Geol.— Vol. II.] ANDERSON^STRATIGRAPHIC STUDY 169 



The most representative section of the Miocene that has 

 been observed anywhere in the range south of the Cantua 

 Creek is to be seen at Temblor and Canara Springs in west- 

 ern Kern County. Though no detailed study of these strata 

 was undertaken, a general statement will be found interesting 

 and instructive. The most conspicuous member of the 

 Miocene in this section is the Monterey Shales, which have 

 here an aggregate thickness of more than five thousand feet. 

 For the most part this member consists of light colored 

 shaly strata, the material of which is evidently largely 

 organic, but in which three or more elements are easily 

 recognizable; viz., foraminiferal limestone, siliceous organic 

 beds, clay shales, and supposedly volcanic dust and ash. 



The limestone occurs in thin lenticular bands, gray or 

 yellowish in color, in which Foraminifera are readily seen 

 through a good lens. These yellow or light gray bands 

 occur in groups or singly, scattered through the entire 

 thickness. The siliceous portion of the Monterey Shales 

 predominates, and generally shows remains of Diatomaceae 

 and other siliceous organisms, with bones and scales of fishes. 



Near the top of the series the strata become more chalky 

 and softer. Pecten peckhami has been found at both the top 

 and bottom of this member at Canara Springs and eastward. 

 The Monterey Shales, apparently, in undiminished thickness, 

 make up the mass of the main range west of McKittrick, 

 but they have not been traced easterly much beyond the 

 Sunset district. 



Underlying the Monterey Shales at Canara Springs and 

 Temblor are sandstones and sandy shales which make up 

 an additional thickness of fifteen hundred feet. The entire 

 series., of Miocene rocks at this point is about as follows : 



ft. 



Monterey Shales 5500 



Sandstones with Astrodapsis 100 



Siliceous and clay shales with interstratified sandstone 600 



Sandstones with numerous fossil species 800 



Total thickness 7000 



The sandstone with Astrodapsis contains in addition Pecten 

 nevadensis, Pecten discus, and a few fragments of oysters and 



