OCR Text |
Show [ 174 J 310 This fossil apparently exists in great nnmbers, as in the specimens examined there were individual~ iu all st~ge.s of growth, though mostly broken or sC'paratetl valves. The same spe.clCs vyas col1ected by the late l\1r. Nicollet ncar the Great Bend of the M1ssotll'L Localit,y, Smoky Hilt river, lougitncle _DS0 , latitude 38°, in yellowish and gray limestone or tlw cretaceous for.n1attOil. . 25. lNocJ~ HAMus ? Pl. 4, ftg. 2. (No. 42 of collectwn.) Compare Inoceraunrs involntus, . ow. lVT in. Con., tab. 583. DesC7'iption.-Setnicircular; fmrfacc flat, with tlte margiu ddlccted. marked by strong, regular concentric riJ go~, whiclt become attenuated 0~ either side, nnd arc nearly obsolete towards tllc beak; beak of 011c valve small, not elevated; hinge line 11early rertan.gnlar.. The strong couccntric ridges distingni~h llus fos:.;tl from any other species. The specimcu ftgurcu is probably the f~at v~tlve, as. a fragment of a Iaro-e and much more convex valve accontp~llll'S Llns one, from the same locality. The shell, partic11larly towarus the tll[~rgin, i ~ very tltick a~Hl fi.brous .. Locality, uear the eastern slope of the. Rocky mouttlalll~ , 111 lougttnclc 105°, latitude 30°, in light yellowish-gray hmcstouc, probably of the cretaceous fonnatiou . NoTE.-Thc specimens figurecl ou plate III, Nos. 1, 2, 1, 5, anu G, !Javc the appearance of iluviatile shelL, a11tl woul<l llu ve bee11 so re~ardcd but for the occurrcuce of fig. 3, which appears to be a Nucula, anu fig. 7, in the same associatiou, the S<.;ulptnring or which is uulike any of tho l\1ebnia known to me. It is not improbable, however, that this 1nay 1 rove a freshwater deposito of vast interest, ns it appears to be of great extent, and occurs at u great clevat ion. The re earcl1cs of Capt. Fr6mon l, in !tis future explorations, will doubtless set this <1 uestion at rest, by a larger collection of fossils from tl:}e . ame rc o·ion. 311 c. '"\O'I'E CONC.:EHNING 'I'HF. PLANT~ COLLE CTED lN TlTl~ . 'ECOI';D EXPEJH' l'TON (>to' CAPTAIN FHJ~MON'l'. When Captnin Fremont fH'l Ollt on his fH'<'Oil(l expedition, he was well providt•d with puper :lllc othrr mean~; for mnki ng c•x t('ll tli Vl' hol1lll icnl col kdions; and it was und1•rsl nod thnt, 011 his rei Ul n, we ~hould, C'onjointly, prq>nrt' a fnll acrotutt. of' hiH pla11 tH, to IH' appc•ntkrl to hi:; n'port. Ahnut 1,400 specie:; were collected, IIHlllJ of them in wgious not IH'fim· e>.plort•d hy any botanist. In consequcnct', howrvor, of the great kugth of the journey, uttd tlw li\111Wrous ac<·idc11 ts tl) wbif·h the party were l"posc•d, hut t'Hpt~riully owinl.{ to llw dn•aMul flood of tlw KunsaH, which tlelu~ed the ltordcn! of the Missouri o.nd MiHsis:-~ippi rivers, lllOl'l' than hnlf of hi~o~ sprci!IH'lls were rttitwd b fore he rc.trhrd the hordl•rs of eivilizatio11. Ev<' Jt tiH' portion ~o~nv<'u wm; grrutly dm11ap;c<l; so that, in many instances, it has h<'l'll <'Xltcnwly difli(•ttlt to determine thC' plants. A"' there was tint HttfHriPnt time before the publinltion or Captain l"remollt'H r<'port J(>r tho prop<'l' :--ludy oftltr l'<'lllt\LJI~ of hi~ collcrlion, it has lH'cn lle<'mcd adviRahl<' to rcsrrv<' tlu• grouter purl of fhc·m to i11corporntc will the plant:; which we cxpe<'t h\• will llrin~ with him on r<•turning fi·mn ltiH thirtl t'xpctlition, upon which he has just l'lel out. Thr loss HUstaincd by Captain Frt'•mon t, a11d, I may say, by th<' hotnniral \\ oriel, will, we trust, )I(' partly made Uj> the }JI'l'Sl'lll and ll('XI H('[lHOllS, as lllUCh of' t!Jc• SnlllC C'tlUIIII'J will IJC JlUHA('d 0\'f'T again, and som<· new rcgionn c>.plorf'cl. A rrang<'lltf'Jlts have ahm h('(•n madl', by which th<' llotanicul rollcctions will be pre ·erv<'d, at lcust from the d<•structivc cflccts of wnl!•r; and a Jl<'n;on acCOIIIJl:lnii'H the expedition, who is to mnkl' drawings of all the most itttc·rc•sting pla11ts. Particular attention will br given to the forest ln'I!H nnd tit(' veg<•tahle productions tltal an' \l ~l'fu l in the urt:;, or that nrC' employed for food or medici lit'. JOIJN 'J'ORHEY. Descriptions £~/'some new gcnt·?·a and species r~j' plants, collectrd in Captain J. 0. Frf-mont's e.?']Jio·rin{j' e:rperLi!ion to Orrrron uud j\lo?'th G'atifunlia, in the years 1 8'13-',J•l : fly .Juhn 1'or·rey and J. C'. J??·emonl. Cuwl\fBLLA (?) owrusn'OLTA. 'f(rrr. awl Frhn. Branchi11g from the base, awl diffn~u; lcaflt..~ts cutwate-ohovate, obtus0 } tyle filiform . . Annual, stem smooth, the br~ndlC · ~ prcading, about a spau loll a, hairy Ill the axils. Leaves, or pet iol us, au iuch or nwrc in lcugt!J; the lamina o( the leailets '1-6line~ long, apiculate with a dcciduou. bri~tle n~arly sl.rlOoth above, sparsely strigo~c nudcrn 'rttlt. Potlicels solitary aucl axillary, 111 the upper part of 1 he branches, longer than tlJC pt~l iolc ·. Calyx nlllcll hortel than the corolla; the sepals lacerate] y 3-5 tootlteu. Petals yc !low, obl~nglanceolate, obtuso, abont 3 li11cs iu le1tgth. StanlCllS G, unequal, a lJttlo 0ex serted; anthers linear-oblowr recurvcd when old. Torus hemisphericaL h' vary on a lo11g sl 'Jld r ~tipo, obovatc; sty!<.; Jouger tlmn tlte ovary .. On the American fork of thu Sn.crarncnto river; lVIarch. The spectmens are not in fruit , so that we canuot be certain as to the gcuns; ulll it seems to he a CleonwUa. .. |