Permian Formations of Kansas — Prosser. 143 ' 
Part of this flora has been described by Dr. Sellards^ 
and in the second paper he identifies and describes Tcenwp- 
teris coriacea Goep. which he states : 
"Seems to have been found as yet in only two other localities, 
both Permian, Ottendorf in Bohemia, and Lissitz in Moravia."t 
In 1903 Dr. Keyes published a paper entitled "Some 
recent aspects of the Permian question in America,''" in 
which he objected to certain statements in my article of the 
previous year. His principal objection, apparently, was that 
in giving the ''Classification of the upper Paleozoic forma- 
tions of Kansas" the writer used Cragin's name of Big Blue 
instead of Keyes' term Oklahoman for the lower series of 
the Permian and stated that in Kansas they were identical. 
The following brief history of these two terms will furnish 
a basis for judging whether it was a fair statement or not. 
The term "Big Blue series" was proposed by professor 
Cragin in March, 1896, for the lower Kansas Permian forma- 
tions* which he listed as follows : 
Wellington shales. 
Geuda salt-measures [which later he withdrew in favor of 
the name Marion formation]* 
Chase limestones. 
Neosho shales. t 
Professor Cragin stated that 
"It may be called the Big Blue series, from the Big Blue river, 
which in northern Kansas crosses the somewhat narrowed northern 
extension of its area of outcrop. "t 
The upper Permian formations, popularly termed the 
Red Beds, were named the Cimarron series by professor 
Cragin in the same articled 
In July, 1896, Dr. Keyes proposed "to recognize in the 
'upper' Carboniferous of the western interior province three 
series having equal taxonomic rank," the upper two of 
which in ascending order were named the Missourian and 
Oklahoman.* The top of the Cottonwood limestone was 
f Bull. Univ. Kansas, vol. i. No. 4 (Kan. Univ. Quarterly, vol ix. 
No. 3), 1900, p. 179 and ibid. vol. ii, No. 1, (Kan. Univ. Quart., vol. x H 
No. 1), 1901, p. 1. 
* Loc. cit-, p. 3. 
+ Am. Geol., vol. xxxii. p. 218. 
1 Col. Coll. Studies, vol. vi, March 27, pp. 3, 5, 6. 
* Am. Geol., vol. xviii. Auer.. 189K p. 132. 
i Col. Coll. Studies, vol. vi, p. 3. 
t Ibid., p. 6. 
§ Loc. cit.. np. 3, 18. 48; see additional account in Am. Geol., vol. 
xix, May, 1S97, pp. 351-364. 
* Am. Geol., vol. xviii, p. 25. 
