304 Transactions. — Geology. 



to describe some of the beds belonging to what I have described 

 as the Kidnapper pumice section. His words are : — " These 

 beds are covered by others of a peculiar white stone, including 

 much gypsum, and resembling chalk, but really of a pumiceous 

 nature. These white beds are everywhere capped by a mass of 

 gravel, forming probably one of the largest beds of shingle in 

 the world." ■ • • " Yet all this gravel has been transported, 

 and probably rounded, subsequently to the deposition of the white 

 beds, and long subsequently to the underlying beds with the 

 tertiary shells." 



I ought to have mentioned that the Moa footprints which 

 may be found at the mouth of the Turanganui Eiver at 

 Poverty Bay, at low water, are in the pumice deposits, which are 

 largely exposed at this place. Footprints of birds were also 

 found in the pumice beds on the Napier Hills, when the fresh 

 water reservoir was being dug out at the corner of Lighthouse 

 Eoad. 



Third period. — Cretaceo-tertianj ? (Miocene). — A pumice depo- 

 sit, interbedded with blue marls. 



This, I suppose, must be called the Cretaceo-tertiary pumice 

 deposit, because in each place, with a single exception, where 

 the pumice is found the rocks are classed as Cretaceo-tertiary 

 by the Geological Department. No mention is made, as far as 

 I know, in any of the geological reports of the existence of a 

 pumice deposit among the Cretaceo-tertiary rocks ; but there can 

 be no doubt as to the existence of such— that is, if the classifi- 

 cation made by the Geological Department be a correct one. 

 Commencing at Tologa Bay, at the most northerly point of the 

 district dealt with, the blue marls and clays running along the 

 northern shore of the bay are described (in " Geological Report, 

 1887," page 152,) as belonging to the Cretaceo-tertiary for- 

 mation. The cliffs at this place rise to a height of about 150 feet, 

 and they dip to the north-west at an angle of about five degrees. 

 Interbedded with the blue clays and marls is a band of some- 

 what coarse pumice-sand, which varies in thickness from 2 feet 

 to 3 feet. Overlying the pumice band the rocks appear to have 

 scattered through their mass large pumice grits, as if the clays 

 and pumice-sands had been mixed together by the action of 

 water. This is characteristic of many of the blue rocks which 

 are exposed between Tologa Bay and the Mahia Peninsula. In 

 some places the pumice is of the size of large pebbles. As 

 regards the pumice band itself, it is continuous throughout the 

 whole extent of the exposed beds. About 10 miles to the south 

 of Tologa Bay there is a place on the coast known as " Hole in 

 the Wall." It is so called from a small archway formed in the 

 rocks by sea-action, and subsequently enlarged as a roadway to 

 avoid a somewhat dangerous beach. Here a pumice band again 

 appears, similar to that seen at Tologa Bay. The rocks dip to 



