bined, all the twelve varieties, with two or three exceptions, come very closely under the general formula M203,-M standing for all the metals (iron, titanium, manganese and magnesium) present. The following table shows that the coincidence for the varieties analyzed is quite remarkable -all but three or four giving almost exactly the ratio 1:1.5=2:3. The formula M203 appears to express the true nature of the compound. 2. Kaba-Delreczin Meteorite.-On the 15th of April, 1857, at 10h P. M., a meteorite fell near Kaba in the vicinity of Delreczin in Hungary, and is now in a public Cabinet at that place. It is named the KabaDelreczin meteorite. Its weight before being broken was 7 pounds; but is now reduced to 5 pounds. It has not been analyzed. 3. Ohaba Meteorite.-On the 10th of October, 1857, some time after midnight there was a fall of a meteorite in the commune of Ohaba, east of Carlsburg. It is pyramidal in form, 14 inches in height, and weighs 29 pounds. Specific gravity according to Dr. Grailich, 3-1103. It contains, according to Dr. Birkeisen: The specimen is in the Hof. Mineral Cabinet of Vienna. 4. Geological Explorations in Kansas Territory; by F. B. MEEK and F. V. HAYDEN, (Proc. Acad. Nat. Sci. Philad., Jan. 1859).-This paper gives the results of the most extensive explorations of the Kansas rocks that have yet been made. They were undertaken last summer by Messrs. Meek and Hayden, and were carried forward with their well-known care and ability. The paper includes details respecting the Permian and Carboniferous rocks, their order of succession and characteristic fossils, and closes with descriptions of a considerable number of species. We cite a few pages giving a general section of the series, with their remarks upon the strata. "As our examinations along the Kansas and Smoky Hill rivers above this point were made in more detail, where the outcrops were more frequent and continuous, we have, as we believe, been able to trace out the connections and order of succession of the various strata with considerable accuracy. Hence, we give below a general section of the rocks in this region, commencing with the Cretaceous sandstones on the summits of the Smoky Hills, lat. 38° 30' N., long. 98° W., and descending through the various intermediate formations seen along the Smoky Hill and Kansas rivers, to the base of the bluff already mentioned, opposite the mouth of Big Blue river, on the Kansas. It is true, there are a few gaps in this section, where we were unable to see the beds along some of the slopes, but as we know the position in the series, as well as the extent of these gaps, it will be easy to determine, when a greater number of exposures have been examined, the nature of the beds occupying them. General section of the Rocks of Kansas Valley from the Cretaceous down, so as to include portions of the upper Coal measures. 1. Red, brown, and yellowish, rather coarse-grained sandstone, often obliquely laminated, and containing many ferruginous concretions; also, fossil wood and many leaves of dicotyledonous trees, some of which belong to existing genera, and others to genera peculiar to the Cretaceous epoch. Locality, summit of Smoky Hills....... 2. Whitish, very fine grained argillaceous sandstone, underlaid by bluish purple and ash colored clays. Locality same as preceding.... 3. Long, gentle slope, with occasional outcrops of ash-colored red, blue, and whitish, more or less laminated clays, with thin beds of sandstone. Locality same as preceding, and extending down at places nearly or quite to the bluffs of Smoky Hill river; thickness about.. Feet. 60 15 200 4. Red sandstone, with some layers of hard, light gray calcareous, do., and both containing ferruginous concretions. Locality, bluffs Smoky Hill river, five or six miles above Grand Saline river. Probably local, thickness seen about.. 15 5. Bluish, red, light yellow, and gray clays, and soft claystones, with sometimes a few thin layers of magnesian limestone. In many places these clays have been traversed in every direction by cracks, into which calcareous and argillaceous matter have found their way, and subsequently become consolidated so as to form thin seams of impure yellowish limestone, which cross and intersect each other at every angle. The red clays are usually less distinctly laminated, contain more arenaceous matter, and often show ripple marks on the surfaces. Locality, bluffs along Smoky Hill river, above the mouth of the Grand Saline... 