F0SS.1L LEAVES IN KANSAS. 655 



people the investigation, especially, of matters pertaining to Kansas. 



Prof. Mudge, as a member of the committee, has prepared the following 

 paper relating to Kansas geology : 



"There is a deposit of red sandstone in Kansas, extending from Eepublic 

 county on the north line of the State, to Eeno county in the Arkansas valley, 

 which contains most interesting fossil leaves. This rock deposit is more 

 recent in the order of construction of our earth's crust, than Hugh Miller's 

 Eed. Sandstone. It is of the lowest cretaceous age, having been deposited 

 just above our Kansas upper carboniferous rocks. Many of the leaves in 

 this sandstone are very distinct, showing even the finest veins and mark- 

 ings. Among them are found the oak, willow, hickory, poplar, beech, sas- 

 safras, maple, birch, laurel, plum and apple, besides many small shrubs. In 

 addition we find the palm, fig, cinnamon and magnolia, now so common in 

 in warmer countries. Occasionally we discover in the same sandstone salt 

 water shells. 



The occurrence of tropical plants, is explained by the facts which show 

 that the vegetation grew on islands in the middle of the ocean, which con- 

 tained warm currents, like the present Gulf Stream, which kept a mild land 

 temperature. It is also probable that the palm, fig, and cinnamon were 

 hardy species of their kind, which would withstand a little more cold than 

 those now living. 



The most instructive feature of those fossil leaves to the geologist is, 

 that they are the first plants of the high family of dicotyledons, or plants with 

 net veined leaves and with an annual ring of growth on the trunk. They 

 ■embrace all the common forest and fruit trees of the temperate zones ex- 

 cepting the pines and other evergreens. Botanists class them as the only 

 trees of high rank, having true flowers and fruit. 



Previously to this time, in all the older deposits, no plants of higher 

 ■organization can be found, though careful search has been been made by 

 geologists in all parts of the world. Pines, which are classified near the 

 middle rank, have been long known as three times as old, geologically con- 

 sidered. Ferns and many other fiowerless plants are found, but not as old 

 as the pines. The first palms, though considered in the lowest rank of trees, 

 came in with our net-veined leaves of Kansas, the two extremes of tree 

 vegetation appearing here at the same age of the world. The palms are 

 placed by botanists as the lowefjt trees, far below the pines. 



About one hundred of the net-veined leaves have been found in Kansas 

 and Nebraska. The total thickness of the deposit containing them is less 

 than 500 feet. 



Here is something for the Darwinists to consider. AH these varied 

 and modern trees are found coming into existence suddenly, with all the 

 various types which grow in our forests to-day. No trace of any grade from 

 which they could have been derived can be discovered, though carefully 

 sought, both here and in other parts of the world. According to Darwin, 

 the low vegetation should have appeared first, and gradually merged into 



