L. Lesquereux—Lignitic formations of the Rocky Mountains. 553 
remark on this, in order to meet and to answer another unjust 
rebuke of Dr. Newberry, who, after repeating his assertions of 
the discovery of Cretaceous animal fossils over the Colorado 
lignite deposits, says :—*‘‘ That I point to my 250 species of fossil 
plants, claiming that they far outweigh the testimony of the animal 
remains.” And adds: “ Jn fact, however, these fossil plants have 
very little bearing on the question.” 
Lignitic beds and sandstone-bearing plants have been recog- 
nized underlying strata with fossil Cretaceous animals, I had to 
examine, if, from the nature of its compound and from its vege- 
table remains, the Lignitic formation should of necessity be con- 
sidered as a whole, or, if it could be separated in two members, 
ing the Upper Cretaceous, the other Lower Ter- 
to be considered in view of my special researches are the fossil 
plants. From the large number of Fucoids in the Lignitic 
sandstone, from the identity of species of these marine plants 
found by Mr. Meek in connection with Lignitic strata as far 
down as the arenaceous beds bearing Cretaceous animal remains; 
from the prodigious preponderance of Palms, recognized also 
in the same circumstances from New Mexico to Wyoming, etc., 
I forcibly admitted the unity of the Lignitic formation, in its 
whole, and therefore limited the discussion to this point: the 
Cretaceous or the Tertiary age of the formation. In order to 
Strengthen my position in regard to the value of the conclusions 
afforded by vegetable remains, I compared the Lignitic forma- 
tions to those of the Carboniferous epoch, remarking that, 
having positively a preponderance of land-plants over marine 
animals, or a land character, they should be considered as land 
formations, and that therefore the evidence given by the fossil 
plants should outweigh in importance that of some Cretaceous 
and also Permian shells far below the base of the Permian, even 
as far down as the middle of the Carboniferous measures. 
These, however, are nevertheless admitted now by every body 
to constitute a single homogeneous formation, which is not 
modified in its ntial points — the coal beds and their 
plants—by the introduction of some foreign species. Contrary 
