52 



The Badland Formations of the Black Hills Region 



space occupied by an ordinary dwelling house. We have often 

 destroyed several while digging out one."* 



Prof. Barbour who has given these interesting fossils most 

 study considers them as representing s,ome form .of plant life 

 and has apparently found much to corroborate this view. The 

 surface of all forms shows as a mat or mass of fossil vegetable 

 fiber much resembling "fine excelsior in a matrix of hydraulic 

 cement." Microscopic study of thin sections shows abundant 

 vegetable cells in the peripheral portion but the inner portion is 

 usually structureless at least so far as plant development is 

 concerned. Prof. Barbour has furthermore found that in going 

 from lower to higher beds there is a gradual change in forms 

 ranging from simple fibers and masses to those of ever increas- 

 ing diversity and complexity (see Figure 9.)^* This resembles 



Daemonelix regular. 

 40 to 45 meters. 



Daemonelix irregular, 

 6 to 8 meters. 



Daemonelix cigars or fingers, 6 to 8 

 meters and upward. 

 Daemonelix balls, 8 meters. 



Daemonelix cakes, 8 meters. 

 Daemonelix fibers. 



Figure 9 — Diagrammatic section showing the relative positions of the sev- 

 eral torms in the Daemonelix series. Barbour, 1896. 



steps in phylogeny, but it is not at all sure that it really docs 

 represent phylogeny, for it may develop, as some believe, that 

 the forms have only some indirect connection with organic life. 

 Some have considered that they represent low plant organ- 

 isms such as algae, others that they may be remains of higher 

 plants, in which all has decayed away except the cortical layer. 

 Still others and these with much reason have considered them as 

 casts of well preserved burrows of animals. Among the earliest 



* Barbour, E. H. History of the Report and Progress in the 

 Study of Daemsonelix. Univ. Studies, (Neb). Vol. 2, 1897, pp. 81-124. 



t Barbour, E. H. Nature, Structure, and Phylogeny of Oaemone- 

 lix. Geol. Soc. Am., Bull., Vol. 8, 1897, pp. 305-314, pis. 31-39. 



