THE EOCENE OF NORTH AMERICA 46 1 



species of which the greater portion is peculiar to itself." 1 Its 

 fossils are marine. 



THE TEJON FORMATION 



This formation was named 2 in 1869 by Whitney, from Fort 

 Tejon, Cal. "The deposits are chiefly conglomerates, sand- 

 stones, and shales, in which beds of lignite are not infrequently 

 intercalated, and which less often contain bands of calcareous 

 rock." Clark 3 quotes Whitney (?) as stating that "The con- 

 glomerates are very coarse, containing many bowlders from 

 three to six inches in diameter of granite and metamorphic 

 rocks. . . . Portions of the sandstones are very fossiliferous. 

 . . . The strata are very much disturbed, both dip and strike 

 being very variable. . . ." The fossils are marine. Beneath 

 the Tejon is the Chico formation. White, Becker and others 

 state that the Tejon of California lies conformably upon the 

 Chico — the two forming one series. 4 Yet writing of the series 

 at New Idria, Cal., White says, "There is near its middle, a 

 recognizable change of aspect of the strata. . . ." s Becker 

 says " The Tejon strata of New Idria are mostly heavy-bedded 

 sandstones of a peculiarly light color, which thus distinguishes 

 them from the tawny Chico standstones." 6 



It is stated also that the Miocene overlies the Tejon con- 

 formably. But near Martinez Merriam has shown a pronounced 

 change of fauna, as has been already mentioned. Diller 7 has 

 shown that " All of the facts yet known indicate that in Oregon 

 and northern California there is a faunal and stratigraphic break 

 between the Chico and the Tejon." Perhaps the conformity 

 reported from southern California will be found to be local, or 

 only apparent. Certainly the structural and faunal relations 

 already discussed separate the Tejon from the Chico and from 

 the Martinez. The Tejon is a distinct formation. Near Merced 

 falls, near the boundary of Merced and Mariposa counties, 



'Merriam: loc. cit., p. 775. 



2 Cf. Clark : loc. cit., p. 100. s Quoted by Clark, loc. cit., p. 102. 



3 Clark : loc. cit., p. 10 1. 6 Ibid. 



4 Cf. Clark : loc. cit., p. 102. 'Bull. Geol. Soc. Amer., Vol. IV, p. 220 



