Prosser.| Cretaceous. —Comanche Series of Kansas. 135 
the black Kiowa shales are again well exhibited, the top of the 
Kiowa being from 50 to 60 feet below the general level of the prairie. 
1o the southeast of the head branches of Walker creek, is Elk creek 
around the head of which the line of division between the Tertiary 
and Ikiowa is quite well marked. The top of the shaly Ostrea lime- 
stone of the Kiowa occurs in this creek about 50 feet below the top 
oi the prairie. The large Gryphaea, as well as numerous specimens 
of iron colored stone which are noticed in all these draws, occur at 
about the same stratigraphic position in every case. On the creek 
below are conspicuous outcrops of the black paper-shales which are 
so well exposed in the vicinity of Hell’s Half Acre. Extending from 
the southeastern part of Kiowa county southeasterly for a number 
of miles into western Barber county, is a prominent ridge which 
forms the divide between the Medicine Lodge river and its tribu- 
taries, as the Otter, Walker, Elk, Bear, Dog, Little Bear and Cedar 
creeks, on the north; and Mule creek with the branches of Salt Fork 
on the south. Forming the northern spurs of this divide are the 
Stokes, Belvidere and Blue Cut hills which have been frequently 
mentioned. On these hills are numerous exposures of Cheyenne 
saudstone and Kiowa shales, which here reach their greatest thick- 
ness for the area under consideration. 
From the northeastern part of Comanche county to the south, 
the Comanche series thins rapidly. The rocks composing the 
upper part of the divide and forming all of the high prairic 
to the west belong to the Tertiary. This Tertiary capped 
ridge extends well into the western part of Barber county, 
underlying Deer Head, and continuing some miles farther to the 
southeast. The Comanche series follows the eastern side of this 
divide from the locality at which it is so well developed near the cor- 
ner of Comanche and Kiowa counties, into the western part of Eagle 
township, Barber county. In this township the line of outcrop 
forms a large loop turning again northwesterly and following the 
southwest slope of the divide along the northern side of Mule creek 
uti! within about three miles of Wilmore, where the Comancie 
passes beneath the surface, but may be followed again in an irregu- 
Jar line on the western bluffs of the creek. The outcrop continues 
in this general southerly direction until the head waters of Indian 
