The American Geologist. 
. 1SHI3. 
the proper title : but never Mississippian. Likewise in the Rocky 
ntain or Basin provinces no part of the earlv Carbonifer- 
- rocks can be jammed into a Mississippian series. Series 
there are here, but never Mississippian series. If by any twist- 
ing of titles we are permitted to extend the stratigraphic, serial 
title of Mississippian so as to cover all the early Carbonifer- 
ous deposits of the continent or of the world, then we shall 
have to find new names for each of the several provincial 
sen* - 
"Then when a similar series is found with similar fossils 
the same name ought to be given." Certainly! if our classifi- 
cation is to be constructed on a purely artificial and homotaxial 
basis. Xot if we are to preserve the chronologic idea. 
Regarding the original Permian professor Prosser states : 
"Apparently the main point of Dr. Keyes' contention is 'That 
Permian, as originally proposed, applies to a provincial series, 
and, according to our usual standard, has, at best, a taxonomic 
rank below that of system." Yet he states it is probable that its 
main subdivisions will be elevated 'to the rank of series,' which, 
instead of causing the name Permian to be dropped, as he sug- 
gests ill more probably leave it with the rank of a system as 
originally defined by Murchison." 
This conclusion by no means follows from the premises 
quoted. Raising the taxonomic rank of the present main sub- 
divisions of the Russian Permian to that of series does not 
necessarily make the Permian a good system. Neither does 
such procedure make it obligatory to retain the name Permian 
in any capacity, either in this country or in Russia. 
The fact that the Paleozoic beds of Kansas above the Mis- 
- rian series are 3.000 feet thick is no argument whatever that 
they belong to a distinct system. Neither does it argue in the 
- ghtest degree for the retention of the name Permian for any 
American rocks. The shadow should not be mistaken for the 
stance. I do not at this time contend that *he Paleozoic 
beds above the summit of the Missourian series are not of suf- 
ficient importance to be regarded as equivalent to a system. 
Her merely have been unable to see any good grounds 
:' r retaining the title Permian for any Kansas formations. 
Recent work on the Red Beds beyond the Kansas boundaries 
very much strengthens this position. 
