The Wonders of the Permian 181 



The water was fresh ; no sea in sight. 



I climbed to the top of a tree fern, from which 

 point of vantage, I had an uninterrupted view 

 of the surrounding country; which was one 

 great level streatch of fern plumes, densely in- 

 termingled with ancient pines, lepidodendrons, 

 and cycads. The latter resembling gigantic pine 

 apples, with a plume of leaves on top; or with 

 tree-like trunk, and plume of crowded pinniate 

 leaves. These first clung closer to the ground. 

 While the others sought the direct sunlight per- 

 haps fifty feet above. From my field of vision, 

 these vast masses of the most delicate foliage 

 imaginable, moved by the gentle breeze in gentle 

 undulations, with only here and there a 

 break in their carpet-like compactness. While 

 swinging below, as I have already noted, 

 were hanging mosses in various hues. The ground 

 densely covered with sponge-moss. In the lower 

 places pools of water into which the moss extend- 

 ed often completely covering them, a land of 

 treacherous bogs. One must watch his footing 

 as I soon proved, by cutting a rush whose length 

 was over twenty-five feet, and pushed it easily 

 down into one of these small moss-ponds, through 

 the peat and failed to reach the bottom, I realized 

 how easily one might lose his footing, and slip 

 into one of these mossy swamps and disappear. 



And another thought came to me of the won 

 derful bone-bed Miller found along the Big Wich- 

 ita in Texas, in 1909 where many complete skele- 



