Pabk. — The Lower Mesozoic Rocks of Nc7v Zealand. 377 



series of Dr. Lindsay, and of Sir James Hector up till 1873. 

 On the other hand, the Mataura series of Mr. Cox includes 

 only the higher beds of the Jurassic system. 



The same divergence is also seen in respect to the Wairoa 

 series of Hutton and Cox. With Captain Hutton the Wairoa 

 series includes all the Triassic and Permian of Cox and 

 Hector, while the Wairoa series of Cox embraces only the 

 beds of the Middle Trias. 



In 1886, acting under the instructions of the Director of 

 the Geological Survey, I revised the work of Cox in the Hoko- 

 nui Hills, and discovered that his Mataura and Flag Hill 

 series referred to the same group of beds.* His Putataka 

 series I was unable to locate as a separate group. 



At the time of my examination of the Hokonuis in 1886 

 I was convinced that Mr. Cox had attempted a subdivision 

 that could not be maintained, not only because of the over- 

 lapping of his own groups, but also for the reason that his 

 groups were not sufficiently defined either on stratigraphical 

 or palseontological grounds to be of service for correlative pur- 

 poses. 



An examination of the Nelson Trias having shown the 

 subsequent date of the Maitai formation, the way seemed 

 clear for a rearrangement of the Lower Mesozoic and Upper 

 Palaeozoic formations on a broader and safer basis than that 

 ■employed by Cox in 1878. With that object in view I have 

 made a special examination of the typical sections of the Trias 

 at Nugget Point, North Otago, Upper Rangitata, and Nelson, 

 so as to gather sufficient data to enable me to arrange the 

 different beds in distinctive groups of correlative value. 



After a study of the characteristic features of each locality, 

 I have finally selected the Shaw Bay section at Nugget Point, 

 on account of its stratigraphical clearness and numerous 

 marine zones, as the most typical for the subdivision of the 

 Trias and associated beds. 



The classifications of Captain Hutton, Mr. Cox, and of the 

 author are shown below in tabulated form : — 



Hutton, 1899. Cox, 1878. Park, 1903. 



(Mataura series 

 Mataura series ) Putataka series 

 (Jurassic) 1 Flag Hill series 

 1 Bastion series 



/ 2. Shaw Bay series — 

 (Otapiri series .. (a) Athyris or Clavigejuheds. 



Wairoa series Wairoa series .. ! {b. ) MyMus^ndMouotis heds. 



(Triassic) Oreti series .." & STr^'u!. 



Kaihiku series .. I (f.) Halobia beds 



(e.) apiriferina beds. 

 ^ (/.) Nugget Point plant beds. 



* Park, Reps, Geol. Expl., 1886-87, p. 146. 



■• 1. Mataura series. 



