PRELIMINARY NOTICE OF 



THREE LATE NEOCENE TERRANES 



OF KANSAS. 



BY F. W. CRAG IX. 



At several localities in Kansas, typically on Bluff creek, 

 in Clark county, in the immediate vicinity of the old Van- 

 hem postofhce, occurs a succession of three terranes: 

 (i) the lowest, consisting of gravels and sands laid 

 down in deep and broad valleys; (2) the middle, consisting 

 of a wide-spread horizon of white to brownish (rarely 

 greenish) volcanic ash; and (3) the highest, consisting of 

 vellowish-brow'n lacustrine or slack-water marls, contain- 

 ing variously shaped concretions of carbonate and silicate 

 of lime (the fornier called "native plaster"). 



THE MEADE GRAVELS. 



For the ancient (supposed late Pliocene) gravels, the 

 name Mtade gravels is proposed, after Meade Center, 

 where they constitute the artesian-water-holding formation. 

 They contain abundant remains of horses, llamas, elephants, 

 turtles, etc., and rarer remains of Megalonyx and Felidii^ the 

 species of which will be listed elsewhere, but which include 

 Elepltas iiiiperator (.^), Megalonyx Icidgi, Equux complicatus. 

 Equus curvidens, Auchenia huerfanensis, etc., indicating the 

 fauna of the Equus beds. These gravels are mostly un- 

 consolidated, but frequently contain hard ledges in Meade 

 county and elsewhere. The}' are generally 10 to 30 or 40 

 feet in thickness and frequently grade into the Pearlette. 



