450 Transactions. — Geology. 



geology of the Manuherikia Valley, and also in 1864, when he 

 determined the succession of the beds in the Shag Point 

 district. Sir Julius von Haast reported on the Shag Point 

 coalfield in the Geological Eeports for 1873-74, page 25, and 

 Captain Hutton, describing the Waipara formation in the 

 geology of Otago, refers to the septaria of Moeraki. Another 

 colonial geologist, Mr. Cox, in his report of 1877, refers to 

 their stratigraphical position in connection with the Shag 

 Point series of beds. Still later Mr. McKay examined the 

 geology of the coast-line from Moeraki Peninsula to Kakauui,* 

 and states that " overlying the lower greensands are some 

 dark muds or carbonaceous clays more than 100 ft. thick, 

 which in these lower beds contain the celebrated Moeraki 

 boulders, which, whether spheroidal or flattened, are usually 

 enveloped in a coating of cone-in-cone limestone." 



Flattened boulders covered with cone-in-cone limestone 

 are seen in the bed of the Little Kini Creek, opposite Hamp- 

 den Eail way-station. The beds containing boulders reach the 

 beach at the mouth of the creek ; but there they are mostly 

 flattened, and it is only when seen further south within tide- 

 marks that they take the perfectly spheroidal form. There 

 are also spherical and elliptical ferruginous concretions on the 

 Katiki Beach, on which a few saurian remains have been 

 found. 



In the report for 1890-91, page 47, Mr. McKay has a 

 humorous and lucid description of the difference between the 

 grey and the brown " boulders." 



Sir James Hector also refers to them in his appendix to 

 the same report (page 173). Captain Hutton, in his " Sketch 

 of the Geology of New Zealand,"! includes the beds in his 

 Pareora system. 



Analysis of Moeraki Boulder. 



Carbonate of lime 

 Silica ... 

 Alumina 

 Peroxide of iron 

 Organic matter .. . 



10000 

 Contained when received 2 per cent, of water. 



Note on the Fragment of Bone referred to above. 

 The external form of this fragment conveys no idea of its 

 nature ; but slices carefully prepared for the microscope 



* Rep. of Geol. Survey, 1886-87, p. 223. 

 t Quart. Journ. Geol. Soc, May, 1885. 



