458 Veatch — Localities of Supposed Jurassic Fossils. 



"A few miles up this stream, Capt. Fremont has collected a 

 beautiful series of specimens of fossil ferns. The rock is an 

 indurated clay, wholly destitute of carbonate of lime, and 

 would be termed a fire clay. These are probably, geologi- 

 cally as well as geographically, higher than the oolite speci- 

 mens, as the rocks at this place were observed to dip in the 

 direction of N. 65° W. at an angle of 20 degrees." This would 

 show, conclusively, that the vegetable remains occupy a 

 higher position than the oolite. Associated with these vege- 

 table remains, were found several beds of coal differing in 

 thickness 



"The stratum containing the fossil ferns is about 20 feet 

 thick ; and above it are two beds of coal, each about 15 inches. 

 These are succeeded by a bed of sandstone. Below the bed 

 containing the ferns, there are three distinct beds of coal, each 

 separated by about 5 feet of clay. Before examining the 

 oolitic specimens just mentioned, I compared these fossil ferns 

 with a large collection from the coal-measures of Pennsylvania 

 and Ohio, and it was quite evident that this formation could 

 not be of the same age. There are several specimens which I 

 can only refer to the Glossopteris Phillipsii, an Oolitic fossil ; 

 and this alone, with the general character of the other species, 

 and the absence of the large stems so common in the coal 

 period, had led me to refer them to the Oolitic Period. I 

 conceive, however, that we have scarcely sufficient evidence to 

 justify this reference ; and though among the fossil shells there 

 are none decidedly typical of the oolite, yet neither are they so 

 of any other formation ; and the lithological character of the 

 mass is not reliable evidence." 



A portion of this material found its way into the ISTational 

 Museum and was examined by Lesquereux, who likewise con- 

 sidered it Oolitic." JSTo similar plant remains were found by 

 any of the several Government expeditions which visited 

 this region after the early exploration of Fremont, and while 

 Dr. A. 0. Peale, who studied the region just north in 1877, 

 and was therefore familiar, in a general way with its strati- 

 graphy, attempted in 1898 to determine, in the office, from 

 Fremont's account the locality from which the fossils were 

 obtained, no satisfactory conclusion was reached. Dr. Peale 

 called my attention to this unique material and the desira- 

 bility of determining the true stratigraphic position of the 

 original locality, and of making additional collections. 



A special search for this locality was therefore made in con- 

 nection with my study of the coal and oil fields of this gen- 

 eral region during the summer of 1905. From this study 

 and a careful consideration of the original notes of Fremont 



*Prof. U. S. National Museum, vol. xi, 1888, pp. 37-38. 



