This report deal with the following samples from the Bering Glacier Quadrangle, Alaska submitted for pollen and spore analysis:

Field loc. No.

59AMr 252, 4821, 486, 427, 436, 581, 264, 247
59ABa 355, 333, 324, 285, 286, 255

All samples were sterile when processed in our laboratory. Your suspicion of contamination in your processing is apparently borne out. The spores in your slide of 59AMr 4821 appear to be fungal. A possible explanation of their presence would be the development of a fugal culture in your sample bottle if time elapsed before the slide was made. Adding a few drops of 10% HgCl2 to the storage bottle will prevent fungal growth. Sorry that we have no positive results to report.

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Brief statement of problem and remarks (from collector):
A reconnaissance traverse across the Eastern Chugach Mountains during the summer of 1959 disclosed that strata there are intensely folded argillites, volcanics, and graywackes that contain few fossils. The rooks may range in age from late Paleozoic to Cenozoic, although some are probably late Cretaceous. Their stratigraphic sequence and relation to other rock unites in Alaska is little more than a guess. Accordingly, some method of dating the rocks is urgently needed.

Several methods were tried in order to find more fossils in these rocks. Attempts to obtain foraminifers from the argillites were not successful. Several limey layers wars dissolved in hydrofluoric and hydrochloric acid to see if calcareous or siliceous organisms are present, but none were found. Finally, 24 of the argillites were selected for spore and pollen analysis, inasmuch as some of the oil company paleontologists have found these microfossils in similar geosynclinal sediments. The results were unexpected. Fourteen of the 24 samples have spores or pollen; two (59AMr 4812 and 59ABa 355) have abundant and diverse types. Upon rechecking the laboratory techniques, however, it was found that these microfossils may be contamination. The samples are submitted, therefore, to determine if the spores and pollens are indigenous and if they can be used to date the rocks.

The glass vials contain the spores and pollens in a glycerine medium. In addition, a piece of the untreated rock from each of the 13 samples is included in separate sacks. Finally, a slide of sample 59AMr 4812, with the spores and pollens in glycerine and sealed with balsam, is also included.

A resume of the separation method follows:
1. Sample boiled in 10% HCl to remove carbonates.
2. Sample placed in 50% HF to remove silicates.
3. Sample placed in concentrated HNO3 to clear grains and break gell.
4. Acetolysis - acetic anhydride and concentrated H2SO4.
5. Sample placed in l0% KOH to remove unwanted organic matter.
6. Heavy minerals removed by bromoform separation.
7. Supernatent stored in glycerine. (centrifuge used for all separations and washings)