6. Light gray, ash-colored, and red clays, sometimes arenaceous, and often traversed by cracks, filled with calcareous matter as in the bed above,―alternating with thin layers and seams of gypsum. Locality, near mouth of Smoky Hill river.... 7. Rather compact amorphous white gypsum, with near the base disseminated crystals, dark colored do. Locality same as last... 60 40 .4 to 5 8. Alternations of ash-colored, more or less arenaceous clays, with thin beds and seams of gypsum above; towards lower part, thin layers of claystone, and at some places soft magnesian limestone. Locality same as last... 9. Rough conglomerated mass, composed of fragments magnesian limestone and sandstone, with sometimes a few quartz pebbles, cemented by calcareous and arenaceous matter; variable in the thickness and probably local. Locality, south side of Smoky Hill river, ten or twelve miles below Solomon's Fork...seen 10. Bluish, light gray, and red laminated clays, with seams and beds of yellowish magnesian limestone, containing Monotis Hawni, Myalina perattenuata, Pleurophorus? subcuneatus, Edmondia? Calhouni, Pecten undet., and Spirigera near S. subtilita; also Nautilus eccentricus, Bakevellia parva, Leda subscitula, Axinus rotundatus, and undetermined species of Bellerophon, Murchisonia, &c. Locality, near Smoky Hill river, on high country south of Fort Riley, as well as on Cottonwood creek.. 50 18 90 11. Light grayish and yellow magnesian limestone, in layers and beds sometimes alternating with bluish and other colored clays, and containing Solemya, a Myalina near M. squamosa, Pleurophorus? subcuneatus, Bakevellia parva, Pecten undt., and a Euomphalus near E. rugosus; also, a Spirigera allied to S. subtilita, but more gibbous, Orthisina umbraculum? O. Shumardiana, &c. Locality, summit of the hills, near Fort Riley and above there; also seen on Cottonwood creek.. 25 to 35 12. Light grayish yellow, rather granular magnesian limestone, containing spines and plates of Archaeocidaris; a few fragments of small Crinoid columns, Spirifer similar to S. lineatus, but perhaps distinct; also same Spirigera seen in beds above, Orthisina Shumardiana, O. umbraculum? and Productus Calhounianus. Forms distinct horizon near summit of hills in vicinity of Fort Riley, also seen on Cottonwood creek.. 13. Soft argillo-calcareous beds, apparently local. Kansas Falls. SECOND SERIES, VOL. XXVII, No. 81.-MAY, 1859. ..7 to 8 5 Feel 14. Light grayish and yellowish magnesian limestone, containing many concretions of flint, also the same Spirigera found in beds above, and Productus Norwoodi, P. Calhounianus, with Discina tenuilineata, and an undetermined Monotis. Fort Riley and below; also at Kansas Falls and on Cottonwood creek. 38 15. Alternations, bluish, yellowish and brown clays, with a few thin seams of limestone. Fort Riley, Kansas Falls; also below Fort Riley, and on Cottonwood creek.... 16. Light yellowish magnesian limestone, containing fucoidal markings, fragments of small Crinoid columns, Pecten, Allorisma, Spirigera, Orthisina umbraculum? O. Shumardiana, Discina tenuilineata, &c. Lower quarry at Fort Riley, and at other places above and below Fort R., as well as on Cottonwood creek. .4 to 17. Alternations of blue, red, and light gray clays, with sometimes thin layers and seams of magnesian limestone. Fort Riley.. 85 28 18. Light gray and whitish magnesian limestone containing Spirigera, Orthisina umbraculum? O. Shumardiana, Productus Calhounianus, Acanthocladia Americana, and undt. sp. Cyathocrinus. Lower part containing many concretions of flint. Fort Riley and on Cottonwood creek. Whole thickness about.. 40 19. Brown, green, and very light gray clays, alternating; contains near the upper part fragments of Crinoid columns, Synocladia biserialis, spirigera, Productus Norwoodi. Chonetes mucronata, Orthisina Shumardiana, Orthisina umbraculum, &c., with teeth of Petalodus Alleghaniensis. Fort Riley.......... 14 20. Alternations of rather thin layers light yellowish magnesian limestone, and various colored clays; the limestone layers containing Monotis, Synocladia biserialis, &c. Locality same as last. 21. Slope, no rocks seen. Below Fort Riley. 22. Whitish, or very light gray magnesian limestone, rendered porous by cavities left by the weathering out of numerous Fusulina. This is the highest horizon at which any remains of Fusulina were met with. Some four miles below Fort Riley, along a creek on the south side of the Kansas, and apparently not more than ten feet above it...... 23. Bluish, light gray, and brown clays, with occasional layers of magnesian limestone. Chonetes mucronata, Orthisina umbraculum? Monotis, Fusulina, &c. Ten miles below Fort Riley. 