jATfTJAEY 29, 1909] 



SCIENCE 



197 



the channel beds were great numbers of bones and 

 teeth, mostly fragmentary and waterworn, but 

 indicating a large and varied fauna. More than 

 sixty species are represented by our collections, 

 of which a considerable part are clearly new. 

 Horses are the most abundant fossils, some hun- 

 dreds of jaw-fragments and about ten thousand 

 separate teeth being in the collection. All these 

 belong to the Protohippine group, and are closely 

 allied to those of the upper Miocene, but in some 

 cases more specialized. Equus does not occur. 

 A large variety of camels is present, some of 

 gigantic size. The deer-antelope Merycodus is 

 common, along with several kinds of true deer. 

 The presence of true antelopes of the Tragooeras 

 group is indicated by a horn, several upper jaws, 

 teeth and skeleton bones. A single lower jaw is 

 referable to the genus Bison, but its pertinence to 

 this fauna is questioned. There are also several 

 species of Oreodonts with a more advanced type 

 of dentition than any described genera. Advanced 

 species of the rhinoceros genera Teleoceras and 

 Aphelops are present, and a Proboscidean of un- 

 determined genus. The presence of Edentata is 

 indicated by a single imperfect claw. Peccaries, 

 several genera of rodents, and more than a dozen 

 different Carnivora are represented. Most of them 

 belong to known upper Miocene genera, but in 

 several instances the species are more highly 

 specialized. One lower jaw represents the modern 

 genus Bassarisaus, not heretofore known fossil. 

 The age of the fauna is regarded as lower Plio- 

 cene, and the nearest comparisons are with the 

 fauna of the Alachua clays of Florida and the 

 Rattlesnake beds of Oregon. 



In the underlying beds were found several skele- 

 tons of Merychippus and other genera, indicating 

 that they are of middle Miocene age, equivalent 

 to the Pawnee Creek beds of Colorado, and later 

 than any of the Miocene beds in the Niobrara 

 Valley to the north of them. 



Discussion: Mr. Riggs observed that he had 

 seen similar cases of residual deposits of bones in 

 eastern Wyoming last summer. 



Dr. Loomis remarked on the extraordinary 

 abundance of animal remains gathered together 

 within a small space at this locality. 



Mr. Gidley observed upon the highly specialized 

 character of the horses, which he thought com- 

 pared most nearly with those of the Archer beds 

 (Alachua clays). 



Mr. Hussakof's paper then followed, " On a 

 Method of Arranging Large Study Collections in 

 Museums." The author described the methods of 



arranging the fossil fish collections in the Amer- 

 ican Museum. They are placed in shallow trays 

 in racks, an arrangement first introduced by 

 Darwin. He advocated an arrangement primarily 

 zoological, with a subordinate arrangement in 

 alphabetic order. Special collections could be kept 

 apart until studied and then merged in the gen- 

 eral series. Space could be left for the addition 

 of new material to the collections without disar- 

 ranging the order. The paper was discussed by 

 Mr. Gidley and Dr. Matthew. 



The next paper was by E. B. Branson, " Notes 

 on some Dinichthyids from northern Ohio." The 

 author described a number of specimens of Dinich- 

 thyids recently collected for the museum of Ober- 

 lin College, including a fine skull of D. inter- 

 medius and a number of jaws and skull plates 

 apparently of undescribed species. He also called 

 attention to a specimen of Amphibian foot-prints 

 from the Mauch Chunk shales of Pennsylvania. 



Disoiission: Dr. Hussakof inquired in regard to 

 the occurrence of D. intermedius in the Delaware 

 limestone as reported by Mr. Branson, and ex- 

 pressed some doubt as to the certainty of the 

 horizon. He also noted the variable character of 

 the mandible in the species of Diniohthys. 



Mr. Branson, in reply, stated that there was no 

 doubt as to the specimen in question being in 

 place in the Delaware limestone. 



The session was then adjourned. 



On Wednesday, December 30, the society recon- 

 vened at 10 A.M. and proceeded with the program 

 of papers. 



Professor Osborn explained the plans of the 

 International Committee on Geologic Correlation 

 of the National Academy of Sciences. Professor 

 Williston expressed his sense of the importance 

 and desirability of the work as outlined. Dr. 

 Loomis pointed out the need for field sections in 

 the collecting of fossil vertebrates. 



Professor Osborn then gave a preliminary report 

 upon the skeleton of Trachodon discovered by 

 Mr. Sternberg last summer. The specimen is 

 articulated and complete except for the tail and 

 hind feet. Careful preparation at the American 

 Museum indicates that almost the whole integu- 

 ment is preserved, and the author described its 

 character and pattern. The specimen was prob- 

 ably naturally mummified, and then buried by a 

 mass of sand from a freshet. This skeleton, aside 

 from its extraordinary interest in the preservation 

 of the integument, will add considerably to our 

 knowledge of the osteology of Traohodon, espe- 

 cially as regards the shoulder-girdle and its rela- 

 tions to the sternum and ribs. The paper was 



