SOUTH DAKOTA SCHOOL OF MINES 29 



attracted much attention, due in large measure to the extra- 

 ordinary deposits found on the James Cook ranch near 

 Agate Springs on the Niobrara river approximately forty 

 miles south of Ardmore, South Dakota. Osborn states that 

 they are the most remarkable deposits of mamalian remains 

 of Tertiary age that have ever been found in any part of 

 the world. It is in connection with these deposits that most 

 of the later White River badland work of the museums and 

 other educational institutions has been done. The bones 

 are not only extremely abundant and well preserved but 

 complete or nearly complete skeletons are fairly common 

 and in several instances considerable groups of good skele- 

 tons have been found in little disturbed condition. Three 

 small hills in which quarries have been worked in the 

 search for bones have been designated as Carnegie Hill, 

 University Hill and Amherst Hill, these having been first 

 opened, in the order given, by representatives of the respec- 

 tive institutions, Carnegie Museum, University of Nebraska, 

 and Amherst College. 



The South Dakota State School of Mines has nearly 

 every year, beginning with 1899, sent a party into the bad- 

 lands either to Sheep Mountain or to some place along the 

 Great Wall. Aside from the publication by the institution 

 in 1910 of a summary description under the title "The Bad- 

 land Formations of the Black Hills Region" the chief pur- 

 pose of these visits, covering generally only a few days, has 

 been to give students an opportunity to study physiographic 

 processes and topographic types. The visits have served to 

 give name to what is perhaps the ruggedest drainage feature 

 of all the White River badlands, namely, School of Mines 

 canyon. (See Plates 1, 91, 92, 91, 95, 96, and others). This 

 cuts a deep gash into the highest part of Sheep Mountain 

 and connects through a picturesque gateway with Indian 

 creek an affluent of Cheyenne river. 



In addition to the expeditions equipped by the several 

 institutions, private collectors have obtained large quantities 

 of valuable material and these specimens, either directly or 

 through dealers, have found their way into the best mus- 

 eums, both at home and abroad. Now that access to every 

 part of the White River badlands is readily gained, investi- 

 gators are constantly visiting the region and activity in the 

 development of knowledge concerning these wonderful de- 