24. Hard, very light yellowish gray magnesian limestone, with Fusulina, and spines of Archeocidaris. Forms a marked horizon near the same locality as last. 25. Slope, with occasional exposures, thin layers of Fusulina limestone, and seams of gray limestone containing Myalina, Monotis, Pecten, and fragments of Synocladia biserialis. Near same locality as last... 26. Light gray argillaceous limestone, showing on weathered surfaces a somewhat laminated structure; contains large spines of Archæocidaris. Near Ogden Ferry, and Manhattan.... 27. Gray limestone, often fragmentary, with much clay above; lower part hard, and more or less cellular in middle. Locality, same as last... 28. Whitish clays and claystones, with a thin layer of hard compact gray limestone near the middle. Locality same as last... 29. Light greenish indurated clays. Same locality.. 83 25 85 5 10 8 30. Hard, heavy bedded, white argillaceous limestone, containing Monotis and Avicula. Ogden Ferry, and below there..... 31. Very thinly laminated dark green shale. Three miles nearly east of Ogden Ferry, on McDowell's creek; also at Manhattan, on the Kansas... 32. Light greenish and flesh-colored hard argillaceous limestone, with Spirifer cameratus. This is the highest horizon at which we found this species. Same localities.... 33. Alternations of bluish, green and red more or less calcareous laminated clays, light gray limestones and claystones, with Pecten, Monotis, and fragments of Crinoid columns. Same localities... 34. Alternations bluish, purple, and ash colored calcareous clays, passing at places into claystones, and containing in a thin bed near the middle, Spirifer planoconvexa, Spirigera subtilita, Productus splendens? Rhynchonella Uta, &c. Locality same as preceding..... 1 12 35. Blue, light gray, and greenish clays, with occasional harder seams and layers of claystone and limestone. Same locality... 36. Somewhat laminated claystone of light gray color, with more or less calc spar near lower part. Manhattan... 87. Alternations of dark gray and blue, soft decomposing argillaceous limestone, with dark laminated clays, or soft shale, containing great quantities of Fusulina cylindrica, F. cylindrica var. ventricosa, Discina Manhattanensis, Chatetes, and fragments Crinoids; also, Chonetes Verneuiliana, C. mucronata, Productus splendens? Retzia Mormonii, Rhynchonella Uta, Spirigera subtilita, Spirifer cameratus, S. planoconverus, Eumphalus near E. rugosus, and Synocladia biserialis; also Cladodus occidentalis. Locality, same as last....... 38. Soft bluish shale, with yellow laminated arenaceous seams below, containing fucoidal markings. Same locality... 39. Two layers gray argillo-calcareous rock, separated by two feet of dark green and ash-colored clays. The calcareous beds contain fragments of Crinoids, Chonetes, and Myalina in undt. species. Same locality as last..... Feet. 83 19 18 25 4} 40. Light greenish, yellow, and gray clays and claystones, extending down nearly to high water mark of the Kansas, opposite the mouth of Blue River... 27 The foregoing general section of the strata seen along the valley of Kansas and Smoky Hill rivers, from the mouth of Blue river to the 98th degree of west longitude, is presented in its present form more with a view of illustrating the vertical range of the organic remains found in these rocks, than as an attempt to group the beds into formations that may be expected to preserve their distinctive lithological characters throughout areas of any great extent. As this has necessarily been done from a knowledge of only a portion of the fossils characterizing these strata, it is quite probable, when more extensive collections are obtained, that it may be found necessary even on this principle, to classify and group the beds somewhat differently. We are also aware that some of these beds probably increase or diminish greatly in thickness, or may even entirely thin out, at no very great distances from the localities where we saw them. * * * It will be observed we have in this general section, without attempt ing to draw lines between the systems or great primary divisions, presented in regular succession the various beds with the fossils found in each, from the Cretaceous sandstone on the summits of the Smoky Hills, down through several hundred feet of intermediate doubtful strata, so as to include