16i Transactions. — Geology. 



stone, which in north-west Nelson and near Reefton lie quite 

 unconformably on the edges of the folded rocks of the Takaka 

 system. It has been called the " Maitai system" from the 

 Maitai River at Nelson, although it is doubtful whether the 

 rocks of the lower part of the Maitai Valley belong to it.-'- 

 This Maitai system is very largely developed in New Zealand. 

 In Otago, Canterbury, and Marlborough it hes directly on the 

 Wanaka system ; and it forms the greater part of the moun- 

 tain-ranges of New Zealand in both Islands, from the Taki- 

 timos in Southland to the eastern side of the Bay of Plenty. 

 It is again found in isolated patches on the north-west of 

 Lake Taupo, and in many other places as far as the North 

 Cape. In the North Island these are the oldest known rocks. 

 The thickness of the system in the South Island is estimated 

 by Sir James Hector at from 7,000 ft. to 10,000 ft. ; but it is 

 very difficult to form an opinion, as the rocks are everywhere 

 highly folded and the stratification is often obscure. 



Only three species of Brachiopoda have been found, all of 

 which — if they have been correctly named — are also found in 

 the Permo-carbouiferous of Tasmania, and one of them — Pro- 

 cluctus brachythcBTUS — seems to be characteristic of that 

 formation in eastern Australia. Straight but slightly taper- 

 ing tubes up to 2 in. or 3 in. in length and from j\jip. to |in. 

 in diameter have also been found in several places in Canter- 

 bury as well as near Wellington. They are generally called 

 " annelid tubes," but more probably they are the shells of 

 pelagic Cephalopoda. The so-called annelid-beds, which con- 

 tain these fossils, appear to belong to the upper part of the 

 Maitai system, and on the western side of Lake Ohau they 

 have been found together with the remains of plants. + 



In several localities ni both Islands red-jasperoid slates 

 occur, sometimes associated with manganese-oxide, and this, 

 together with the paucity of fossils and the general absence of 

 plant-remains, points perhaps to a deep-sea origin. ;[ It seems 

 probable that these beds accumulated in the deeper portions 

 of a sea, the more western and shallower portions of which 

 were at the same time receiving the debris from a Permo- 

 carboniferous Australian Continent. 



In New Zealand the period closed with an eruption of 

 granite, which is now found at intervals from Stewart Island, 

 through Westland, to near Separation Point in Blind Bay. 

 This granite has penetrated the rocks of the Maitai system, 

 and is found as roiled fragments in the conglomerates of the 



* Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc. Lond., vol. 41, p. 20L 



t McKay : " Reports of Geological Explorations," 1881, p. 79. 



I Red slates are said to overlie rocks coutaining Tanioptcris in the 



Kaikoura Mountains (iMcKay : " Geological Reports," 1885, pp. 55-57). 



Possibly this may be due to inversion. 



