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Show 93 slight angle to the south and west. Escarpments composed of the upper beds of marl and sandstones extend mostly in east and west lines. The most important of these is, first, an outcrop of sandstone, ten miles west of the bluffs. Here I found characteristic fossils. The trail follows a Canada, or narrow shallow valley, for perhaps forty miles. Branches pass to the right and left between the hills, affording beautiful park- like viows. The drainage of this Eocene plateau from the summits of its eastern escarpment is to the west, reaching the San Juan River by Canon Largo and Cation Amarillo. Along the cafiada, the marls re- appear; their red and gray colors contrasting with alternating beds of sandstone. These sink, and are 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 alternating marls and sandstones form steep hills on each side, of 100 to 300 feet elevation, until about thirty miles west of the Gallina8 bad lands they terminate in bold headlauds, the escarpment of the formation sweeping right and left to the north and to the south. From high, bold hills they drop off in lower terraces, and the general level of the country slopes more rapidly to the west. From this poiut a fine view toward the canons of the San Juan is had over a descending plain studded with irregular hills. A low table- land, perhaps forty miles distant, is deeply notched at two poiut8, 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 ou the maps the Alto del Utah, and is placed at 6,648 feet elevation, although there are more elevated hills nearer to the bad- laud facade of the Gallinas. The entire region is devoid of springs, but covered with grass and good timber. The entire region is a favorite resort for the shepherds, with large flocks from the valley of the Rio Grande, in winter; otherwise, i t 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 young individuals of Spea statfwolis, Cope, with their tadpoles, which had evidently* had but a short time for incubation, metamor- ? hoeis, & c. As usual in this group, the tadpoles attain a large size before changing. 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 country in large numbers. An Account of these is reserved for a special chapter. The following list includes the species of fossil vertebrates discovered in the horizon of the Green River Eocene above described: QUADRUMANA. PELYCODUS, Cope. Pelycodu8 Jarrovii, Cope, Eocene Vertebrata, Geogl. Ex. and Surv. W. of 10th M., 1875, p. 14. Pelycodus frugirorn*. Cope, 1. c , 14. Pelycodus angulatus, Cope, 1. c , 14. PANTOLESTES, Cope. Pantolestes Chacensis, Cope, 1. c , 15. SARCOLEMON, Cope. Sarcolemur men tails, Cope, 1. c , p. 17. Sarcolemur craftsus, Cope, 1. c , p. 17. nYOPSODUs, Leidy. Hyoptodu* mitirulw, Cope, Report on Vertebrata of New Mexico, An. Rept. Chief of Eugrs., p. 596. Hyopsodus f patrfug, Leidy. APIIELISCUS, Cope. Apheliscus ififridiosust Cope, Report on Vertebrata of New Mexico, An. Rept. Chief of Engrs., 1874, p. 602. INCERTJE, SEDIS. OPISTHOTOMUS, Cope. Opisthotonus astutus, Cope, JEocene Vertebrata, Geogl. Ex. and Surv. W. of 100th M., 1875, p. 16. Opisthotomus jtagrans, Cope, 1. c.,. p. 16. |