PALEONTOLOGY. 447 



Merriam, John C, and associates. Continuation of Palceontological Re- 

 searches. 



The purpose of this work has been to continue a group of investi- 

 gations developed under the direction of J. C. Merriam in the course 

 of the past twenty-five years. The specific aims of the researches 

 relate to a study of the extinct vertebrate faunas of the Pacific Coast 

 and Great Basin provinces of North America and to problems con- 

 cerning history of life, evolution, geological sequence, and geographical 

 history with which these researches are intimately connected. 



As the idea of historical succession is basic to the investigations 

 comprised in this study, it has been necessary to construct the 

 outlines of geological history for the series of formations in which 

 the vertebrate faunas have been secured. A large part of the area in 

 which the studies are carried on is geologically almost an unknown land, 

 and many of the regions in which palaeontological collections have been 

 mads are those in which the geology is least satisfactorily understood. 



In addition to a general geological study of the region in which the 

 vertebrate faunas are obtained, it is necessary to know something 

 of the conditions under which the dsposits containing the faunas 

 were formed. Such studies furnish information concerning the en- 

 vironment in which the life of past periods developed. 



Continuation of the investigations under way has made necessary 

 the close cooperation of a small group of persons whose interests 

 touch specifically upon the geological and geographical succession, 

 the history of climates, the history of the plant and animal life in 

 general, and a special study of vertebrate groups available. Although 

 many persons have been connected with work upon the problems 

 concerned in past years, a cooperative arrangement has been in 

 use involving especially, in addition to the researches of Mr. 

 Merriam, the work of the following persons: Chester Stock, of the 

 University of California, who has specialized upon the extinct mam- 

 malian faunas of the Pacific Coast and Great Basin province of 

 North America; Ralph W. Chaney, of the University of Iowa, who 

 has entered upon a fundamental study of the history of floras of the 

 Pacific Coast region; John P. Buwalda, of the University of Cahfornia, 

 concerned especially with historical succession involved in the geology 

 and geography of the region; and Remington Kellogg, of the Bureau 

 of Biological Survey, United States Department of Agriculture, who 

 has taken up anew a study of the evolution of marine mammals begun 

 by him while in residence at the University of California. Fortu- 

 nately, it has been possible to continue cooperation with all of the 

 persons mentioned, and the advantages of such mutual support have 

 been very large. 



In conducting the researches during the past year we have been for- 

 tunate in having the active cooperation of the University of California, 



