33 



to be rarely in juxtaposition. These consisted of the following species : 

 Fishes : Clastes ? glaber ; Reptiles : Emys megaulax ; E. pachylomus ; E. eu- 

 thnetus; Trionyx scutumantiquum ; Alligator heterodon; Mammals: Orohippus 

 vasacciensis ; and fragments too imperfect for determination. 



In the third bank, in immediate juxtaposition with the remains just 

 enumerated, I found another thin bed of lignite, but this time without any 

 visible leaves. In a fourth line of low bluffs, a little beyond, I found that 

 remarkable mammal, Metalophodon armatus, with its dentition nearly complete, 

 in connection with fragments of other mammals and reptiles. 



Behind these rises the first line of white bluffs already described, which 

 extend away to the east ; to the west, they soon terminate in a high escarp- 

 ment in north and south line with that of the Bitter Creek beds, already men- 

 tioned as bounding a north and south valley. This and the superjacent strata 

 which we pass over in going south appear to be conformable to those of the 

 Bitter Creek series beneath them. I say ''appear," for slight differences of 

 dip are not readily measured by the eye; yet I suspect that the conformability 

 is very close, if not exact, and similar to that mentioned by Meek and Bannis- 

 ter as exhibited by the beds of the Washakie group which lie upon the coal- 

 series east of Creston. The white bluffs add perhaps one hundred feet to 

 the elevation. On their summit is a thin bed of buff clay and sand-rock sim- 

 ilar to the upper strata of the Bitter Creek series, and containing numerous 

 shells and some scattered teeth and scales of fishes. I called Mr. Meek's 

 attention to the specimens of these shells, which I sent him, and his reply 

 was that most were of identical species with those of the coal-series (Creta- 

 ceous), and that they presented no general peculiarity. 



At a short distance to the southward, another line of white bluffs extends 

 across the line of travel. This is not more elevated than the preceding one. 

 I only found remains of tortoises on it. Several miles to the south we reach 

 another bench, whose bluffy face rises four or five hundred feet in buttress- 

 like masses, interrupted at regular intervals by narrow terraces. This line is 

 distinguished for its brilliantly-colored strata extending in horizontal bands 

 along the escarpment. They are brilliant cherry-red, white, true purple with 

 a bloom shade, yellow, and pea-green, forming one of the most beautiful dis- 

 plays I ever beheld. The lower portions are bright-red, which color predom- 

 inates toward the west, where the bluffs descend to a lower elevation. 1 



found on them remains of a turtle {Emys cvt/nictus, Cope) and some borings 

 5 c 



