Fox. — The Waitemata Series. 459 



alters so remarkably. This line of argument is immensely 

 strengthened by some outcrops hitherto unrecorded. The 

 most interesting of these are some reefs in the harbour which 

 are uncovered at lowtide and may then be examined. I 

 cannot do better than represent these various outcrops 

 diagramatically. The positions are shown by an X and Y 

 respectively, the Y standing for the bed with coarse texture 

 and the X for the bed with fine : — ■ 



Now, it can be shown that very probably the coarse bed 

 is derived from the Waitakerei vents, and it is difficult to 

 see how such a distribution as that shown above could be 

 effected. How is it that none of the large blocks reached 

 the spots marked with an X, while great numbers reached 

 those marked with a Y ? Supposing this due to currents, 

 those currents must have been somewhat peculiar ones. 

 But this argument from variation of texture does not stand 

 alone ; it is supported by much stronger ones. 



(2.) The fossil contents of tlie beds are different. I have 

 examined more than half a dozen outcrops of the coarse bed 

 at widely separated localities, and more than a dozen out- 

 crops of the finer bed at spots equally far apart. In every 

 one of the former fossils are plentiful, especially Bryozoa 

 and Pectens, the total number of fossils in the coarse out- 

 crops amounting to more than forty species. In more than 

 twice as many outcrops of the latter I found scarcely any 

 fossils, a species of Bryozoa (Fasciculipora ramosa) being 

 the only usual one. Moreover, the fossils of the coarse bed* 

 show a blending of Miocene and Oligocene forms just as we 

 find in the Papakura limestone, while the fine bed can be 

 shown on independent evidence to be decidedly Miocene. 



(3.) The stratigraphy gives direct evidence in favour of the 

 beds being distinct. I cannot mention all the minor facts 

 which receive an explanation on this hypothesis and become 

 difficulties on any other. I shall merely mention the two 

 clearest indications that the beds are distinct. 



* List on page 468. 



