THE EUGENE PLATEAU. 
19 
sink, and 4re followed by a soft, yellow sandstone, which forms the face of 
the Gabilan Hill, eighteen miles west of the bad-lands. Other bad-lands 
appear beyond; the sandstone resting on them. For many miles, the alter¬ 
nating marls and sandstones form steep hills on each side, of 100 to 300 feet 
elevation, until about thirty miles west of the Gallinas bad-lands they ter¬ 
minate in bold headlands, the escarpment of the formation sweeping right 
and left to the north and south. From high, bold hills, they drop off in 
lower terraces, and the general level of the country slopes off rapidly to the 
west. From this point, a fine view toward the canons of the San Juan is 
had over a descending plain studded with irregular hills. A low tableland, 
perhaps forty miles distant, is deeply notched at two points, which my guide, 
who is familiar with the region, termed the Puertas, or Gates of the Canons 
Largo and Amarillo, with the Mesa de Chaco to the left. The point on 
which we camped is termed on the maps the Alto del Utah, and is placed 
at 6,648 feet elevation, although there are more elevated hills nearer to the 
bad-land facade of the Gallinas. The entire region is devoid of springs, 
but is covered with grass and good timber. The country is, therefore, a 
favorite resort for the shepherds, with large flocks, from the valley of the Rio 
Grande, in winter; otherwise, it is without resident inhabitants. Myself 
and guide depended on pools of water of a rain which had fallen a week or 
more previously, and found it palatable, although muddy. In several of 
them, I found yomig individuals of Spea stagnalis, Cope, with their tadpoles, 
which had evidently but a short time for incubation, metamorphosis, &c. 
As usual in this group, the tadpoles attain a large size before changing. I 
found also, on a number of the bad-land hills, as far as the Alto del Utah, 
pottery of the ancient people who appear to have once inhabited this coun¬ 
try in large numbers. An account of these has been given a special chapter 
of the annual report. 
In review, I give the following section of the Eocene rocks of the re¬ 
gion west of the Sierra Madre: 
Feet. 
Eed and gray marls, Wahsatch group. 1,500 
Sandstone, Wahsatch group. 1, OOO 
Green and black marls, Pnerco group. 500 
Total .. 3,000 
