32 Transactions. 



time the driest regions of New Zealand are less arid and possess- 

 a more equable climate than Middle Europe, so he considered 

 Carmichaelia, Hymenanthera, Corokia, and some others to be 

 descendants of a forest flora which had been forced to retreat 

 northwards during a rising of the land, which led to the formation 

 of a dry easterly steppe region, where survivors of the forest 

 had become modified and assumed the structure and physi- 

 ognomy of desert plants." If this opinion of Diels is correct,. 

 I think the conditions are easily explained by an increased 

 height of the mountains modifying the climate. However, Dr. 

 Cockayne shows in his paper that the present conditions are- 

 severe enough to account for the plant modifications.* 



(2.) Evidences of Depression. 



The evidence for the lowering of the land below its present 

 level is as follows : — 



(1.) Marine terraces occur at Kaikoura, Port Robinson, 

 Amuri BlufE, Motonau, Conway River, and at Banks Peninsula. 

 They are found as high as 600 ft. above present sea-level at 

 Amuri Bluff. The first five of these have been recorded pre- 

 viously by Haast, Hutton, Hector, and McKay, but the last 

 case has not been previously noted as far as I am aware. The 

 evidence for this is as follows : Round the coast of Banks 

 Peninsula the headlands have in many cases flat extremities. 

 The lava-flows which form them dip outwards at low angles, 

 but the edges of the streams are truncated and cut level on the 

 upper surface. The greatest height at which I have noted this 

 marine terrace is at Lyttelton Heads, where the elevation is 

 over 450 ft. ; the same phenomenon can be seen at Whitewash 

 Head, near Sumner, and at the Long Lookout Point. It is 

 well marked, besides, in other places. The height of this terrace 

 diminishes, as a rule, on those parts of the coast-line which would 

 be exposed during submergence to strong currents and heavy 

 seas. It is low on the southern side of the peninsula. I have 

 not come across in any place traces of marine organisms, but 

 it is not likely they would occur plentifully, or be preservt d 

 when they did occur, in such a position. One of the principal 

 conditions which promote rapid erosion on rocky coasts seems 

 to be the presence of strong currents, which can sweep away the 

 material dislodged by w;.v>' and other action. Headlands which 

 stretch out far into the sea, particularly if the water be deep 

 on either side, will therefore commonly show a marked wave-cut 



*])r. Cockayne has told me privately that he has latterly modified 

 his opinion somewhat, and now thinks that present conditions are hardly 

 severe enough to account for the xerophilouS plant forms. — R. S. 



