350 Transactions. 



indicative of the proximity of land. The presence of coal points to 

 estuarine conditions, and to the existence of a neighbouring land-surface, 

 whether the coal be formed from plants growing in situ or from drift 

 material. 



The beds succeeding the coal afford evidence of a gradual deepening 

 of the sea, in which sand, greensand, and limestones were progressively laid 

 down ; but shore-line conditions must have obtained even then, for the 

 limestone almost invariably thins out or disappears or is replaced by sandy 

 beds as it is followed towards the old land-surface formed of Trias-Jura 

 rocks. 



It has also been noted by Hutton that at Stonyhurst a bed of conglo- 

 merate formed of subangular pebbles of slate lies between the Amuri lime- 

 stone and the Weka Pass stone, thus showing that the shore-line was fairly 

 close even at the time that the limestones were deposited in this area (Quart. 

 Journ. Geol. Soc., vol. 41, 1885, p. 271). 



It must be admitted, however, that the evidence of the presence of a 

 shore-line is not apparent in all localities where the Tertiary sediments occur, 

 but it is probable that the littoral deposits into which the limestone must 

 graduallv pass as it is followed landwards have been removed by denudation. 

 The long strips in which this now occurs have been tilted by earth-move- 

 ments, and now frequently occupy the floor and north-westerly flanks of 

 the valleys, and the part which abuts against the more resistant Trias- 

 Jura rocks has been necessarily more exposed to erosive agents working 

 along the line of junction of the rocks, especially as the lower members 

 of the overlying series consist of somewhat incoherent sands. There is a 

 distinct suggestion of the former higher extension of these covering beds 

 up the flanks of the mountains in the appearance of the landscape imme- 

 diately above the present limits of the Tertiary beds, the most striking 

 form being long valleys cut approximately parallel to the line of strike 

 of the Tertiary beds by old subsequent streams operating along the line of 

 junction of the two series, and for a part of their course incising the harder- 

 rock underneath. The character of the soil indicates that the limestones 

 and associated beds once had a much farther upward extension than they 

 now have. 



A striking illustration of this is found in the valley of the Pareora River, 

 about ten miles from Timaru. Here the Tertiary beds are found passing 

 over the hills of Trias-Jura rock, arching with the rise of the ground and 

 completelv capping the tops in some cases, as at Craigmore, without any 

 break in continuity owing to erosion ; while farther north the uncovered 

 greywackes project through the Tertiaries. This case is most interesting, 

 as it shows that warping movements have taken place since the Tertiaries 

 were laid down in that locality, and thus renders it probable that similar 

 movements have taken place elsewhere within the Canterbury District, 

 and increases the probability of the wider extension of these beds than exists 

 at present. 



After the deposit of the limestones the sea shallowed either by aggra- 

 dation or by elevation of the bottom, for marls, sands, and coarse rubbly 

 beds with fragments of shells, succeeded by incoherent sandy and marly 

 beds with a littoral fauna, are widespread in Canterbury. It has been 

 pointed out as well that in the Trelissick basin coal-beds occur among the 

 upper members of the series, with marine beds lying on top, showing that 

 the sea advanced over the area once more. It seems, therefore, perfectly 

 clear that the deposits were laid down in the vicinity of a shore-line, but in 



