376 Transactions. — Geology. 



fossiliferous marine formations in both hemispheres through- 

 out the geological record does not leave much room for 

 chronological divergence ; and in applying European time- 

 names against the place-names of our New Zealand formar 

 tions we are pursuing a course that seems to be in no way 

 inconsistent with the facts that are known relating to the 

 distribution of life in the different geological formations. 



Present Classifications. 



At the present time we have two classifications of the 

 Lower Mesozoic and Upper Palaeozoic rocks of New Zealand 

 — namely, that formulated in 1878 by Mr. S. Herbert Cox, 

 F.G.S., late Government Assistant Geologist,* and that by 

 Captain Hutton in 1899. f 



In his classification of 1873 Hutton placed the Maitai 

 series in the Lower Jurassic period ; but in his classification 

 of 1899, in deference to the opinion of the Director of the 

 Geological Survey, he transferred it to the Permo-carboni- 

 ferous.:j: I have shown in another paper that the Maitai 

 series must be referred back to the Jurassic system, where it 

 was originally placed by Captain Hutton m 1875. 



Mr. Cox, in his excellent geological survey of the Hokonui 

 Mountains, in Southland, in 1877 (in which he was assisted 

 by Mr. McKay), subdivided the Lower Mesozoic rocks into 

 seventy-three horizons, which he subsequently gathered into 

 seven groups or series of beds, as follows : — 



Upper Oolite ... ... ... Mataura series. 



Middle Oolite ... ... ... Putataka series. 



Lower Oolite ... ... ... Flag Hill series. 



Lias ... ... ... ... Bastion series. 



Upper Trias (Rhaetic) ... ... Otapiri series. 



Middle Trias ... ... ... Wau'oa series. 



Permian ... ... ... Kaihiku series. 



In Captain Hutton's classification of 1899 the Lower 

 Mesozoic rocks are grouped as follows : — 



Hokonui System — 



Mataura series ... ... Lower Jurassic. 



Wairoa series ... .. Triassic. 



Taking the Jurassic rocks first, it is apparent that the 

 "Mataura series" of Cox and the "Mataura series" of 

 Hutton differ very widely in their meaning. In Captain 

 Hutton's table the Mataura series includes tiie whole of the 

 Jurassic rocks, and in this respect is the same as the Mataura 



• Reps. Geol. Expl., 1877-78, p. 28. 



t Hutton, Trans. N.Z. Inst., 1899, vol. xxxii., p. 183. 



J Hutton, I.e., p. 183. 



