GEOLOGICAL SURVEY OF THE TERRITORIES. 327 



The only traces of glaeial action in the line explored were seen near 

 Topeka. South of the town are several large, erratic masses of pink 

 and bloody quartz, wl^ose surfaces are so polished as to appear as though 

 vitrified. They were transported, perhaps, from the Azoic area near 

 Lake Superior. 



Part III.— SYNOPSIS OP THE PAUNA. 

 EEPTILIA. 



1. Prom the Benton Group. 



The only reptile yet indicated from this stratum in Kansas is the 

 crododilian. 



Hyposaurus Yebbii, Cope. — A species, of 8 or 10 feet in length, 

 found in digging a well at Brookville, and presented to me by my friend 

 Dr. Wm. E. Webb, of Topeka. The individual discovered wasnotful^y 

 grown, but indicates a smaller and stouter crocodile than the H. rogersii, 

 Owen, of the New Jersey green-sand. This genus belongs to the group 

 with subbiconcave vertebrae, and had a long, subcylindric snout. 



2. Prom the Niobrara Bed. 



• Twenty -three species constitute what is known of the Cretaceous 

 reptilian fauna of this area. These have been discovered in large part 

 by exploring expeditions conducted b^^ Professor Mudge, of the State 

 Agricultural College of Kansas j by Professor O. C. Marsh, of Yale Col- 

 lege; and by the writer. 



These species represent four of the orders already known to exist in 

 the Cretaceous beds of other parts of the United States. The writer 

 first pointed out the existence of Pytlionomorpha and Sauropterygia, and 

 subsequently discovered Testudinata. Professor Marsh has added to 

 these the Ornithosauria. The first named of these orders is by far the 

 most abundant, the relative number of species being as follows : Pytho- 

 nomorpha, 17; ISaiiropterygia^ 2; Testudinata^ 2; Ornitliosaiiria^ 2. 



The first-named order includes species formerly referred to the Lacer- 

 tilia, or lizards proper, but the structures of the posterior region of the 

 cranium, of the pelvic arch, and of the limbs, indicate that they consti- 

 tute a well-marked division. The cranium mingles lizard and serpent 

 characters ; the pelvis is entirely peculiar, while the limbs are somewhat 

 like those of Plesiosatirus and turtles. In form they were exceedingly 

 elongate and snake-like, with eel-like, flattened tail of great length, two 

 pairs of flippers, a short neck, and very long, acute, flat head, with the 

 eyes opening upwards. 



In the Sauropterygians the proportions were reversed, the neck being, 

 in the two known Kansas species, excessively elongate,' and the tail 

 rather less so. The two pairs of flippers were elongate and powerful, 

 and the head was light and rather small, as would be api)ropriate to 

 its position at the extremity of so long a neck. 



The Testudinata, or turtles, are well known in their general appear- 

 ance. Those yet known from Kansas are, however, very peculiar. The 

 Cynoccrcus had a long, slender tail, while the Protostcga had no shell, 

 properly so called. In other words, the ribs remained distinct, as iu 

 the young of existing sea-turtles, or as in the adult iSphargis, but large, 

 bony shields were developed in the skin. 



The Ornithosauria are the flying reptiles, which share with their rep- 

 tilian features some characters of birds. Two species of considerable 



