165 translucent container. A. A. MacPhail of the B.C. Oilfields showed one of these agates to the writer, and said that they were occasionally found at Tian point, though considered more or less of a rarity. | Figure 23 is a generalized diagram illustrating the various ways in which the tarry matter is found. Se a —_——_! . & Lz a & ‘ EKE®) - e- £ Sepa & & ree pti. ic ak: ne Geological Survey, Canada. Figure 23. Generalized diagram illustrating the mode of occurrence of tar in chalcedony-quartz amygdules and veins in basalt. Origin. It is not proposed to give here an account of the theories that have been advanced to explain the origin of petro- leum. Excellent summaries with abundant references are given by Clarke! and H6fer.? In general it may be said, that petroleum 1 Clark, F. W., U.S. Geol. Surv., Bull. 491, pp. 681-704. 2 Hofer, Hans. Das Erd6l, Leipzic, 1906, pp. 160-229. 12