Park. — Marine Tertiartes of Otago and Canterbury. 535 



advanced without evidence, but in conformity with the Cre- 

 taceo-Tertiary theory of the Geological Survey. 



As will be shown anon, the Weka Pass Stone is the closing 

 member of the Waipara series, and the Waitaki Stone the 

 closing member of the Oamaru series. The former is a hard 

 limestone, often flaky and fucoidal, and practically devoid of 

 molluscous fossils ; the latter a soft coralline crag, with well- 

 known characteristic molluscs, corals, and echinoderms. 



The lower limestone (Weka Pass Stone) is followed uncon- 

 formably by a considerable thickness of tuffs, impure lime- 

 stone, and calcareous sandstones, containing many of the 

 brachiopods, pectens, corals, &c, of the Kakanui limestones 

 and tuffs. 



These beds are followed by fossiliferous sandstones, shelly 

 sands, sandstones, and clays with brown coal. 



The fossiliferous sandstone contains a number of large 

 molluscs, including Dosinia magna, Tapes cnrta, Gardiwn 

 spatiosum, Crassatellites ampla, Glycimeris globosa, Gucullcea 

 ponderosa, TurrUella cavershamensis, and Dentalium giganteum. 

 Many other forms characteristic of the Oamaru series are 

 recorded by Captain Hutton and Mr. McKay, and need not be 

 enumerated here, as there is no means of determining the 

 relationship between the beds which contain them and the 

 Waitaki Stone. 



It may be of interest to mention that I discovered a 

 fossiliferous horizon not hitherto recorded. On the west bank 

 of the stream which the coach-road crosses before ascending 

 the sideling cutting leading on to the terrace on which Castle 

 Hill Hotel is situated, at a point about 15 chains below the 

 crossing, there is an outcrop of blue sandy clay containing a 

 band of Ostrea ingens, Zittel, in a fine state of preservation, 

 and as large as the examples found at Waitotara. At the 

 same place I collected Galyptrcea scutum, Lesson. 



The oyster-bed appears to lie some distance above the 

 shelly sands and sandstones at the upper end of the gorge of 

 the Thomas Eiver. 



So far as I am aware, Ostrea ingens has not been recorded 

 from the South Island until now. It is a shell distinctly 

 characteristic of the Te Aute series in the North Island, and 

 its presence in the Trelissic basin suggests the question, Are 

 the Motanau beds present in that area '? 



Waipara and Weka Pass. 



Stratigraphy . 



This district has been examined very frequently, and, 

 although the stratigraphy is very clear and free from involve- 

 ment, much confusion has arisen through the endeavours of 



