350 Transactions. — Geology. 



rest, there intervene, or ought to intervene according to the 

 amended classification of the Geological Department, no less 

 than eight beds, corresponding to the Pohiii and the Kaiwaka 

 series. 



At Taradale, four miles from Napier, the Petane beds 

 occur, and the Petane limestones overtop them where the 

 conglomerates are absent. There is certainly not a trace of 

 any intervening beds between the Napier or Scinde Island 

 limestones and the Te Aute limestones, or between the latter 

 limestones and the Petane clays, and exactly the same diffi- 

 culty arises here which Mr. McKay saw would follow his 

 squeezing process, where, in the sixth extract I have made 

 from his report, he says that " the clays overlying the Te 

 Aute limestones along the eastern side of the Euataniwha 

 Plain may belong to these beds ; but in this case the Joiver 

 members of the Kaiwaka beds would have to be considered 

 absent, as also would the Eangimapapa and the Pohui beds." 

 Now, if Mr. McKay is willing to recognize the clays on the 

 eastern side of the Euataniwha Plain, and which overlie the 

 Te Aute limestones, as belonging to the Petane clays, why 

 may he not consider the same as being possible in the case of 

 the Petane clays at Eedclifle? But, whether he does so or 

 not, the fact remains that in order to make his classification 

 work it is necessary to consider all members of the Pohui and 

 Kaiwaka beds as absent in this district as in the Eua-taniwha 

 district. 



The limestones at the Black Eeef dip underneath the 

 Heretaunga Plain in the direction of Eedclifie, and it is cer- 

 tain that up the creek near the Black Eeef, where the con- 

 glomerates, &c., are absent, the Petane clays are largely 

 developed. The same thing occurs over the entire district. 

 If the denudation has been very great the clays have gone, 

 and the lower limestones have the pumice and conglomerates 

 resting on them, whilst if the denudation has not been exces- 

 sive the conglomerates, &c., rest upon the blue clays; but 

 in the latter instance some of the former beds are absent. 

 At Napier the upper limestones have been worn awaj' in places 

 by the denudation resulting from beds corresponding to the 

 Kidna'pper conglomerates. At Petane the same thing has 

 occurred ; and, in fact, the rule holds good over tlie whole of 

 the district. 



With regard to the Petane clays, I woidd point out, with 

 all due deference to Mr. McKay, that these clays have their 

 equivalents — identical as to material and identical as to 

 fossils — on Scinde Island, and that these clays are found with 

 the marls separating. the upper and lower limestones, just as 

 they are met with in the Waipatiki Creek, but without a 

 trace of pumice, as stated in the official repoj-t. I have lately 



