The Loess and the Lansing Man. — Shimek. 369 
mony must be placed far above merely supposed phenomena for 
the support of which there is no direct evidence, but which are 
necessary to sustain a theory. Fossil shells are not rare in the 
loess. They are as widely and as generally distributed in that 
deposit as their modern prototypes arc upon the surface today.* 
The habits of these snails are known. They present a tangible, 
definite basis for conclusions, and their occurrence is wholly 
consistent with, and best explained by the seolian hypothesis of 
the origin of the loess. These fossils will continue to be the 
rock which will wreck the arguments of the advocates of the 
glacio-fluviatile and aqueous, theories, until an explanation of 
their presence in the loess, consistent with these theories and 
based upon observation and fact, can be presented. 
SOME MONTANA COAL FIELDS. 
By J. Perky Kowk, University of Montana, Missoula. 
PLATES XXXI-XXXII. 
Tn answer to many inquiries, both from a commercial and 
a scientific point of view, is taken this opportunity to give a 
general idea of the extent of the bituminous and semi-bitum- 
inous coal fields of Montana. The writer is preparing a bul- 
letin on the Montana coal fields, and hopes within another 
year, to have statistics and measurements of beds from every 
coal county in the state. 
Montana is undoubtedly one of the richest states in coal 
and lignite in the union, although as yet these deposits have 
been but very little developed. There are less than two inhab- 
itants for each square mile of its territory, so in the past there 
has been no necessity for a thorough investigation of its fuel 
resources. 
All, or most of the bituminous and semi-bituminous coals 
found in Montana come from the ( Iretace'ous period and usually 
from the upper part, or the Laramie formation; and are found 
east of the main divide of the Rocky mountains. The lignite 
is found both in the Cretaceous and later X eocene formations. 
According to the map (Plate I) it may be seen that the Cre- 
taceous formations cover a large area of the state, and that good 
♦See the writer's discussion of this subject: la Acad. fief., "vol. v.. pp. 
l-l 15, 1S98; vol. vi, pp. 98 113, 1890: etc. 
