1921] Merriam: Palaeontological Research mi the Pacific Coast 241 



much less favorable than those now obtaining, and with knowledge 

 of general palaeontological problems very much less advanced than at 

 the present moment. 



Between the period marking the conclusion of work of tlie second 

 Geological Survey of California and the initiation of palaeontological 

 work at the California universities, a number of significant palaeon- 

 tological studies relating to the invertebrate faunas of the West Coast, 

 were published. Belonging to this intermediate stage is the important 

 work of C. A. AVliite, who devoted special attention to the Cretaceous 

 problem of California and made valuable additions to knowledge in 

 bulletins of the United States Geological Survey. Important reviews 

 of the California faunas in this period are the United States Geological 

 Survey bulletins on the Eocene, by W. B. Clark, and on the Miocene, 

 by W. H. Dall. Also having its inception in this period, is the begin- 

 ning work of T. W. Stanton, of the United States Geological Survey, 

 resulting in the publication of important papers falling within the 

 limits of the next period. Among the papers by Dr. Stanton, special 

 mention is to be made of his study of the fauna of the Knoxville 

 Cretaceous, published in 1895, and of an important paper on the 

 fauna of the Shasta and Chico formations, published in the bulletins 

 of the Geological Society of America in 1893. 



In the latter part of the intermediate stage comes also the very 

 significant study of Alpheus Hyatt on the Jurassic and Triassic of 

 California, presented in two papers in bulletins of the Geological 

 Society of America in 1892 and 1894. In these contributions a number 

 of new forms were described and valuable evidence concerning the 

 relationship of these faunas was presented. 



Toward the end of this intermediate period, determinations of 

 faunas of Cretaceous and Tertiary age were made for bulletins of 

 the California State Mining Bureau by J. G. Cooper, formerly asso- 

 ciated with the State Geological Survey. Dr. Cooper also described 

 and figured a number of new species, including both marine and 

 fresh-water types. 



The second period of active investigation of invertebrate palaeon- 

 tology on this coast began with the work of James Perrin Smitli 

 on faunas of the older sedimentaries, including the Jurassic, Triassic, 

 and Carboniferous in regions bordering the Sierra. Papers by 

 Professor Smith, in the bulletins of the United States Geological 

 Survey and tlie Journal of Geology, made important contributions to 

 assembled information on the age of the auriferous slates of the Sierra 



