520 Transactions. — Geology. 



Black Point, Waitaki Valley. 



A narrow bench of the Tertiary series runs parallel with 

 the Waitaki Eailway from near Black Point to Otekaike, a 

 distance of some twelve miles. It rests upon the metamor- 

 phic rocks of the Kakanui series, and forms a line of bold 

 steep escarpment which presents many fine faces for critical 

 examination. Perhaps the most interesting and important 

 part of this long section is that exposed at the old Black 

 Point Coal-mine, nearly opposite Borton Bailway - station, 

 where the basement beds of the Tertiary series are very 

 clearly exposed. 



Stratigraphy. 



Mr. McKay ::: examined, and afterwards accurately de- 

 scribed, the stratigraphy of this place in 1876. The numbers 

 of the Tertiary series in descending order are as follows : — 



1. Waitaki Stone, with 1a adhering to base. 

 1a. Glauconitic sandstone, fossiliferous. 



2. Sandstones, often micaceous and gritty. 



3. Busty-brown sands and sandstone, containing 



layers of hard calcareous nodules and lens- 

 shaped masses. 



4. Fireclays, carbonaceous shales, and brown coal. 



5. Quartz and sandstone conglomerates, often limon- 



itic. 

 The arrangement and relationships of these beds are 

 shown in fig. 9. 



ITE. swr 



Tig S. 



Section at Black Point Coal-mine. 



1. Waitaki Stone. 1a. Glauconitic sandstone. 2. Sandstones, often 

 micaceous. 3. Sandstones, with hard nodules and layers, fossili- 

 ferous. 4. Fireclays, shales, and brown coal. 5. Conglomerates, 

 often limonitic. G. Metamorphic rocks. 



Fossils. 



The sandstones overlying the coal-shales contain a large 

 number of fossils, of which a considerable collection was 

 made. The fossils in the hard calcareous nodules are gene- 



* Reports of Geol. Kxpls., 187G-77, p. 52. 



