554 



SCIENCE 



[N. S. Vol. XXVII. No. 692 



Concerning the geology in the immediate 

 vicinity, the canyon walls, above and below 

 the occurrence, show sharply flexed Monterey 

 (middle Miocene) shales. Just at the fire the 

 structure is synclinal, the axis of the fold 

 trending about parallel with the coast. The 

 canary yellow discoloration of the shale due 

 to sulphur is well developed, and exactly op- 

 posite the fire a sulphur spring trickles from 

 the bank. At other points in and near this 

 canyon the shales are impregnated with oil. 



There is some doubt as to the origin of the 

 fire. As no brush grows in the vicinity, and 

 no one is living near, the origin can not well 

 be ascribed to ignition from burning refuse 

 on the surface. There has been a thunder 

 storm within the month, before which time 

 people passing up this canyon did not observe 

 anything unusual at this point except a strong 

 odor which was attributed to the sulphur 

 spring. It, therefore, seems likely that the 

 fire was ignited by lightning or else is a case 

 of spontaneous combustion. 



This unique variety of metamorphism has 

 been at work locally in many regions of bi- 

 tuminous rocks in California, where a process 

 of combustion of the hydrocarbon contents 

 has altered the naturally white, soft shale to 

 a rock of brilliant rose or brick-red color, and 

 rendered it in cases hard and vesicular like 

 scoriaceous lava. The resemblance of the 

 products to those of volcanoes and the exist- 

 ence of centers like solfataras where the proc- 

 ess of burning has been going on during the 

 last half-century, has given rise, as in the 

 present instance, to the statement that there 

 were living volcanic vents in California. 

 Though the combustion is usually local in its 

 effects, the number and wide distribution of 

 the occurrences of burnt shale lend impor- 

 tance to the phenomenon. The presence of 

 burnt shale at depths varying from 90 to 1,040 

 feet below the surface, as discovered in the 

 drilling of oil wells, proves that the burning 

 has taken place deep down within the oil- 

 bearing formation, as well as at the surface 

 where it has been more commonly found. 

 And, further, the discovery of fragments of 

 it at one place at a depth of at least 10 feet 

 below the surface in bedded deposits of Pleis- 



tocene age proves that such action has gone 

 on in ages past. 



The Monterey shale, of middle Miocene age, 

 is the principal oil-bearing formation of the 

 state, and the process of burning has had its 

 chief effect upon portions of this formation. 

 It is composed almost exclusively of soft and 

 hard, thin-bedded, siliceous shales, which are 

 largely of diatomaceous origin. 



The particular shale area in which the 

 phenomenon described is taking place forms 

 an extensive belt underlying the Los Angeles- 

 Santa Monica plain on the south side of the 

 Santa Monica Mountains. Where exposed 

 this shale is usually petroliferous, and is the 

 source of the petroleum in the wonderfully 

 productive Salt Lake oil field west of Los 

 Angeles. The nearest wells, however, are 

 eight or nine miles distant from the burning 

 area. Although it has been impossible to put 

 out such fires by artificial means in the in- 

 stances heretofore attempted, such phenomena, 

 as previously stated, have remained more or 

 less restricted. Considering the surroundings 

 and geographic position of the present area 

 the probabilities are against any damage re- 

 sulting from the burning shale. 



Ealph S. Arnold 

 H. E. Johnson 



Washington, D. C. 



Los Angeles, Caltfobnia 



JOINT RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE PHT8I- 



OLOOICAL AND BIOCHEMICAL COMMIT- 

 TEES ON PROTEIN NOMENCLATURE^ 



Since a chemical basis for the nomenclature 

 of the proteins is at present not possible, it 

 seemed important to recommend few changes 

 in the names and definitions of generally ac- 

 cepted groups, even though, in many cases, 

 these are not wholly satisfactory. The recom- 

 mendations are as follows: 



First. — The word proteid should be aban- 

 doned. 



Second. — The word protein should designate 

 that group of substances which consists, so 



^ Published by order of the American Physiolog- 

 ical and American Biochemical Societies, in joint 

 session at the University of Chicago, on Tuesday, 

 December 31, 1907. 



