212 PROCEEDINGS OF SECTION C. 



To sum up the whole question as it stands at present, it must 

 be stated that Park's contention cannot be regarded as satisfac- 

 torily maintained, and unless other evidence is forthcommg his 

 hypothesis must be considered untenable. 



At the beginning of this year two parties visited the head 

 waters of the Rakaia and Rangitata Rivers on the eastern side of 

 the Southern Alps, and as a result of their work a substantial modi- 

 fication must be made in the accepted size of the glaciers in that 

 locahty. Those at the head of the Rangitata are much larger than 

 represented on maps, while the Lyell Glacier is much smaller and 

 cannot exceed five miles in length. Till the recent investigations 

 our knowledge concerning the Lyell Glacier was based entirely on the 

 report made by Haast in 1866, and the country is still almost 

 unknown. 



The Geological Survey Department has just issued a report on 

 the Franz Josef Glacier with letterpress by the Director, Dr. J. M. 

 Bell, and a map by R. P. Greville. The map is excellent, and the 

 report gives a concise account of the main features of this interesting 

 glacier. A special feature is the record of observations on the 

 movement of the ice, which show that either this is not as great 

 as has formerly been supposed or that the rate is changing. The 

 speed varies from 79 to 1*240 feet per day at various stations, the 

 observations ranging over a period of 134 days. At present one 

 portion of the terminal face is rapidly advancing. 



An interesting fact is pointed out by Cockayne in his list of 

 plants near the glacier, viz., that the Alpine plants have followed 

 the ice down from the higher levels, and the statement made 

 originally by Haast and widely circulated in geological Uterature, 

 that the terminal face is in the midst of subtropical vegetation, is 

 not altogether correct, as it contains a very important alpine 

 element. 



4.— REPORT ON THE STRUCTURAL FEATURES OF NEW ZEALAND. 

 By R. SPEIGHT, M.Sc, F.G.S. 



(Committee appointed Hobart meeting, 1902.) 



The chief recent work bearing on the evolution of the structural 

 features of New Zealand has been done by the Geological Survey, 

 which has published from time to time reports in the form of 

 Bulletins dealing with isolated areas, primarily interesting on 

 account of the occurrence of minerals of possible economic value. 

 The first seven of the Bulletins were referred to by Dr. Marshall in 

 his report to the last meeting of the Association. 



In Bulletin No. 8 (" Geology of the Whangaroa Subdivision, 

 Hokianga, North Auckland "), J. M. Bell and E. de C. Clarke give 

 a thorough report of the features of part of the North Auckland 

 Peninsula. The oldest rocks of the area (Waipapa series), of 

 probable late Palaeozoic or early Mesozoic age, consist of argillites, 

 greywackes, cherts, quartzites, and crystalline limestones, which 



