688 THE JOURNAL OF GEOLOGY. 
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fé Railroad from Ellinor to a point 
near Peabody. The bluffs on the southern side of the river are 
generally higher and more continuous than those on the northern 
side. This is well shown in the bluff extending from the vicinity 
of Cottonwood Falls southwest to Florence, where for a dis- 
tance of twenty-three miles there are but two decided breaks, 
one of which occurs at Clements formed by Coyne Branch, and 
the other at Cedar Point where Cedar Creek enters the Cotton- 
wood. From the northern side of the valley different prominent 
strata of limestone are seen forming terraces near the summit of 
the bluff. This is especially noticeable along the bluff from 
Cedar Point to the summit opposite Florence. A similar bluff, 
but higher and steeper, extends for twenty miles along the south 
side of the Kansas River, from Manhattan to Junction City, 
broken only by the two valleys formed by McDowell and Clark 
Creeks. As far as my observation goes, the southern bank of 
many of the streams in this part of Kansas is steeper than the 
northern, and Professor Haworth tells me that such a statement 
applies in a general way to all the rivers of Kansas. 
DESCRIPTION OF THE GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS.—THE WABAUNSEE 
FORMATION. 
In the classification of the rocks into formations, primarily 
for use in areal geology, it has been the general intention to 
include in a formation a series of strata, which may be charac- 
terized by their fossils and which have similar lithologic char- 
acters. 
In the lower valley of the Cottonwood, as well as along the 
adjacent portion of the Neosho, are several rather massive beds 
of limestone between which are calcareous, argillaceous and 
arenaceous shales with an occasional thin stratum of coal. The 
limestones of this formation cap the low bluffs along the river 
valley to Ellinor, where a higher limestone, known as the Cotton- 
wood, appears near the top of the bluff, which, dipping westerly, 
is carried nearly down to the level of the river about one and 
one-half miles west of Strong City; then begins to rise again 
