68 BULLETIN OF THE 



and constituted a distinct period by itself. Strata of Permian. 

 age have for a considerable time been known in Kansas and 

 in Texas, but have not been until very recently satisfactorily de- 

 termined in other parts of America. There is well known ta 

 exist throughout the greater part of the mountain region of the 

 West a series of heavy red sandstones sometimes divisible into- 

 two portions, an upper and a lower, and sometimes inseparable. 

 The upper part of this series has been assigned with confidence 

 to the Trias, but the lower part has not had its age satisfactorily 

 determined, since it has not until recently yielded fossils which 

 serve to place its age beyond doubt. During the last few 

 months Mr. Walcott, a young paleeontologist employed by th& 

 Geological Survey, has discovered in this formation, at Kanab, 

 in southern Utah, well marked Permian fossils. The identity of 

 the horizon from which they were taken, with the lower part of 

 the Red beds of Colorado and Wyoming, the Uinta Mountains 

 and New Mexico, and with the " variegated marls" of Newberry 

 in Arizona, and New Mexico, and with the Shinarump of Powell, 

 in the vicinity of the junction of the Grand and Green Rivers, is- 

 already proven beyond controversy. Hence this discovery estab- 

 lishes for the Permian in North America a general prevalence- 

 and a magnitude of development comparable with the Jurassie 

 and Trias, and assigns it to the rank of a formation of a high, 

 order. 



The meeting then adjourned 



17 2d Meeting. January 3, 1880. 



The President in the Chair. 



Forty-four members present. 



The minutes of the last meeting were read and adopted. 



The order of proceedings for the present evening consisted iu 

 the communications of Messrs. A. Graham Bell, D. P. Todd, 

 and W. H. Dall. 



