I'ahk.— Age and Relations of Neiv Zealand Coalfields. 411 



Mr. McKay in 1887 when he wrote, " And all over the west 

 of the Bay of Islands County and in the Hokianga district I 

 judged the relations of the hydraulic limestone to the Ino- 

 cerainns beds to be a relationship showing the stratigraphical 

 conformity of the higher and lower beds mentioned."''' 



The succession of formations determined, by me in 1899' 

 was as follows, in descending order : — 



Miocene : Komiti beds, Pareora series('?) — 



(a.) Foraminiferal limestone, 



{b.) Volcanic tuffs, with lignite. 



(c.) Volcanic breccias. 



[d.) Ferruginous sandstones. 



(c.) Crassatella beds. 



(/.) Sandy clays, with Pecten zittelli. 

 Oligocene : Oamaru series — 



(a.) Whangarei limestones. 



(b.) Calcareous sandstones. 



[d.) Marly greensands, with Tertiary marine fauna. 



[e.) Coal-seams and fireclay. 



(/.) Grits and conglomerates. 

 Cretaceous : Waipara series — 



(ft.) Grey chalky claystones. 



(b.) Hydraulic limestone. 



(c.) Glauconitic greensands. 



(d.) Calcareous flaky sandstone and shaly clays, with 

 Septaria often incrusted with a layer of cone- 

 in-eone limestone. 

 Trias — 



Slaty shales and sandstones forming basement rock of 

 country. 



It is not a little singular that in places outside the North 

 Auckland district the stratigraphical connection of the hy- 

 draulic limestone and Inoceramus shaly clays with cone-in- 

 cone limestone has never been called in question. 



In his first report on East Cape district! Mr. McKay 

 considers them conformable; and in his reports "On the 

 Country between Cape Kidnappers and. Cape Turnagain,"J 

 and " On the Southern Part of the East Wairarapa District, "§ 

 they are shown to belong to the same series, and are placed, 

 in the younger Secondary period. 



A re-examination of the country north of Napier in 1886- 

 did not lead Mr. McKay to change his opinion on this- 



* Reps. Geol. Expl., 1887-88, p. 54. 

 t Reps. Geol. Expl., 1872-73, p. 136. 



I Reps. Geol. Expl., 187i-76, p. 44, and see sections on sheet facing 

 page 50. 



§ Reps. Geol. Expl., 1878-79, p. 72, and sections on sheet facing p. 88. 