the beds containing Permian types of fossils, and a considerable thickness of rocks in which we find great numbers of upper coalmeasure forms. We have preferred to give the section in this form because, in the first place, the upper coal measures of this region pass by so imperceptible gradations into the Permian above, that it is very difficult to determine, with our present information, at what particular horizon we should draw the line between them, while on the other hand, it is equally difficult to define the limits between the Permian and beds above, in which we found no fossils. Beginning near the base of this section, we find we have in great numbers the following well known and widely distributed coal-measure fossils, viz., Fusulina cylindrica,* Chonetes Verneuiliana, Productus splen * In Russia, Fusulina cylindrica is said to occur only in the upper part of the lower Carboniferous series; but the fossil generally referred to that species in this country, appears to be confined to the coal measures. We have some doubts in regard to the identity with the Russian species. dens, (or a closely allied species,) Retzia Mormmii, Rhynchonella Uta, Spirigera subtilita, Spirifer cameratus, S. planoconvexus, and a Euom phalus similar to E. rugosus of the coal measures, while the few new and undetermined species associated with these, are, for the most part, also decidedly more nearly allied to Carboniferous than Permian forms. We should here remark, however, that we occasionally met with a species of Monotis, allied to the Permian species M. speluncaria and Synocladia biserialis, (also regarded in the old world as a Permian genus,) at horizons far beneath the base of this section, between Manhattan and the Missouri. We even found a single specimen of this Monotis as low down as bed No. 9, of the section taken near the landing at Leavenworth City, which must occupy a position several hundred feet below the lowest beds of the above section. Still as this shell is very rare in the lower rocks, and the Synocladia is a distinct species from the well known Permian form of the old world, while they are both, at these horizons, associated with great numbers of the common well-known coal-measure species, we can only regard their presence in these beds as establishing the existence of these genera at an earlier period in this country, than in the old world. This, it seems to us, is more philosophical than it would be to place all this great thickness of strata, with their vast numbers of well known coal-measure species, in the Permian, merely because we also find with these occasionally a few forms which would in the old world be regarded as characteristic of the Permian epoch. Taking it for granted then, that we have carried this section down far enough to include, not only all the beds containing almost exclusively Permian forms, but a considerable portion of the upper coal measures, it will be interesting to notice, as we ascend in the series, how far each of the coal-measure species mentioned in the lower part of the section, as well as of a few others that occur above and below, range upwards. Thus we see that Fusulina cylindrica var. ventricosa, Chonetes Verneuiliana, and Retzia Mormonii were not met with above division No. 37; while Spirifer planoconvexus, Productus splendens? and Rhynchonella Uta, were not observed above 34, nor Spirifer cameratus above 32. Fusulina cylindrica, of the slender variety so common in the coal measures of Kansas and Missouri, was not seen above 22; nor was any species or variety of that genus observed above this horizon. Apparently the same species of Monotis, mentioned at various horizons far beneath, were occasionally met with in 30, 25, 23, and 20, generally associated with the same species of Synocladia, ranging far down into the upper coal measures. In division No. 19, we again met with the Synocladia biserialis, and a Spirigera allied to S. subtilita, if not identical, along with a new species of Chonetes we have called C. mucronata, which ranges down into the beds near the base of the section. Along with these were also Productus Norwoodi and Orthisina Shumardiana, both of which are common in the coal measures far below, and a large Orthisina similar to O. umbraculum, but apparently more finely striate. Ascending through the intermediate beds to No. 12, we continue to meet with nearly all the species mentioned in 19, with the exception of Chonetes mucronata. We also have, first in 18, a large species of Pro |