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Let US now examine this deposit microscopicaly. It is from a place 

 know as Asphalto, Kern Coiintj-, California on the inside of the Sierra 

 Nevada mountains. Thus it negatives the theory of Bailey that the 

 marine Diatomaceous istrata were only found on the west , coast or 

 inside of the mountains, the Coast Range. Showing what it is to make 

 theories from things brought in by collectors. 



They are false and how easily we are fooled by them and we 

 ought to collect our selves and wait to construct theories uutil several 

 collection are raade. But I will show that liere after the salt water de- 

 posit of Bacillaria on the coast belong to an older stratum or period 

 han the marine — (he Eocene. This is older tlian the Miocene. Andt 

 the Miocene, so called — is recent and is the same as are now forming 

 along the coast and in the bottom of the ocean. 



This is shown by tlie soanding brought home by the Challenger 

 and Inecarova and other ships. Where this earth from Asphalto is ca- 

 refuliy broken up by boiling in a weak solution of carbonata of soda , 

 the so called alkali used for making soap and sold extensively in iron 

 boxes which hold about a pound. The solution in water is alkaline but 

 not violently so and can be diluted to make it of any degree of alk- 

 alinity we wish and so does not material ly dissolve or injure the shells 

 of Diatoms or Baoillaria which are exposed to it for a short time to 

 it only. 



It is washed with reccnt filtered water until ali of the alkali is 

 rcmoved. And bere I wish to urge again on using recently filtered 

 fresh water in manipulating Bacillaria. 



If ordinary water be used it alraost ahvays contains fresh water 

 Bacillaria and if the filtered water be not used soon after filtering it 

 will also contai n some Bacillaria. I bave found this is so and bave often 

 been confused with finding fresh water Bacillaria, as Navicula vìridis, 

 fn my gatherings or on mystides or even fossil slides of Bacillaria. There 

 iore I bave always used recent and fresh water as can be obtained 

 easily for cleaning. There after it is mounted, as it is called, in gura 

 thus, which is the material I always use for mounting microscopie ob- 

 jects , and it is exarainei. It is found to be made up of the shells of 

 Foramenifora , Radiolaria , Bacillaria and Sponge spicules , as are the 

 deposits of marine Diatoms, as they are called , everywhere, But it is 

 also found to bave an almost transparent brown colored substanccj 

 almost of the color of burnt sienna, as painters cali it, dififused through 

 it. This is asphaltum which lias not been actcd on by the alkali used 



