Vou. 111] ANDERSON—NEOCENE DEPOSITS OF KERN RIVER 97 
and resting more or less horizontally across their edges where 
they are upturned, are thick deposits of gravel of distinctly 
alluvial origin belonging to a former epoch. Their areal 
extent is difficult to estimate, but they occur along all of the 
larger streams and stream-terraces, and along the borders of 
the valley plain are blended with recent alluvial deposits of the 
Kern valley. 
The most characteristic of these deposits have some elevation 
above the present stream beds, and from these they range 
upward in altitude to several hundred feet. A large area of 
these alluvial sands and gravels occurs along White River, 
and another about the lower portion of Caliente Creek; but 
these areas are probably among the more recent. Along the 
upper terraces of the Kern River are some of the older 
deposits. The more recent deposits are naturally the thickest, 
having suffered less from denudation. Near Bena, a small 
station on the Southern Pacific railroad, they form cliffs of 
horizontally stratified gravels nearly 100 feet in height, but 
probably these represent only the upper portion of the deposits, 
and their true thickness at this place is quite unknown. They 
rest in turn upon the upturned edges of both the Temblor 
and the Kern River groups, and clearly occupy a trough 
excavated in these formations prior to the epoch of alluviation. 
These alluvial deposits vary in texture from coarse gravels 
to sands and clays, and have usually a rusty yellow color. 
For the most part they are incoherent, though near the summit 
a hard layer is often seen, which has served to protect the cliffs 
from reduction. 
The denudation and excavation of the older groups prior 
to alluviation is interesting, as showing a relative elevation of 
the land surface, very probably above the present altitude; 
and the formation of alluvial deposits that are now elevated 
shows as clearly a corresponding depression of the land sur- 
face. Alluviation and terracing have doubtless been syn- 
chronous. 
FAUNAL FEATURES OF THE SERIES 
The faunal contents of the Neocene series of the Kern 
River and its vicinity present some interesting and unexpected 
features. Blake’s collections were probably made from the 
