Morgan. — Records of Unconformities in Neiv Z(ah//id. 11 



McKay in 1881 confirms this by a section, three miles north of Motunau, 

 which shows the Amuri limestone followed unconformably by Mount Brown 

 and Pareora beds (8, p. 115). He also reports that the Teredo limestone 

 (a part of the '' Cretaceo-tertiary " sequence) is in unconformable contact 

 witli Tertiary rocks. Marshall, Speight, and Cotton, however, state that a 

 careful examination of the creek section fails to reveal anv discordance 

 (47. p. 392). 



3. Trelissick Basin. — 'According to McKay's report of 1881, the Tre- 

 lissick basin contains a fairly complete succession of Cretaceo-tertiary, Upper 

 Eocene, and Lower Miocene rocks, with rmconformities between the main 

 divisions (8, p. 60 et seq.). The map and sections in this report are stated 

 to be the work of Hector in 1872 (p. 54). In 1887 Hutton also considers 

 that there are two unconformities in the Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks, 

 but apparently disagrees with McKay as to the horizon of the upper one 

 (26, p. 408). In 1905 Park finds himself unable to reach any definite 

 conclusion concerning unconformity (41, p. 534). Marshall, Speight, and 

 Cotton state that the interpretation is very difficult owing to disturb- 

 ances caused by volcanic action, but no undoubted unconformity can be 

 seen (47, p. 392). In a recent paper Speight again takes a similar view 

 (61, p. 342). 



Summary. — Although palaeontological data strongly support uncon- 

 formity between Cretaceous and Tertiary rocks in North Canterburv, the 

 recorded stratigraphical evidence is inconclusive, the weight of authority 

 being possibly in favour of conformity. The writer, however, has observed 

 what is at least local unconformity at Weka Pass, and can see little or no 

 reason, other than the opposition of Hector, McKay, and Marshall, why 

 Hutton's view should not be at least provisionally accepted for this 

 important section. 



VIII. West Coast op South Island. 



1. Collingwood and West Wanganui (Westhaven) . — -In this district bitu- 

 minous and brown coals exist in two horizons, separated by a considerable 

 thickness of strata, which, so far as known, consist of shale, sandstone, and 

 conglomerate. In 1883 Cox places the bituminous coal in the Lower Green- 

 sand (Cretaceous) Series, and the brown coal in the Cretaceo-tertiary sequence 

 (10, pp. 71-72). His sections, however, show the two coal-bearing forma- 

 tions as conformable. On the other hand, he states that the calcareous 

 rocks at a higher horizon are probably unconformable to the coal-bearing 

 series, the evidence for this consisting in overlap on the eastern side of the 

 Wliakamarama Mountains (p. 73). He admits, however, that in the West 

 Wc^-nganui section no unconformity can be traced.* A few years later 

 Park reports that the bituminous and brown coals both belong to 

 one conformable series, the Cretaceo-tertiary (15, p. 238). In 1910 he 

 places both coal horizons in his Waimangaroa Series of Upper Eocene age 

 (45, pp. 310-12). From the data at present available, it seems that in the 

 Collingwood district there is at least 2,000 ft. of fresh-water strata contain- 

 ing a number of thin coal-seams, the uppermost of which are pitch, and the 

 lowest bituminous in character. A bore recently drilled at Eakopi, on 

 the east side of West Wanganui Inlet (now known as Westhaven), passed 

 through no fewer than seventy-three seams of coal from 3 in. to 1 ft. 9 in. 



* As a matter of fact, overlap does exist south of West Wanganui Inlet. 



