1895.] In the Region of ‘the new Fossil, Demonelizx. 219 
lower plants and the grasses. This would suppose that a stem 
starts out from the side, or perhaps the top of a screw and de- 
scending downward after awhile sends up anew screw. Then 
if the connection with the parent screw should be lost through 
decay, or if the parent screw itself should decay, each “screw ” 
would be left independent. The fact that the distal end of the 
stem is invariably very rotten lends some weight to this sup- 
position. As yet, no two specimens have been found with any 
other connection than that produced by crowding. 
After three weeks of corkscrew digging in the vicinity of 
Harrison, we decided to make a short trip southward to the 
Niobrara, where, we were informed, screws of enormous size, 
some with tree-like tops, might be found. With the two teams 
that we had managed to hire in the town, we followed the 
trail over the prairie to the southeast. Once or twice we 
passed a lonely “claim,” but when these and Harrison had be- 
come hidden by the hills behind us, we could look for miles 
around without seeing asign of human life. From time to 
time a jack rabbit would be started and be seen bounding away 
from our path. The only sounds that we heard, not made by 
ourselves, were the songs of the black finch (Calamospiza bicolor) 
which was, in fact, very musical. Late in the afternoon we 
sighted the high hills south of the Niobrara Valley, and to- 
wards evening came upon what appeared to be the head of a 
cañon running down into it. On the lower banks of this a 
great number of concretions of varying shapes and sizes were 
strewn about. In general they were oval, and from an inch to 
several inches through. With the aid of a sledge a number 
of these were broken off and packed in the wagons. On 
breaking them they were found to be made up of a great num- 
ber of thin lamelle of sandstone, which were alternately dark 
and light. They lay on the ground as they had been exposed 
by the erosion of the banks, and were attached to the rock and 
to one another by small necks. 
While busy cracking concretions we were surprised by the 
ominous aspect of a cloud that had seemed a little while be- 
fore to be going by, but now was fast coming straight over 
us. We had barely spread the canvas wagon-covers over the 
