Notes on the Geology of Central Nebraska. — Russell. 41 
On the Burlington and Missouri railroad in a cut some six miles 
■east from Loup City, there is proof that there is nonconformity be- 
tween certain of these beds that we are studying. At the base 
of the cut there is a stratum of red clay. This stratum contains 
a few small pebbles differing from the country rock. Immediately 
capping the clay there is a forest bed about 14 inches in thickness. 
The soil of this forest bed is a dark arenaceous loam. Heated in 
a porcelain crucible the dark loam becomes drabbish. There are 
no fossils in these lower strata. The forest lied rests unconform- 
ably upon the clay. Between the forest bed and the superim- 
posed Loess-like formation there is marked unconformity. At 
the very base of this last formation are found the common and 
characteristic fossils before mentioned. A diagrammatic cross- 
section would exhibit about this result. 
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org. $tJ3t 
fed 
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1 0M%mJ^e / <y- 
Fig. 1. 
This nonconformity clearly shows that erosion was in action after 
the depositioD of each stratum. The eroded surfaces of the red 
clay support the forest bed. Upon the latter, finally, came this 
Loess-like material. As already noticed there is absence of life 
in strata 1 and -. and presence of life in stratum .'!. 
On the Middle Loup river, near Boelus, in Howard county, the 
same nonconformity is again found. In this outcrop theforest 
bed is wanting and the bluff or Loess-like formation reposes di- 
rectly upon and unconl'orinahly with the clay. In the clay stratum 
<>f the Boelus section there are many small pebbles, principally 
quartzite, elicit diorite and diabase. As in the preceding section. 
the clay stratum is nonfossiliferous. In the upper or Loessdike 
formation the common and previously named species occur in 
abundance. 
The clays have much the appearance of glacial clays. The en- 
