Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1876-12-21
SCIENTIFIC EXPLORATION.
Prof e. ID. COpe's Last Expedition.

Prof. Cope has recently returned u Phila-
delphia from the upper Missouri region,
where he conducted geological exploration
during several months past. tie lett Fort
Benton, Montana, August 22d, with party
consisting of four men besides himself. Pro-
vided with rations for sixty days, seven
horses, four horse wagon and general Out
tit, they took the prairie trail OH the north
side OF the Missouri river, which leads
towards the Bear Paw Mountains, and eA-
tends 14O miles to Cow Island. They left
the road 60 miles below Benton, and reached
the Missouri river opposite the mouth of the
Judith river, where stands a trading station:
called Fort Claggett. On the way The party
met with Gros Nentre Indians, and at Clag-
gett the main camp OF River Crows, with
some Peigans, together over l.OOO souls.
The River Grows are tine-lOoklng men, the
Professor becoming acquainted with many
Of them, including their chiets-Two-Belly,
Horse-Guard, and others.
The party found the fossiliferous fresh
water beds of disputed age, which Prof. Cope
wished to explore first on the north side Ut
the Missouri. and made some valuable collec-
tions. Their next camp was on the Judith
river. three miles south OF It's mouth. They
afterwards returned and ascendcd Dog creek,
and camp,d at different points along its
course, making collections. Prof. Cope then
10Th to 1Sth) took his guide and pack-horse
with some provisions, and explored the
geology for fifty miles southeast, in order TO
1ind new collecting ground. He then returned
to Cow Island, on the north side Of the Mis-
souri, river, and sent his guide back TO bring
on the party Meanwhile, he occupied HIM
self in digging out the skeleton OF large
herbivorOus land saurian, allied to hardrosau-
rus. of which he sent description to the
Academy of Natural Sciences under the
name of monoclOnius crassus. tie then met
his party on the plain south OF the river, and
collected at various points. They subst-
uuently explored the river with good results
tor some distance southeast OF Cow Island.
The steamer Josephine, passed the party
while encamped on the river on the slxth.
On the seventh Prof. Cope loaded his fossils
on a nat boat which he had purchased and
hauled them up, u la canal-boat, to Cow
Island with his horses, and shipped them in
good order. He left the expedition in charge
of one of his assistants, and took passage
aboard the Josephine.
The party was successful! in collecting
and have made many interesting notes IN
zoology, paleontology, and geology. The
fossils confirm the position that Prof. Cope
had taken, that the disputed beds Of that
region are of cretaceous and not ct tertiary
age They had no trouble from the Sioux,
although they trenched on the western bor-
der of their domain, exploring region which
their maraudlng parties traverse almost every
season on their way to attack the Crows. the
whites, ETC. The region was safe this year
on account of the presence of the warriors
in the region Of the Big Horn, etc. The
party encountered an abundance OF game
buffalo, deer, antelope and big-horn were
plentiful, and on one day Prof. Cope met
four grizzly bears.
Prof, Cope procured skins and skeletons
Of buffalo, antelope, big-hort, bear, wolver.
inc, panther, etc, and collected fishes and
reptiles.
The fossil vertebrates were mostly rep
tiles. which included not less than IS species
of herbivorous and carnivorous land saurians.
1t was the period when the reptiles attained
highest development Prof. Cope also dis
covered various reptiles in the marine Gre
taceous which underlies the beds he especially
examined. The fossil bones procured amount
to at least three tons weight. Philadelphia
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