Vol. VII] GESTER— GEOLOGY McKITTRICK DISTRICT 225 



Southeast of old Sunset, poorly preserved fossils are found 

 associated with outcrops of brea from which the following 

 species could be determined : 



Mulinia densata. Nassa, species. 



Mya japonica. Solen, species. 



Pecten, species. 



These fossil beds are overlain unconformably by the fresh 

 water Tulare and, while the lower contacts are not clearly de- 

 fined, yet there is a suggestion of an unconformity at the 

 base of the oil bearing Etchegoin formation. 



West of Fellows these conditions are duplicated. Similar 

 poorly preserved fossils are to be found in a small belt of 

 Etchegoin conglomerates, sands, sandy shales and marls, that 

 overlies the Santa Margarita. The latter at this locality is 

 composed of organic shales with fossiliferous sandstone and 

 boulder lenses. 



At this locality an interesting and satisfactory correlation 

 between surface exposures and well record was obtained. The 

 top of the Etchegoin, containing oil sands and fossils, dips at 

 25° to 27° N. 25° E. Down the dip at a distance of 1950 

 feet is well No. 9 of the United Oil Co. At a depth of 928 

 feet a gas and oil sand was struck in this well, and the gas 

 pressure threw out large fragments of fossiliferous oil sand 

 and shells. The determinable fossils collected from these 

 frasfments were : 



Cardium blandum. Metis alta. 



Mya japonica. Mulinia densata. 



Area trilineata. Pecten, species (P. estrellanus?). 



Macoma nasuta. Nassa, species. 



Macoma secta (?). Ostrea, species. 



Neverita reclusiana. Fragments, with Pholas borings. 



This association of forms is quite characteristic of the 

 Lower Etchegoin formation. Also a simple calculation shows 

 that the fossil bearing oil sand on the surface is very probably 

 the same as that found at 928 feet in the well. 



In many of the wells, around Fellows and to the northward, 

 fragments of marine shells are reported with, or just above, the 

 oil sands. Numerous occurrences of fossils are reported from 

 the oil horizon in the Midway flats and. while many fragments 

 were obtained and examined, it is only occasionally that con- 



