TKRTIAKY <S;> 



Similar yelh)\v gravels have been found on the Upper Fra.ser and on 

 its tributary, the Bhick water, in several places, ;ind it is probable tliat 

 they are somewhat widespread in this district/'^ It is very p()ssil)le that 

 they are at least ap{)roximately synchronous with the old auriferous 

 preglacial stream gravels of the Cariboo mountains, and are also of the 

 same age with the "yellow gravels " of the Atlin district. 



The Tertiary deposits of the Coast region of British Columbia are 

 wholly separated from those of the interior by the physical barrier of 

 the Coast ranges. Tbey are interesting, but not of great extent, occur- 

 ring in isolated patches and not forming, as the}^ do farther to the south, 

 a nearly continuous border to the continent. The sedimentary beds 

 are for the most part of marine origin, and are still found near the level 

 of the sea, little disturbed or altered. 



Sandstones holding marine shells occur at Sooke, on the southern 

 coast of Vancouver island. These beds were first described by ^Ir J. 

 Richardson.f Mr J. C. Merriam has since studied the fossils, and they 

 a])})ear to be referable to the Upper Miocene or Pliocene (" Middle Neo- 

 cene ").+ Farther west, on the same coast, are the Carmanah beds, con- 

 sisting of sandstones, shales, and conglomerates. These are referred by 

 the same author to the ''Astoria Miocene "§ or Astoria group, and are 

 recognized as older than the Sooke beds. A remarkable bird, Cyphornis 

 magnus, had previously been described by Cope from the Carmanah 

 beds, and this he states is not older than Eocene nor later than Oligo- 

 cene.JI Plant remains also occur, but they have not so far been studied. 

 Elsewhere on the west coast of Vancouver island and farther north 

 small patches of Tertiary rocks are found, which have not yet l)een ex- 

 amined, and from which no fossils have been obtained. 



The most important develoi)ment of Tertiary rocks on the coast is 

 that forming the northeastern part of Graham island, the northern mem- 

 ber of the Queen Charlotte group. The considerable tract of land under- 

 lain by these rocks is relatively low, and most of the prominent rock 

 masses consist of basalt with some volcanic materials of a less basic 

 character, and in one place obsidian, fragmental as well as effusive rocks 

 being represented. In a few places, underlying sandstones and shales 

 come to the surface, sometimes holding lignite, and at one locality ma- 

 rine shells are abundantly represented. These have been examined by 



♦Annual Report, Geol. Surv. Can,, vol. vii (IS. S.), p. 2s A ; also Report of Progress, Geol. Surv. 

 Can., 1875-76, pp. 2fi:}, 264. 



|- Report of Progress, Geol. Surv. Can., lS7i)-'77, p. 190. 



I Bull. Univ. Cal., Geology, vol. ii, no..'}, p. 101 ; Proc. Cal. Acad. Soi., third series, vol. i, no. 6, 

 p. 175. 



g Op. cit. 



]| .lour. .A.cad. Nat. Sci. Pliila., vol. ix, p. 449. The l)iril is described from a single bone. The 

 exact locality is not given in the paper, not being known to Cope at the time. 



