Marshai.t., Speight, Cotton. — Youn<fer Foch-iterieti of X.Z. 405 



fauna is closely questioned doubts are at once raised as to the correctness 

 of inference drawn from it. 



Thus, of the twenty-eight species of Awamoa molluscs listed by Park* 

 only fourteen occur in the list of thirty-six species recorded in the Mount 

 Brown beds,! '^^^^^ eleven of his twenty species at Pareora. Again, eight of 

 these PareoraJ species are listed in the twenty-eight of the Awamoa, and 

 eleven of the twenty occur in the Black Point beds, while thirteen of the 

 twenty-eight Awamoa fossils in the Black Point and eleven of the twenty- 

 three Hampden Beach fossils are found in the Black Point beds. So that 

 when reduced to actual figures these lists do not show any special resem- 

 blances. In nearly every case about 50 per cent, of the species in one list 

 are found in other lists. It is certainly true that far more complete col- 

 lections are required before palaeontology can be used as a basis for forming 

 an opinion as to the exact stratigraphical position of any of these beds. 

 When applied to the Waitaki and Oamaru limestone of Park, palaeontology 

 is still less satisfactory. Thus, of four species stated§ as distinctive of the 

 Waitaki stone three are quoted as found in the Oamaru stone. Again, the 

 Oamaru stone near the old Miocene shore-line is said to " gradually merge 

 into a yellowish-brown calcareous sandstone containing the scattered remains 

 of huge echinoderms."|| The Waitaki stone as it approaches the old shore- 

 lines is " represented by the band of yellowish-brown calcareous sandstone 

 with Meoma cratvfo'rdi.''\\ Since, as before stated, Boehm did not distinguish 

 between the two limestones, and since in no place can two limestones be 

 seen in the same section except at Kakanui, where volcanic matter is inter- 

 calated, even in this district, where limestone is very generally developed 

 and nearly always seen in exposed sections, it appears unreasonable to 

 attempt to maintain the presence of two limestone beds. 



The fauna throughout the various shell-beds, as already stated, main- 

 tains a general resemblance whether beneath or above the limestone, which 

 is seldom more than 50 ft. thick. This merely shows that in this area, 

 which was m.arginal during the deepest depression, little change took place 

 in the littoral fauna during the deposition of the limestone. Greensands 

 occur below the limestone at Maerewhenua, and above it at the Oamaru 

 rifle-butts, Hutchinson's Quarry, and Deborah Railway-station. In the 

 three last named the brachiopods are almost solely large Magellanias ; in 

 the former, smaller species and Bouchardias. It is not desired to insist 

 upon this difference, for it may be due to a difference in station, but it does 

 at least suggest hesitation in correlating these greensands, as is done by 

 Park. 



We are, however, in complete agreement with. Park in his belief that 

 there are no unconformities other than those of an interformational nature 

 associated with volcanic outbursts in the Oamaru district. The uncon- 

 formities supposed to separate the Miocene, Eocene, and Cretaceo-tertiary 

 of Hector, and the Oamaru and Pareora systems of Hutton, were found 

 not to exist. On the other hand, clear interformational unconformities 

 are to be seen at Hutchinson's Quarry and in many places at Oamaru Cape, 

 and in every case they are associated with the presence of fragmental 

 volcanic matter. 



The general idea of a single stratigraphical series being present is, we 

 believe, very strongly supported by the fact that there is no place in New 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst., vol. 37, p. 512, 1905. f Loc. cit., p. 540. % Loc. cit., p. 531. 



§ Loc. cit., p. 494. II Loc. cit., p. 496. 



