Camp on Hell Creek
Montana July 16th 1902
My Dear Prof Osborn:-
Since writing you last we have established camp on the head of Hell Creek at the old Sieber ranch and have two very fair prospects. One, triceratops located in a clay butte of which at present writing after two days work we have exposed a lower jaw, humerous, ulna, radius cervical vertebrae and some fragmentary ribs with several undetermined bones running in the bank All are crushed more of less and covered with a concretionary matrix, but well worth the collecting.
The other specimen id probably Terosaurus consisting of two femurs not crushed with two largevertebrae in a heavy sandstone concretion which we have partly worked off. These demurs are about four feet two inches long. In this prospect we have also a two bone running into another concretion not yet exposed. Are waiting fo plaster o work on this specimen.
The formation so far examined in Hell Creek greatly resembles the Laramie of Converse Co. Wyoming hard sandstone concretions embedded in soft sand. this statum is about a hundred feet thick with clay above and below. Where exposed along the tributaries we dinf considerable surgace to examine, but so far have barely touched it as I found these two prospects the first half day and we have been working on them since.
I consider the prospect for a gppd seasons work very good and if any of the other parties run short of country o work in it would be advisable to send them either here or on the mussil shell.
The inconvenient condition here is the great distance the fossils must be freighted to miles, a hundred and thirty miles which means an eight day trip.
This main bad langs of the lower Laramie or Lignite beds are cut through to the underlying Fort Pierre on Hell Creek lower down and on Snow Creek and big Dry in some of the most ruged bad lands I have ever seen. I shall sned in a fine collection of invertebrates have located several beds containing many species.
The cook goes to Jordan today for Brooks, he Amherst student. Dr. Lull proves a fine companion in camp. We have good water, worlds of grass and wood and prime antelope steak which I wish you might help us enjoy.
We haven not been bothered by rain on this side of the yellowstone and the temperature has been low up to this last week making the work very comfortable.
With regards to the Museum people I am,
Sincerely yours,
Barnum Brown
Miles City, Montana
July 15th, 1902
|
