L. Lesquereux—Lignitic formations of the Rocky Mountains. 551 
taceous abelle in the Lignitic of Colorado. Those of Golden 
come from the clay anges the fucoidal sandstone. Why 
did not Dr. Newberry quote Hayden’s opinions? No geologist 
has seen so much of the eae or has studied it _so carefully 
as he has. Everywhere, in connection with the Lignitic for- 
mation, he has seen this sandstone, which he calls either beds 
by Mollusks in oni Report (1872, p. 841), and will not 
repeat here what the critic could have answered by pointing to 
positive facts, if he had had any in contradiction of my asser- 
tions. But, in order to meet any farther discussion on this sub- 
ject. I will take the case as it is py stated by Dr. LeConte, 
in his notes on the Geology of the 
He makes the following obrecicns to my opinion on the 
Tertiary age of the Lignitic. I quote only those which directly 
bear on the question. 
lst. That the lignite beds west of the Rio Grande were found by 
. Newberry in supposed Surana strata, and in the super-adja- 
cent lower Cretaceous sandston 
2d. That the lignite beds of the Rio Grande Valley are in such 
close proximity to the gypsiferous marl series as to foals their 
reference to our Western Karly Cretaceous, the Dakota gro 
3d. That the beds of the Raton Mountains are sides Cre- 
taceous, since both Mr. Owen and himself have obtained Inocerami 
in the sandstone containing coal. 
5th. That M. Berthoud, as quoted by Hayden, found, in 1862, 
a bed of coal almost identical with the Golden City bed, with blu, uffs 
one and a half miles north, containing belemnites, etc. 
th That Gen. Pierce obtained, i each side of a coal-bed near 
for evidence from their fossil flora to certify their age. Dr. 
LeConte, however, states, on page 40 of his notes, a fact which 
seems to me contradic tory to what he is endeavoring to prove 
It is: that from the proximity of the marl series, the absence ce of char- 
coal), ba 
information along the valley are of the sam 
I gue this Co ‘ia that these beds are all of the same 
age. And as among the fossil plants found in connection wi 
that Placiére anthracite are Sabal leaves, sent to me by Dr. 
Am. Jour. Sc1.—Tuirp — Yee. VII, No. 42.—Junz, 1874. 
