The Dallas daily herald. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1873-1887, 1881-09-08
GEOLOGY OF NonvuwEsTERN
TExAs

Tho Interview with Professor Cum-
mins-A Description of the sse0iog-
zeal formation In that Section.
Professor w. II. Cummins, OF this city,
who has been making geological exsm'ns-
ton Of the Permian Formation lying in the
counties northwest Of Clay and Young, in
This state, and who has just returned TO the
city, was interviewed yesterday by repor-
ter of the HERALD and asked 10 tell all he
knew about that part of the state. The pro-
lessor expressed q willingness to answer any
questions that might be asked him In regard
10 tho country, as 10 its resources, minerals
agricultural purposes, and as grazing
country or any other Information that would |
likely be of interest to our readers. With the
privilege Of asking questions, the reporter
said:
Rsporter-PrOfessor, what 10 the object OF
the survey and collections you have been
making'
l am employed by Professor 4. d. Cope,
of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to collect
fossils in the Ptrmian Formation in this state
to DO used by him in the study OF natural
history Heretofore very little mas been
known of tho Pormisn Ia America, and ~
late "a 1877 no veriibrates were known 10
scenco. The school books gave very little
information about the Permian, because
nothing WAS known. Whom Professor Cope
learned that there we're fossils to be fouad in
hat 10 uait In nj nm.
ployed the late Professor jas
cob Boil, of this city, TO
make collections Tor him. and since the
death of Professor Boil / have boon
continuing the collections commenced
by him. The facts furnished by our collec
tions will BIO used TO further develop the
science ofgoology, and hereafter the school
booke published will have sufficient data to
fully Illustrate the progress of life during the
Permian age. The object of the collections
are 10 furnish facts TO science
Repor,er-What success havs you had in
collecting fossilsY
Very fine; much beyond my most sanguine
expectations Prof. Cope wrote to me res
Gently that the fauna was truly wonderful.
We never hoped TO find more than half
dozen new species 10 making tho entire col
lection. Up to the first Of last February,
when the lust list Of Perman fossils was
published, we had more than forty species of
vertebra!es heretofore unknown to science
tit TO which now names had to BIO given.
Since tho publication Of the list in February
last, have collected aud shipped 10 Prof.
Cope ton boxes OF fossils, each of them con-
tanning several species not mentioned in the
previous list In the collections made in the
foreign Permian the specimens were often
confined TO singular number of each specioa,
while hero each species has furnished quite q
number OF specimens and some Of the species
are quito abundant
Rsporter-Of what kind of animals do you
find fossilsi
Fishes, reptiles and smphibiaps During
the Permian age there wore no land animals
and no birds. The sea abounded in fishes
and tho marshes, lagoons and sea shores were
inhabited by numerous reptiles, and the
croaking Of tho frogs along THO margins of
the streams were heard on every hand, but
II was no. until the after age of the world that
animals Of any kind roamed over
the plains and through the forests.
The Hshcs we're much like the gars of
the present age and were prepared TO defend
themselves agsinsl their enemies as we'll as
p prey upon other speeies which furnished
them food. They are csrtilsglnous, and are
known by the teeth us the other parts Of tho
animal easily decsyed, while tho teeth being
covered with enamel have been well pre-
served The reptiles were not rs large rs
those Of the Reptilian age of later period.
Some Of them, however, had teeth measur-
ing threoinches in length. The teeth were
much, like those of ,ne crocodiles of tho pres.
ent ase, and We're slightly astIened
and crenulste at tho margins.
The Amphibisns of that period woto quito
numerous, and some of them were peculiar
In structure The skull of one species was
ten inches broad and fifteen inches IN length,
having teeth like those of a crocodile and n
body somewhat like frogs
Representatives, your collections confined
TO the animals you have meutioned2
No, | have quite collection of shells
and ferns Of various kinds, but they have no,
been examined and Chased. have not ex-
amined them with sufficient caro- ~ even
know whether there s anything
new among them or not Nothing Ia known
yet respecting tho American Permlan fora,
and Nil tho ferns l have collected bear =
strong resemblance, may be identical
with carbonlicrous species already we'll
known. have also collected quite nuns
Der OF sbolls, but they too, arc unexsmined.
l have however, some species that are
pecullSc 20 tho Pormian aye, and vera
described by Mock and Hayden some years
ago,
Repor,er--Do you ilnd minerals of any
kind Ia the country whore you have been
making your collectionsg
Yes, the carbonate Of iron Is very
abundant In Archer county, and
of the very finest quality. There is
iron enough In Archer county 10 supply