J. S. Newberry on the Lignites and Plant-Beds, ete. 399 
Art. XXXVIIL—On the Lignites and Plant-Beds of Western 
America; by J. S. NEWBERRY. 
In the Geological Report of Prof. F. V. Hayden for 1872, Mr. 
Leo Lesquereux gives a comprehensive review of the fossil flora 
found associated with beds of lignite, in various localities 
through the western portion of our continent. The views 
advanced in this paper are so inconsistent with the facts ob- 
served by myself, that I venture to call in question the accu- 
racy of some of them. By Mr. Lesquereux, much the greater 
art of the fossil plants found at the west are referred to the 
ocene, whereas, to my certain knowledge, a considerable por- 
Hayden, and I wiil now only allude to some of the facts which 
are incompatible with Mr. Lesquereux’s views. 
The earliest and best known of the plant-beds of the far west 
are those of the region of the plains, in Nebraska, Kansas an 
correct. 
From this horizon, we have obtained a large number of fossil 
plants, and this, the first angiospermous flora known, has 
the Tertiary. Following him, Mr. Lesquereux has reported all 
ee New Mexican Fonts and plant-beds to pte mere sl 
Ty age. Having spent nearly two years in this region, con- 
Stantly occupied in the study of its faci oe I feel authorized 
2g State that all the lignite beds yet known in New Mexico are 
unmistakably of Cretaceous age. Fossil plants are found at 
Several different horizons in the Cretaceous, but none whatever 
'n the Tertiary. In fact, the only Tertiary strata known in 
* This Journal, vol. xxviii, p. 85; xxix, pp. 208, 434. 
