24 



THE WHITE RIVER BADLANDS 



The descriptions of these specimens aroused much in- 

 terest among men of science and in 1849, Dr. John Evans in 

 the employ of the government under the direction of David 

 Dale Owen of the Owen Geological Survey, visited the 

 region for the purpose of studying its peculiar features and 

 of collecting additional fossils in order to determine the age 

 of the strata. This visit was of the greatest importance and 

 the results were early published in a most careful scientific 

 manner. The report, chiefly the work of Dr. Leidy, who 

 described the fossils and Mr. Evans who through Mr. Owen 

 reported upon the geography and geology, gave to the world 

 the first authentic description of the nature of the badland 

 country. (Plate 4). Thaddeus A. Culbertson visited the 

 region during the following year, 1850, and obtained at the 

 request of the Smithsonian Institution a small but import- 



Figure 2 — Head of an ancestral camel, Poebr other ium, the earliest 

 Badland fossil described by Dr. Joseph Leidy, of Philadelphia, 

 1847. 



ant series of specimens. F. V. Hayden (Plate 8) of the 

 United States Geological Survey of the Territories made 

 several explanatory trips particularly in 1853, '55, '57 and 

 '66. Often in grave danger and hindered by varied 

 hardships he nevertheless succeeded in unraveling in large 

 measure the main geologic features of the country. Plates 5, 

 6 and 7). All of these parties collected vertebrate fossils of 

 the greatest scientific value and Dr. Leidy ( Plate 8 ) whom I 

 have already mentioned, being recognized as the best fitted 

 man in America to determine the nature of such fossils, 

 was called upon to write their description. Important 

 papers rapidly issued from his pen and each new description 

 served to point out the need of further exploration. He pub- 

 lished in 1869 in the Journal of the Academy of Natural 



