TO JUNCTION OF GRAND AND GREEN RIVERS. 45 



their original condition, in the succeeding, section, taken in a locality less than two miles 

 distant, the lowest sedimentary rock is not in the least affected by the proximity of the 

 granite. These facts conclusively show, as it seems to me, that the granite was already 

 consolidated before the sedimentary rocks were deposited upon it, and that the reason why 

 the strata underlying the Carboniferous rocks in the Colorado basin are here wanting is 

 simply this: that the surface of the granite upon which they should have been deposited 

 was hero too high to receive them. It will be noticed that in the foregoing section of 

 the Coal-Measure strata there are no beds of coal, and yet the preponderance of 

 mechanical over organic sediments, that is, of shales and sandstones over limestones, 

 and especially the presence of coarse sandstones and conglomerates, give to this section 

 a character strongly contrasting with that of the strata of the same age in Kansas — a 

 character unquestionably due to the closer and more constant proximity to high land. 



Section of the Carboniferous rocks in the gorge of Santa Fe Hirer. 



No. 2. 



Feet. Inches. 



1. ( Nmipact blue limestone 10 



2. Gray, brown, and black shales 12 



3. Pinkish shelly limestone, a mass of fossils, containing Athyris Poijsii, 



A. bovidens, A. subtilita, SpiriJ'cr cameratus, S. lincatus, Product us 

 nodosus, P. sanircticulatus, P. scabriculus, P. Jiogersi, Orthisina wribra- 

 cuhtm, Orthis MichUini (?), Rhynchonetta uta, Platyccras, sp., Nautilus, 

 sp., &c 5 



4. Brown, black, and greenish shale . 4 



5. Gray limestone (>' 



II. Coal 4 



7. Green and blue shale - 10 



8. Crinoidal limestone, equivalent of No. 32 of preceding section; very fos- 



siliferous 4 



( J. Bituminous and argillaceous shale 1 .', 



10. Crinoidal limestone, equivalent of No. 32 of preceding section. . (j 



11. Gray and blue shale, with bands of bituminous shale and coaly matter, 



witli Gdamites and leaves of Cordaites : 5 



12. Ferruginous sandstone - 4 



13. Gray and blue shale 8 



14. .Massive concretionary and brecciated gray limestone, containing crinoi- 



dal columns, Athyris subtilita, Product us scmircticulatus, &c (I 



L5. Foliated limestone, gray and mottled, witli dendritic manganese 15 



1 (!. Coarse, soft, white sandstone 3 



17. Red granite, passing hito mica slate, to base. 



In this section the Carboniferous fossils approach nearer the granite than in the 

 preceding one, and the sandstone No. 10 is very soft, and exhibits no trace of meta- 

 morphism. Another section, (No. 3), taken at the south base of Cerro Gordo, will, with 

 the preceding one, sullice to give a clear idea of the character of the Carboniferous 

 strata near Santa Fe*. 



