OF THE UPPER MISSOURI. 
47 
nearly on a level with the surface of the bottom prairie in the Kansas valley. These beds 
clip a little to the northwest, and are very similar, especially the magnesian limestones, to 
some of the Permian strata holding a position far above this in the series, some consider¬ 
able distance west of here. Only about three miles further west we saw the following 
exposure on Vermilion creek: 
Feet. 
1. Slope of about fifteen feet, with near the base some ledges of gray limestone, amongst loose fragments of 
which we picked up specimens of Spirigera subtilita , Spirlfer hcmiplicata , Productus Norwood ii, and 
P. splendens ? ................ 
2. Slope, no rock seen, ................ 
3. Soft bluish and gray more or less laminated clays, with irregular sandy seams and concretions, 
4. Irregular hard blue calcareous seam one to six inches, .......... 
5. Blue clay, ................. 
G. Soft decomposing more or less laminated sandstone, .......... 
7. Blue clay one foot above the creek, ............. 
15 
26 
12 
1 
2 
4 
1 
Almost directly opposite these localities, on the south side of the Kansas, some three or 
four miles back from the river, and nearly on a line between the locality where we saw 
the exposures on “ Last creek” and Buffalo mound, but considerably below the level of 
the summit of the latter, we examined some exposures presenting beneath a slope of about 
eighty feet, in descending order : 
Feet. 
1. Hard bluish gray limestone, of which there was exposed ......... 1 
2. Rough yellowish magnesian limestone with cavities lined with chalcedony, ...... 3 
3. Bluish and ash-colored clays, ............ 5 
4. Layer much like No. 2, ............... 1 
5. Yellowish green clay, ............... 20 
6. Bluish gray limestone in two layers, the upper of which contains columns of Crinoids, Productus CaJ- 
hounianus , &e., while Myalina subquadrata, Orthisina Missouriensis, Allorisma, Pinna, Monotis, &c., 
occur in the lower, ............... 3 
7. Bluish and ash-colored clays, exposing a thickness of .......... 5 
The bed No. 6 of this section is evidently the same as No. 2 of the section at Buffalo 
mound (page 12), though here the dip of the strata has brought it lower. Its elevation 
above the Kansas at Buffalo mound must be about two hundred and fifty feet. We had 
■no means of estimating very accurately its elevation where the last section was taken, 
though we do not think it as much as one hundred and seventy-five feet above the Kansas. 
Ten miles farther west, on the same side of the river, along a small stream marked 
“ Deep creek” on the maps, at a point some four or five miles back from the Kansas, and 
elevated perhaps as much as forty feet above it, some outcrops were examined near Zean- 
dale, presenting the following section, descending: 
