Triassic Rocks of California. 307 
earth of the Valley of the Nar, Norfolk. Specimen, No. 1.—Very 
muddy, grey clay, containing many mollusean shells (Cerithium reti- 
culatum, &c.) and a few Otolites, in the small residue of the wash- 
ing. This contains abundance of Rotalia Beccarii of all sizes, and 
also of Nonionina striato-punctata: the latter are small and delicate. 
No. 2.—Whitish, very shelly clay, leaving but little solid residue 
after washing. This is composed chiefly of broken fragments of 
Bivalves, and contains 
Rotalia Beecarii ; common. 
Nonionina striato-punctata ; common and small. 
N. depressula ; rare and small. 
The whole of these Foraminifera are evidently from very shallow 
waters, possibly estuarine, or a few fathoms in depth, and resemble 
very closely some Oyster-ooze from the Firth of Forth.—T. R. J. 
ABSTRACT OF FOREIGN MEMOTR. 
———_>+——_ 
Toe Triassic Rocks oF CALIFORNIA. 
ROM an interesting communication to the ‘American Journal 
of Science,’* by Professor Whitney, on the progress of the 
Geological Survey of California, it appears that one of the most 
striking results of the Survey is the proof of an immense develop- 
ment, on the Pacific side of North America, of rocks equivalent 
in age to the Upper Trias of the Alps, and paleontologically closely 
allied to the Limestones of Hallstadt and Aussee, and the St. Cassian 
beds of the Alpine Trias. This Triassic belt of the Pacific Coast 
has been explored in the latitude of 40°, and east and west from 
117 to 121 degrees of longitude; and from this region the largest 
portion of the fossils have been obtained, both from the three parallel 
ranges called the Humboldt Ranges, and from Plumas County, 
California. This formation extends from Mexico to British Columbia, 
occupying a vast area, although much broken up, interrupted, and 
covered by voleanic and eruptive rocks, and usually highly meta- 
morphosed. Among the specimens collected, four species have been 
recognised by Mr. Gabb as identical with European forms; whilst 
the whole facies resembles that of the Hallstadt beds—the same 
intermixture of Orthocerata, Ceratites, Goniatites, Nautili, and Am- 
monites ; together with Halobia, Monotis, Avicula, Pecten, &c.; a 
Monotis being the most widely diffused and abundant of all. 
- Accompanying this Triassic formation in the Sierra Nevada, is an 
extensive development of Jurassic rocks, usually highly meta- 
morphosed and extremely barren of fossils. The sedimentary por- 
tion of the great metalliferous belt of the Pacific Coast of North 
America is chiefly made up of rocks of Jurassic and Triassic age, 
with comparatively little of the Carboniferous Limestone. While, 
therefore, a large portion of the auriferous rocks of California consist 
of Metamorphic, Triassic, and Jurassie strata, there is no evidence 
* See Gnotocican Magazine, No. 11, Vol. I1., for May 1868. 
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