

 •Eocene — Lower Eocene. You see there are none of the characteristic 

 Cretaceous genera of mollusks among them — no I)ioceramns,\io Ammon- 

 ites, no Scaphites, no BaciiUtes, not a trace of any of the long list of 

 Cretaceous or older genera, which might be mentioned, while a majority 

 of the forms are most nearly allied to the Eocene types, specifically.'''' 

 Against this evidence Professor Meek remarks on the relation of shells 

 of the same kind found at Coalville and at Bear River, helow evident 

 Cretaceous species. 



* In a late paper, Professor Dawson, of Montreal, considers the fossil plants of A^an- 

 couver's Island as Tertiary. I already came to the same conclusion after the examina- 

 tion of the fossil plants of Dr. T. Evans, as published in American Journal of Science 

 and Arts, vol. XXVII, May, 1859, page 362. This opinion was controverted afterward 

 by Dr. Newberry, who referred the Lignitic formation of Vancouver to the Cretaceous, 

 on acconnt of the presence of Cretaceous fossil animal remains in strata above the 

 coal. My remarks on Blockbutte, Coalville, &c., are apparently applicable to Van- 

 couver also. 



tAmerican Journal of Science and Arts, Decemher, 1872, p. 489. 



