212 The American Geologist. ^p"'- -^'^^■ 
a compact, close-grained gray granite, gneissoid in its structure, 
and would probably weigh several tons. The other boulder 
which I examined was upon the farm of Mr. John Weitz, one- 
half mile back from the immediate trough of the river in a 
broad opening made in the blufif by Shut-in creek. Its elevation 
is from fifty to sixty feet above high-water mark in the river. 
This was of smaller size, and would weigh about one-half a ton. 
In character it is much like the other, but more distinctly gneis- 
soid in its appearance. 
The other boulders reported are similarly situated with ref- 
erence to the valley, being in the trough of the river. But it is 
worth noting that several of them are of different varieties of 
granite, some of which Dr. Robert Bell recognizes as of Can- 
adian origin. 
To account for these boulders in this relation there are only 
four hypotheses possible : — 
1. That they are from outcrops of granite in the Osage 
valley. But no such outcrops are known, and the ground has 
been so thoroughly explored by members of the State survey 
and by others that the negative evidence is complete. They 
cannot be of local origin. 
2. That ice extended tO' this point forty miles farther south 
than had formerly been supposed. But this supposition is un- 
tenable in view of the carefulness with which the border has 
been examined by a number of geologists. After careful 
search by various members of the Missouri survey and others, 
no signs of glaciation have been found within forty miles of 
this locality. To satisfy myself upon this point I was at the 
pains of surveying the country along the new line of the Rock 
Island R. R. running from St. Louis to Kansas City, and keep- 
ing from thirty to forty miles south of the lower part of the 
Missouri river, crossing the Osage forty-five miles above its 
mouth, or fifteen below Tuscumbia. I have also taken a section 
northwest from Tuscumbia forty miles to California, and a 
smaller one from Bagnall to Jefferson City. 
Of course the failure to find any glacial phenomena over 
this border south of the Missouri is negative evidence, but it is 
so extensive as to be practically conclusive. Besides, it is in the 
highest degree improbable that there should be so many large 
boulders in the limited area of the river vallev about Tuscum- 
