Permian Formations of Kansas — Prosser. 153 
If the plants preliminarily listed above are representative of 
the plant life of the Upper Marion or the Wellington formation, the 
flora of these beds is probably of a date fully as late as the earlier 
of the floras generally referred to the Permian in western Europe. 
In any event a flora containing these species can hardly be older 
than the topmost Carboniferous, or transitional from the Upper 
Carboniferous to the Permian."* 
The last published paper of the late Dr. Charles E. 
Beecher entitled a "Note on a New Permian Xiphosuran 
from Kansas" appeared in July, 1904, the horizon of which 
was given as the Fort Riley limestone (which occurs in the 
upper half of the Chase stage) and was unhesitatingly cor- 
related with the lower Permian. t 
In 1902 the writer stated: 
"It is probable, however, that the U. S. Geological Survey will 
retain the name Permian, but will classify it as the last series of 
the Carboniferous system." 
This is now the official position of the U. S. Geological 
Survey. The rules of the survey relating to "Nomencla- 
ture and' Classification for the Geologic Atlas of the United 
States" were revised during 1902 and 1903 and under the 
subheading of "Correlation and grouping of sedimentary 
formations" Rule No. 22 states that : 
"The following series are now recognized as applicable to North 
America; * * * in the Carboniferous, Permian, Pennsylvanian, 
and Mississippian."* 
In numerous recent official reports and papers of the 
U. S. Geological Survey the upper Paleozoic deposits of the 
Great Plains are described under the name of the Permian 
series of the Carboniferous system or period. In fact it 
now apparently regards the Waynesburg sandstone at the 
base of the Dunkard formation as of Permian age, since 
it is so given without question by Mr. Marius R. Campbell 
in the "Columnar Section" of the Latrobe Folio.* It is aiso 
important to note that in nearly all the recent official state 
and territorial reports, the formations of the general age of 
those under discussion are described under the name of 
Permian and classified either as the youngest series of the 
Carboniferous system or the last system of the Paleozoic. 
* U. S. Geol. Surv., Bull. No. 211, p. 117. 
t Am. Jour. Sci., 4th ser., vol. xviii, p. 24. 
t Jour. Geol., vol. x, p. 728. 
♦Twenty-fourth An. Rent., Director V. S. Geol. Surv., 1903, p. 27. 
* Geol. Atlas of the IT. S., Folio No. 110, 1904. 
