352 Transactions. — Geology. 



of this valley, vJiilst the liniestoues are seen topping the hills 

 in every direction. At Greenmeadows, near Taradale, Mr. 

 Gilberd pnt dov»'n for j\lr. Tiffen, so recently as March of the 

 present year, a tnbe-hore to a depth of GOOffc. I had pointed 

 out on two different occasions, in papers read before this 

 society, that the place chosen was outside the artesian water- 

 ])earing area ; yet the sinking was proceeded with, and, though 

 no water was reached, it proved to be of great scientific value, 

 as it connected the lower beds in the well with the blue clays 

 at the Kidnappers, which undoubtedly pass underneath the 

 limestones at the Black Eeef . In this sinking no traces of 

 conglomerates or sands other than pumice-sands were met 

 with, blue papa or blue clays being the only rock passed 

 through during the sinking below the first 150ft. Now, this 

 sinking is within a mile and a quarter of the Eedcliffe con- 

 glomerates, and it is within half a mile of the upper pumice- 

 deposits belonging to the Eedcliffe Ijed. There were no signs 

 of the Pohui ccuglomorates — triple conglomerates — and brown- 

 sand beds, or even of the Kaiwaka beds that are held by the 

 Survey to underlie the Petaue clay-marls and brown sands, 

 and which come between the latter and the Te Ante lime- 

 stones in the official report of the Geological Department. 



Let it be kept clearly in mind that the limestones at the 

 Black Eeef, inside of the Kidnappers, are recognized in the 

 report as belonging to the Te Ante, or, which is the same thing, 

 the Te Whaka limestones. The blue sands and blue clay- 

 marls of the Kidnappers proper are seen to pass underneath 

 these limestones, and are certainly met with in the 600ft. 

 sinking at the Greenmeadows, near Taradale, to which refer- 

 ence was made above. Near the latter place the Survey 

 recognizes the existence of Petane clays, with the Eedcliffe 

 conglomerates atop of them. Corresponding conglomerates 

 also rest upon the Petane clays behind the Kidnappers, half a 

 mile or so to the south-east of the Black Eeef, just as they 

 rest on the limestones at the latter place. 



But the question arises as to the whereabouts of the inter- 

 vening beds — the Pohui and Kaiwaka sands and conglomerates 

 of the Geological Survey. There is no trace of them in the 

 vicinity of the Kidnappers, just as there is no ti'ace of them on 

 the east side of the Euataniwha Plain and surrounding dis- 

 trict. They cannot be traced by means of deep sinkings 

 either at Napier, Petane, Taradale, or Puketapu. Neither in 

 the depths below nor in the exposed rocks above are any traces 

 of the Pohui and Kaiwaka beds found, other than as repre- 

 sented in the Kidnapper, Eedcliffe, Maraetaha (inner harbour), 

 and Petane conglomerates, sands, and pumice-deposits. Are 

 we to suppose that these Pohui and Kaiwaka beds which are 

 structurally similar to the Kidnapper and Eedcliffe beds, and 



