152 The American Geologist 
September, 1905 
The Rothliegende is the older division of the Permian 
of western Europe, which is found typically in Germany. 
The Artinsk stage in Russia is referred by the eminent Rus- 
sian geologist Dr. Tschernyschew to the Permo-Carboni- 
ferous ; but by Dr. Freeh and many other European geolo- 
gists it is considered as lower Permian. A number of 
European geologists have accepted Permian as the age of 
the Dunkard formation and Dr. Freeh states that the Dun- 
kard creek beds and Cassville plant shale, the latter of 
which is the shale at the base of the Dunkard formation im- 
mediately overlying the Waynesburg coal, are the equiva- 
lent of the Cusel stage, which is the oldest division of the 
Lower Rothliegende of Germany. And in another sentence 
is the statement that the petrographical and paleontological 
similarity of the Dunkard with the Rothliegende of western 
Europe is therefore beyond doubt.* Dr. Kayser also puts 
the Dunkard in the Permian and he has made the following 
statement concerning its age : 
In the United States we find in the east (Virginia, Pennsyl- 
vania, etc.) in conformable layers upon the Upper Carboniferous the 
so-called Barren Measures with Callipteris conferta, Taeniopteris 
and other Permian characteristic forms together with typical Car- 
boniferous plants as representative of the Permian.* 
The youngest of the Kansas floras discussed by Dr. 
David White is that from Dickinson county which he states 
Dr. Sellards gives 
"As coming either from the topmost beds of the Marion forma- 
tion or possibly from the base of the Wellington formation." 
Dr. White's conclusions are as follows: 
"I have not had an opportunity to examine the remaining ma- 
terial at the State Univeisity [of Kansas], but if the composition of 
the entire flora proves to be of so young a character as the material 
described or placed in my hands by Mr. Sellards, his conclusion 
that the beds are of so late date as the Lower Permian will appear 
to be fully justified. I am not informed whether any of the gym- 
nospermic species so important in, and so typically characteristic 
of, the Permian of Europe or Prince Edward island are present 
in Kansas. However, such pteridophytic material as has come to 
me for examination is more nearly typical and characteristic of the 
Permian than any flora that I have yet seen from another forma- 
tion in the United States. 
;■ Lethaea geognostiea, Tli. i, Lethaea palaeozoica, Bd. '1. Lief. 3, 
L901, p. 54<5. 
* l^ehrbuch d. geol. Formationskunde, 2d ed., 1902, p. 264. 
