MALLERY. | PETROGLYPHS IN CALIFORNIA. 57 
One of the most important series of groups is that in the northern portion of 
Owens valley, between the White mountains on the east and the Benton range on 
the west. On the western slope of the latter, at Watterson’s ranch, is a detached 
low butte or mesa, upon the blackened basaltic bowlders and cliffs of which are 
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Be 
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Fic, 15.—Petroglyph at Tule river, California. 
numerous deeply cut characters, the most interesting of which are reproduced in 
Pls.1andu. The illustrations are, approximately, one-twelfth real size. The de- 
signs of footprints, in the lower left-hand corner of PI. 1, vary in depth from half an 
inch to 14 inches. They appear to have been pecked and finally worked down to 
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WAM 
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lia. 16.—Petroglyph at Tule river, California. 
a uniform and smooth surface by rubbing, as if with a piece of stone or with wood 
and sand. : 
In almost all, if not all, instances throughout the entire series referred to in this 
description the sculptured surfaces have assumed the same shining blackened luster 
as the original and undisturbed surface of the bowlder, caused by gradual oxidation 
of the iron present. This would seem to indicate considerable antiquity of the 
petroglyphs. 
