LESQUEKEUX.1 PALEONTOLOGY LIGNITIC FLORA AGE. 371 



and I could collect a large number of specimens, -with living animals, for preserving in 

 alcohol. The most numerous were Fiici, Buccini, FissureUce, PateUce, Voliitw, &c., all in 

 the same numeric relation -which was remarked in the sea under the cliffs. The pres- 

 ence of this salt pond, with its living inhabitants, proves a very recent upheaval of the 

 coast. The exact time could not be precisely fixed without a more extensive geological 

 examination. The fact is the most complete confirmation of Darwin's assertion, pub- 

 lished more than thirty years .ago, that there has been a recent upheaval of the coasts. 



Admitting the fact as it is exposed by Professor Agassiz, and sui> 

 posing that, after an epoch of time, there should be a contrary, slow- 

 movement or depression of the same laud, and that from the start this 

 depression- should be accompanied by the introduction of fresh-water 

 lakes, of swamps, &c., the growth of extensive bogs, and the formation 

 of peat-beds by plants ; that over it a succession of shales and sand- 

 stone should be formed by more rapid depression and the invasion of 

 mudd^^ or sandy water, &c., the result of this heaping-up of new mate- 

 rials "would represent, of course, a more recent formation, characterized 

 by its remains of fossil i^lants, this, under or below the level of a more 

 ancient one, characterized by its fossil invertebrate animals, &c. 



5th. In recording the opinions of geologists, who, by their researches, 

 have furnished materials (animal fossils) as evidence of the Cretaceous 

 age of the Lignitic, I quoted Professor Meek's passage of a letter, where 

 his opinion is exposed rather in favor than in contradiction of mine. Of 

 course, I was not then informed of his conclusions published later. We 

 have now, in the report of Dr. Hayden for 1872, (pj). 431-462,) the re- 

 sult of the researches of this careful observer, tending to prove that the 

 Lignite deposits of Coalville have been positively recognized underly- 

 ing strata characterized as Cretaceous by their remains of mollusks. 

 As no fossil plants have been discovered in connection with these coal-beds, 

 except the omnipresent fucoid, Halimenites major, no argument can be put 

 forward from the comx)arison of vegetable fossil remains. It is, however, 

 remarkable that the constitution of the Lignite of Coalville, the thick- 

 ness, the distribution of the beds, is about the same as that of Evanston ; 

 so similar, indeed, that the more experienced miners and superintendents 

 of the mines at Evanston and other places consider these Lignitic beds 

 as the same. The difference of fixed carbon in the lignite of the two 

 localities is only 1 per cent.; that in the proportion of water, only 2 ; in 

 volatile matter, only 3. And if we admit that the chemical compound 

 of the coal and the lignite, like that of the peat, depends especially 

 from the original constituents, the plants, we have in this fact of identity 

 of chemical compounds more than a probability of a homogeneity of 

 original or vegetable components. In this case the discussion is recalled 

 to this point, as remarked above : the whole Lignitic being a homogeneous 

 formation, we have to decide if it is Cretaceous or Tertiary. 



The locality where the discussion on the relation of fossil remains 

 may be made with the most advantage is that of the Bitter Creek 

 series, where there is an abundance of vegetable remains repre- 

 sented, at Black Butte especially, and of animal fossils, saurians, 

 shells, «&c., also found in profusion in the strata of this series from 

 Black Buttes to Eock Springs. In the whole series, neither Professor 

 Meek nor his assistant have found any shells truly characteristic of Cre- 

 taceous age; and Professor Meek says himself, (p. 458,) " that although 

 partly committed to the opinion that this formation belongs to the Cre- 

 taceous, and still viewing it as most probably such, he does not wish to 

 disguise or conceal the fact that the evidence favoring this conclusion, 

 to be derived from the mollusks alone, as now known, is by no means 

 strong and convincing." As from the flora of Black Butte w^e do not 

 have 'any identical or intimately related species to the Cretaceous plants, 

 as all the types are Tertiary, even a large number Miocene, the conclusion 



