NEOCENE STRATIGRAPHY. 3II 



the coast side of the mountains, the question naturally 

 arises, what has become of this formation on the bay 

 side, where only one small outcrop near Searsville has 

 been noted? The most acceptable answer is that it has 

 been eroded to that extent. As we shall see under the 

 discussion of the Merced series, that formation in places 

 rests upon the granite and older strata; the fragmentary 

 character of the outcrops of White shale on the east side 

 of the mountains is strengthened by the further evidence 

 of great erosion. Faulting may also play an important 

 part in its present distribution. 



Outside of the Santa Cruz Mountains the White shale 

 is found abundantly over a large area, occurring for sev- 

 eral hundred miles along the coast. 



Relations. — The relation to the underlying rocks has 

 already been discussed. In the Santa Cruz Mountains 

 it is believe to overlie unconformably all the older forma- 

 tions, in some places lying upon the granite, in others 

 upon the Pescadero and older series. In the sections 

 given by Dr. Antisell from the southern part of the State, 

 the White shale is uniformly represented as conformable 

 with the underlying Miocene.* 



The relation to the Merced series will be treated under 

 the relations of the Merced series. 



Con-elation. — The White Miocene shale is generally 

 very unfossiliferous, but characteristic fossils have been 

 found at a number of places, notably at Monterey. 



A few fossils were found by Dr. J. P. Smith near the 

 summit south of Searsville. They were identified as 



follows : 



Pecteu peckhami Gabb. 

 Lucina borealis Linnaeus. 

 Pandora conf. scapha Gabb. 

 Nncula sp. iud. 



* Keport on Pacific Railroad Survey, vol. vii, pis. i et seq. 



