ii8 The American Geologist. August, 1904. 
or less filled tip with recent coral and sand accumulations. He 
has entirely passed over the evidence of the subterranean chan- 
nels, which professor Shaler emphasizes as proof of a recent 
elevation of more tlian 800 feet (in place of 50-100 feet given 
by Dall as a maximum). Strengthening himself wnth the 
opinions of his junior colleagues, imsupported by evidence, he 
brushes aside the phenomena of the drowned valleys of the 
continental shelf, without considering them. Even in his own 
palaeontological work, he leaves one in uncertainties in the 
correlations. And he has pronounced that "beyond question" 
certain beds are below the newer Pliocene* and yet these con- 
tain a rich mammalian fauna of the later Pleistocene period 
(belonging to the Equus beds). While I have now twice 
passed unnoticed his criticisms, a reply has become necessary, 
and from all the things set forth, I am compelled to pronounce 
that his arrogant dictum — that the late connection of Cuba and 
Florida is "inconceivable" and "incompatible" with facts in 
any part of Florida — has not been sustained by any evidence 
which he has shown, and indeed I have failed to find any geo- 
logical, physiographic, or paleontological features incompatible 
with my general h}'potheses, though these may be modified in 
the future and extended. Indeed they seem necessary for the 
explanation of several features which I gather from Dr. Dall ; 
such as- the filled superficial gullies, the change from the 
W'arm Oligocene to the cold Miocene waters, the Pacific types 
of the ^Miocene of Galveston, problems of the bone beds, etc. 
Then a number of questions we might ask, such as what part 
of the system does the IMiocene sheet of Florida represent? or 
where is the evidence of the earlier warmer epoch of the Mio- 
cene as in Europe, and how are time correlations made with 
the Arctic Pliocene? This case, like others, may serve to show 
that a specialist, however distinguished in his own branch, 
cannot be relied on as an authority beyond the valid evidence 
adduced. 
During the ten years since writing the paper suggesting 
the connection of Cuba with Florida, much additional evidence 
bearing directly and indirectly upon the question has been ob- 
tained, confirming my views. I have also considered in the 
fullest manner the probability of the submarine valleys being 
• Bull. S4, U. S. Geog. Surv., p. 133. 
