FLORA OF THE SHASTA FORMATION. 273 



2. Sagenopteris elliptica Font. Several fair specimens. Those in the Knoxville 

 occur in the upper beds. 



Y. In the Knoxville and the base of the Chico : 



Matonidium Althausii (Dunk.) Ward. Two very imperfect fragments, one in 

 each formation. 



It will be noticed that these plants indicate decidedly a Lower 

 Cretaceous age for the Shasta formation. The plants that have been 

 hithei'to recognized in other regions occur in widely separated formations 

 of that age, such as the Wealden of northern Europe, the Neocomian of 

 Japan, the Lower Potomac, the Comanche, and the Great Falls beds. 

 In the Knoxville the flora has an older character than that of the Horse- 

 town, at least in the greater deficiency of younger elements, such as the 

 dicotyledons. All the dicotyledons of modern aspect occur in the upper 

 part of the Horsetown beds. These are, it is true, very few in number, 

 and imperfectly made known b}' the specimens obtained, but they suggest 

 the idea that the upper Horsetown beds are of about the same age as 

 the Aquia Creek beds of the Lower Potomac of Virginia and Maryland, 

 as limited by Professor Ward. The Knoxville and the lower portion 

 of the Horsetown strata have a flora more like that of the James River 

 or lowest member of the Potomac of Virginia. The few plants from the 

 base of the Chico do not indicate any marked change from the Shasta 

 flora, but they do not suffice to give the character of the flora of the 

 basal Chico beds. 



CYCADEAN TRUNKS FROM THE SHASTA FORMATION. 



Fossil cycadean trunks have been found in the Mesozoic beds of the 

 United States at many points east of the Rocky Mountains and on their 

 eastern slopes, viz, in the States of Maryland, Kansas, Colorado, South 

 Dakota, and Wyoming, but until lately their occurrence on the Pacific 

 slope had not been reported. On September 19, 1900, Dr. T. W. Stanton 

 obtained a fine and nearly perfect trunk in California. The conditions 

 under which this trunk was secured are set forth in the following note 

 which Doctor Stanton kindly furnished me at the time he turned over 

 the specimen, on November 14 of that year: 



The cycad from Colusa County, Cal., was found on the ranch of Mr. B. P. Pryor, 

 in the valley of Grapevine Creek, about 6 miles west of Sites, on the road to Stony 

 Ford. The specimen was in the front yard at the ranch house and Mr. Pryor says 



MON XLTIII — 05 18 



