534 J. E. TODD — PLEISTOCENE PROBLEMS IN MISSOURI. 



has not been fully explored. No distinct traces of a forest bed or old 

 soils have been found in the region under consideration. Even Mr 

 McGee, who may be considered an expert upon this point, in his exami- 

 nation of Macon county* failed to discover any. 



Striae are rarely found on the underlying rock. So far as yet discov- 

 ered they are found only in the vicinity of the Missouri river. They are 

 found a little north of Saint Joseph in small patches about 125 feet 

 above the Missouri, in directions south and south 26 degrees west. Some 

 were reported from Parksville, but have not been examined. Near Har- 

 lem, opposite Kansas City, fine examples were found on a ledge about 

 130 feet above the level of the river, having the directions south 7, 19 

 and 24 degrees west, and others very clearly shown south 51 degrees 

 east. In the eastern part of Kansas City, a slight scratching of the rocks 

 was found about 100 feet above the river, with the direction south and 

 south 6 degrees east. Another locality, about 7 miles south of Glasgow, 

 was reported to me by the late Professor S. H. Trowbridge as being 

 about 100 feet above the river and showing directions a little west of 

 south and south 20 to 25 degrees west. I believe Professor J. W. Kil- 

 patrick reported upon this locality in " Science '' two or three years ago. 



Didrihation of Bowlder ij Drift. — The bowldery drift covers the whole 

 surface of the state north of the Missouri river, with few exceptions here- 

 after to be stated, and very unimportant narrow areas south of this 

 stream and also along the western bank of the Mississippi. The exact 

 limit of the drift has been quite carefully studied on account of its signifi- 

 cance; still two obstacles have prevented its exact determination: one, 

 its vicinity to the Missouri and consequent removal by erosion ; the other, 

 the fact that it is often deeply buried under the loess. The drift usually 

 thins out toward the edge, although in a few cases it is quite well devel- 

 oped near the border, as north of Hibernia and in the vicinity of War- 

 renton. Where the border approaches higher land it rises slightly above 

 its general surface farther north. 



The following table presents the occurrence of northern erratics on or 

 very near the margin. The altitudes are merely close estimates derived 

 from barometric notes and reference to the topographic map of the 

 region published by the United States Geological Survey. 



T^„„i;f, Altitude above Altitude above 



^^'^^'^^^y- Missouri. the sea. 



Kansas City, Jackson county, top of bluff near Ferrier 



avenue 100 825 



Three miles west of Sibley, Jackson county 100 800 



Three miles south of Sibley, Jackson county 100 800 



Lexington, southwest of town, Lafayette county ... 800 



* Geology of Macoa County, Trans. St. Louis Acad. Sci., vol. 5, p. 305. 



