4: Transactions. 



measures. This view has been advanced by Cox (8, pp. 17-18), but the 

 available evidence is inconclusive, and for the present one must regard 

 the supposed discordance as doubtful. 



3. Hikurangi, Kamo, and Whangarei Districts. — Cox, reporting on the 

 Whangarei district in 1877 (5, pp. 95-106) and 1881 (8, pp. 15 et seq.), finds 

 the geology of the coal-measures and associated beds difficult to explain. 

 He places unconformities both above and below the Whangarei limestone 

 (8, pp. 17-18). In 1884 McKay (11, pp. 110-22) refers all the sedimentary 

 strata associated with or overlying the coal-measures to the Cretaceo-tertiary 

 formation, and recognizes no unconformities. In 1894 the same geologist 

 states that at Hikurangi the apparently unconformable relation of the 

 Whangarei limestone to the beds above and below " has to be accounted 

 for by dislocation and faulting of the beds along certain lines " (17, p. 61), 

 which, however, he does not definitely indicate. He further mentions 

 that the fossils from the beds immediately overlying the coal at Hikurangi 

 are found also in corresponding beds at Kamo and Kawakawa, and occur 

 in the coalfields of Canterbury and the west coast of the South Island. 

 The fossils referred to are presumably those mentioned by Cox in his 

 reports — namely, Cardium brunneri and " Ostrea carhonacea." A brief 

 examination of the Whangarei and Kawakawa districts made by the writer 

 a few months ago has not afforded any fresh evidence bearing on the question 

 of conformity or unconformity in the so-called Cretaceo-tertiary sequence. 

 Flows of volcanic rock and deep surface clays ofier impediments to the 

 collection of geological data. Faulting, too, seems to be prevalent. Thus, 

 with our present knowledge, no decided conclusion regarding the uncon- 

 formities suggested b}' Cox can be reached. A suspicion that there is an 

 unconformity below the Whangarei limestone seems justified. 



4. Waipu. — Hector, in 1877 (4, p. vi of Progress Report), states that 

 at Morrison's Caves, behind Waipu, limestone rests unconformably on 

 greensand. 



5. Pahi and Paparoa. — In 1881 and 1882 Cox reports that near Pahi 

 the Whangarei limestone of Eocene age rests unconformably upon the 

 chalk-marls of Cretaceo-tertiary age, and is also unconformably overlain 

 by Miocene greensand (8, pp. 18-19, 33-34* ; 9, p. 23). His section 

 (9, p. 19) intended to illustrate these unconformities is to some extent un- 

 satisfactory, for although it clearly shows the Miocene rocks resting on 

 the upturned edges of the hydraulic limestone, yet it brings the Whangarei 

 limestone into a position of which faulting is the most probable explana- 

 tion, thus leaving the question of unconformity between it and the hydraulic 

 limestone entirely open. In 1887 Park confirms the presence of an uncon- 

 formity between the Miocene greensand and the underlying rocks, which 

 he considers to be of Jurassic age, and illustrates his views by sections 

 (13, pp. 222, 224 ; see also remarks on Komiti Point, postea). In an 

 earlier report, however, he describes the Pahi rocks without mentioning 

 any xmconformity (12, pp. 168-69), and gives the generic names of a large 

 number of fossils collected from a steeply dipping greensand which both 

 he and Cox state underlies the hydraulic limestone. The list certainly 

 has a Miocene facies, and unless it can be proved that the apparently in- 

 ferior position of the greensand is due to faulting or to overfolding the 

 age of the hydraulic limestone becomes very doubtful. The Pahi section 



* Presumably the word " unconformably " ought to be inserted in the bottom 

 line of page 33 of Cox's report. 



