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normal agents of erosion. It must be remembered, however, that there 

 has been exceedingly little exploration of the higher ground, and that 

 small cirques may exist. In the valley of the Branch River, at a height of 

 about 4,000 ft., I observed from above a peculiar accumulation of debris 

 which seems neither the result of talus slopes nor of stream-action. The 

 upper part of the valley consists of a large depression, circular at the top 

 in plan, filled with a steeply sloping mass of talus in large blocks often 

 many feet in diameter, below which water may be heard trickling. This 

 depression may possibly be a cirque since filled with talus. Farther down 

 the valley, at the point of junction with a large tributary on the right side, 

 there is a large accumulation of shingle running out horizontally from the 

 intervening spur, to which it forms a continuation for some hundred or 

 more yards. The broad top is divided into two parts by a median longi- 

 tudinal impression. The only explanation of this peculiar accumulation 

 that has suggested itself to me is that it is the commencement of a median 

 moraine formed by the coalescence of two lateral moraines with the inter- 

 mediate depression not filled. Obviously, however, it is a fairly recent 

 feature, formed after considerable dissection of the range had taken place. 



Fio. 4. — Moraine -like aceuniulation in the Upper Bran.eh- 



[h) in front elevation. 



(ft) in side elevation, 



The Kaikoura Mountains are asymmetrical owing to the existence of 

 the fault-scarp on the south-eastern side, and have always been so. It is 

 rather on the more gently sloping north-western side, therefore, that snow- 

 fields would be likely to accumulate, and the effects of glaciation may be 

 expected to be more intense on that side, which has not been explored. 

 The same holds true for the Looker-on Range. It must be remembered, 

 however, that the north-west side is the more sunny side, and is exposed 

 to the dry north-westerly winds. 



Aj^art from the slight glaciation, the ranges have been greatly dissected 

 by stream erosion, coupled with severe frost-action on the higher ground. 

 Except on actual cliffs, the summits are mantled over with angular blocks of 

 immense size, and Mount St. Bernard, the top of which is dome-shaped, 

 presents the appearance of a gigantic mound of shingle. The upper parts 

 of nearly all the streams consist of huge shingle-slips, and the streams 

 are thus heavily loaded with waste, which nevertheless soon becomes 

 rounded in its transport down-stream. In spite of the immense erosion 

 which is made evident, neither the enclosing ranges nor the Middle Clarence 

 Valley have entirely lost their original asymmetrical character. 



The Looker-on Range descends to the valley in spurs of comparatively 

 even and gentle slope, whereas the Kaikoura Range presents much steeper 

 slopes, especially in the lower part, where steep spurs end abruptly near 

 the fault-line. This asymmetry is more marked opposite the Tapuaenuku 



