PO ee ee ae ee 
1881. ] — Geology and Paleontology. 75 
follows: Fishes—C/astes, 1 sp.; Pappichthys, 1 sp. Reptiles— 
Lacertilia, 2 sp.; Testudinata, 2 sp.; Crocodilia,1 sp. Mammals 
—Chiroptera, 1 sp.; Rodentia, 3 sp.; Teniodonta, 1; Tnsectivora, 
2; Creodonta, 9; Mesodonta, 9; Amblypoda (Pantodonta), 2; 
(Dinocerata), 1; Perissodactyla, 8; ? Artiodactyla,3. The new 
species are distributed as follows, all being AM/ammalia: Chirop- 
tera, 1; Tentiodonta 1; Insectivora 2; Creodonta 8; Mesodonta 
4; Amblypoda, 1; Perissodactyla 7; ? Artiodactyla 2. 
The facies of the fauna is that of the Wasatch rather than that 
of the Bridger epoch, but it contains, nevertheless, severai genera 
hitherto regarded as characteristic of the Bridger; such are Pap- 
pichthys and Paleosyops. The sub-order Dinocerata has not pre- 
viously been found associated with Coryphodon. The sole repre- 
sentative of this division belongs to a new genus, and is named 
Bathyopsis fissidens, by Prof. Cope. The genus is defined as fol- 
lows: Dental formula, I. 3; C.1; Prem. 4; M. 3,—in the lower 
jaw. First premolar in the series with the incisors and canine, 
and followed by a diastema. The entire inferior border of the. 
lower jaw expanded downwards into a plate with convex inferior 
and forwards. 
Pror. KERR ON Frost Drirt.—Prof. W. C. Kerr, State Geologist 
of North Carolina, read an interésting paper, February, 1880, before 
the American Institute of Mining Engineers, on what he calls 
Jrost drift, with especial reference to the gold deposits of his 
State. He finds a thick layer, sometimes amounting to a depth 
of one hundred feet, covering rocks in various parts of the State, 
_. which is evidently derived from their decomposition, and which 
has remained nearly in situ. He has observed, however, that the 
materials of these strata are frequently sorted, the larger unde~ 
composed fragments lying near the bottom of the mass, hence © 
it is evident that they have been moved, and without regard 
to the direction of the inclination of the surface. He thinks 
that this rearrangement has been produced by the alternate 
freezing and thawing of the bed. The gold of the placers has, in 
this way, gradually found its way to the bed-rock or slate, where 
it is now found by the miners. Placer mining has been practiced 
for many years in North Carolina, and the methods now in use in 
California, were carried there by emigrants from the former 
State. : 
DiscovERIES OF MINERALS IN WESTERN NorTH CAROLINA.— 
