300 Transactions. — Geology. 



of the bush district. In one exposure, between Norsewood and 

 the hills which flank the Euahine Mountains, the lignite is 

 exposed for a thickness of 20 feet, but it is perfectly useless for 

 domestic purposes. Between Norsewood and Danneverke the 

 same pumice and attendant beds are to be met with in every 

 exposure by the wayside, and it would appear as if the whole of 

 the district, — from the lower hills flanking the spurs of the 

 Euahine mountains to the limestones and marls which pass 

 down the left bank of the Manawatu Eiver, — was simply an 

 extension of the Kidnapper pumice section. I have followed 

 portions of these pumice beds as far as the Manawatu Gorge, 

 where the shingle conglomerate and pumice are met with over- 

 lying limestones, as is the case in so many other places. The 

 pumice deposits to the west, north-west, and north of Marae- 

 kakaho all belong to the Kidnapper section. They can be 

 traced from Maraekakaho to Kereru, thence to Pohui, Te Kapu, 

 Murumuru, Te Eeinga, and onwards to Poverty Bay, where 

 they form the lower slopes of all the hills to the east, north, 

 and north-west of Gisborne township. In the Poverty Bay 

 pumice beds the shingle is not so largely developed as in the 

 district further south, but fine specimens of fossil leaves are 

 obtainable from the white pumice beds. The leaves are quite 

 unlike those found in the Kidnapper beds already referred to. 

 They are of smaller size, and most of them appear to be similar 

 to leaves which may now be found growing in the higher and 

 more elevated lands of this island. 



Up to the present time I have found 44 varieties of fossil 

 leaves in the Poverty Bay beds, and two specimens of lycopods. 

 In the lignite beds of this district fossil ferns are abundant ; but 

 I have not yet been able to spare time to make a collection, 

 such as I hope to do shortly. In the "New Zealand Guide to 

 the Geological Exhibits at the Indian and Colonial Exhibition," 

 published last year, Sir James Hector, in his classification of 

 the rocks constituting the Pliocene formation, places the pumice 

 and conglomerate beds just described below what are known as 

 the Napier or Scinde Island limestones. The classification made 

 by the Geological Department of the Pliocene rocks, in descend- 

 ing order, is as follows : — 



(a.) Dispersed gravels ; 



(b.) Napier series (limestones and marls) ; 



(c. ) Lignite series ; 



{(l.) Kereru series. 

 These several series are followed by the Te Aute series, 

 which the Geological Department places at the top, or among 

 the highest beds of the Miocene formation. In the " New Zea- 

 land Handbook," also published by Sir James Hector, page 2G, 

 the classification of the Pliocene formation is somewhat different 

 from the above, the Scinde Island limestones being placed with 



