148 Life of Upper Lake Region. 



the face of the pond like snow. These waters 

 must have varied in extent at different periods. 

 From one spot the writer could mark an ex- 

 tent of not less than sixty miles from east 

 tr west and fifteen to twenty from north to 

 south, with a variation of surface scarcely 

 reaching what an ordinary eye would call 

 thirty feet. And this whole extent was water- 

 covered during the life of the elephant, as is 

 proved by his remains. The portions of this 

 extensive lake bed, which remained latest, 

 caught most of the animal bones buried in 

 its mud. This special one we visited con- 

 tinued sandy and when dry its contents were 

 laid bare by drifting winds. 



Beside this extensive Pliocene lake already 

 mentioned, there are, fronting on Snake river, 

 a series of terraces, fragments of a continuous 

 lake bed from which the writer has received 

 fresh water fossils. Among these a small 

 pastern bone of a horse was found, establish- 

 ing the claim of the beds as Pliocene. 



The fossils of these Silver lake beds were 

 found often lying on the surface, bare of any 



