168 Transactions. — Geoloijy. 



between Waimaugaroa and Denniston, near Westpovt — may 

 ultimately prove to be of Jurassic age, for tbis granite differs 

 from the others in the significant fact that the quartz shows 

 no pressure granulation, while most of the other granites 

 have been altered into gneissoid rocks by the pressure exerted 

 when the sedimentary rocks were being folded. 



In the period that followed the upheaval of the New Zea- 

 land Alps great denudation took place on the north-western 

 side — the evidence for which will be given presently — and this 

 must have been due to moist westerly winds producing heavy 

 rains, as at present. We must therefore assume that the Tas- 

 man Sea was then in existence, and we have reason for sup- 

 posing that it has been in existence ever since. The evidence 

 for this is the absence of terrestrial mammalia and snakes 

 from our present fauna, and the remarkable distinctness of our 

 Cretaceous and Tertiary fossils from those of other countries. 

 But New Zealand was not at first so small as it is now. Not 

 only did it spread more to the west, but it seems to have ex- 

 tended north to New Caledonia ; and, very probably, it was 

 attached to New Guinea, from whence it drew tlie itiore 

 ancient elements of its present flora and fauna. 



Waipara System. 



Eesuming now our history, we come next to rocks of Cre- 

 taceous — probably Upper Cretaceous — age, called the " Wai- 

 para system. "■' This is found on the eastern side of New 

 Zealand, at the Shag Point coal-mines in Otago, and from 

 the Malvern Hills in Canterbury to Cape Campbell. Crossing 

 Cook Strait we find it again on the east coast of Wellington 

 and in Hawke's Bay ; and again, perhaps, from Poverty 

 Bay to the East Cape. On the west coast of the South 

 Island we have the coal measures of Greymouth and West- 

 port, and also those of Pakawau, near Collingwood.f But on 

 the west coast of the North Island Cretaceous rocks are 

 known only in the valley of the W^airoa Eiver, north of the 

 Kaipara, and perhaps at Kawhia. However, we must re- 

 member that, as the fossils of the North Island have not yet 

 been carefully compared with those from the South, it is 

 impossible to feel certain about their age. 



The strata are usually much disturbed, except in North 

 Canterbury, and sometimes form mountains 5,000 ft. or 

 6,000 ft. in height. Also, they lie quite unconformably on 

 the_ older rocks. In Canterbury and Marlborough they rest 

 indifferently on the Hokanuis or on the Maitais, and at 



* Under this name I include the Lower Greensand formation of Sir 

 James Hector, as well as the lower part of his Cretaceo-tertiary forma- 

 tion. 



t Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. xxii., p. .377. 



