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University of California. 



[Vol. 2. 



by Dr. Newcombe for identification and for determination, if possi- 

 ble, of the age of the rocks in which they occur. The collections 

 were all from two localities, representing different horizons of the 

 Tertiary. The first of these is on Carmanah Point at the entrance to 

 the Strait of Fuca, and the second near Muir and Coal Creeks, in the 

 Sooke District. All the material was collected by Dr. Newcombe, 

 who visited the localities, collecting fossils and studying, where 

 possible, the stratigraphic relations of the fossiliferous beds. Up to 

 the time of Dr. Newcombe's explorations the Tertiary fossils of 

 Vancouver Island seem never to have been systematically collected. 



CARMANAH POINT. 



The collection from Carmanah Point represents the older of the 

 two horizons, and is interesting on account of the resemblance it 

 bears to the fauna of Conrad's Astoria Miocene,* to the greater, 

 Miocene portion of which Dr. W. H. Dallf has given the name 

 Astoria Group. 



Occicrrence of Fossils. — A section of the rocks near Carmanah 

 Point lighthouse, forwarded to the writer by Dr. Newcombe, shows 

 altogether about 150 feet of sandstone, shale, conglomerate and 

 drift mantle. The occurrence of the fossils is described by Dr. 

 Newcombe in the following note: — 



"The fossils are found chiefly in the conglomerate layers, mostly in the 

 contained boulders, which vary in size from small pebbles to four or five feet 

 in diameter. The boulders, when fossiliferous, are of a bluish grey, fine, and 

 very hard sandstone. The matrix of the conglomerate contains in places 

 large quantities of broken fragments of shells, many resembling species in the 

 boulders, but mostly too much broken up to permit identification. Several 

 large pieces of bored fossil wood project in various parts of the section. Sim- 

 ilar rocks extend east and west for some miles, but are very difficult of access 

 except in very calm weather." 



Dr. Newcombe's statement that the matrix between the fossilif- 

 erous boulders contains "broken fragments of shells, . . . resem- 

 bling species in the boulders," suggests the idea that the boulders 

 are of concretionary origin. This seems all the more probable as 



■Geology of Wilke's Exploring Expedition, 1838-42. 

 t Correlation Papers, Neocene. Bull. 84, U. S. Geol. Surv., p. 225. 



