GuDEX. — Striated Stones frovi Upper Waimakariri Valley. 33 



Art. VJ. — Some Striated Stones fror)i the St. Bernard Saddle, Upper 



Waimakariri Valley. 



By M. C. GuDEX. 



Communicated by E. Speight. 



[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 2nd September, 1908.] 



Although almost all proofs of glaciatioii are frequently met with in New- 

 Zealand, it is remarkable that the discovery of ice-striated stones has 

 been seldom recorded. In 1904 Mr. E. G. Hogg* recorded his discovery 

 of striated stones at Lake Wakatipu. 



The St. Bernard Saddle is really the terminal moraine of an old 

 glacier which came down the valley of the Bealey over the Goldney 

 Saddle and rounded the hill west of the Cass River. x\ll the surround- 

 ing country bears unmistakable evidence of having been subjected to 

 glaciation, for small lakes, roches moutonnees, moraines, and glacier- 

 terraces are to be seen on every hand. Probably the most remarkable 

 feature to be seen from the Saddle is a series of glacier-terraces high up 

 on the slope of the hill to the right ; all are parallel and dip slightly to 

 the south, thus showing the direction of the glacier's motion. The St. 

 Bernard Saddle, which is the most characteristic moraine, is well exposed 

 in section in a great many railway-cuttings, shingle-pits, and road-cuttings. 

 A typical section f shows that this morainic debris has been assorted by 

 the action of streams flowing from the glacier, for the current- bedding is 

 well defined. The angular nature of the boulders, however, shows that 

 they cannot have been carried fai by streams. A careful search among 

 the stones thrown to the sides of the cuttings reveals many good speci- 

 mens of striated stones of all sizes. They are usually composed of 

 greywacke, but sometimes they are composed of blue slate. They possess 

 a characteristic oval or round shape with parallel striae, and this is 

 decisive proof of the nature of tlieir origin. The late Captain Hutton 

 once expressed the opinion tliat few striated stones would be found in 

 Canterbury ; but the opening-up of the shingle-pits and cuttings at the 

 St. Bernard Saddle has exposed many good, specimens. These stones 

 are an additional proof of the former glaciation of the Qpper Waimakariri 

 Valley. 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., xxxvii, 1904, p. 426. 



t See Plate I. 



2— Traus. 



