89 REPORT—1862. 
ally in granitic and hornblendic (syenitic) rocks or their débris ; and whereas, though 
this is rare in New Zealand, there is, according to the testimony of Mr. Haast, 
the Government geologist of the Canterbury province, at least one good instance of 
such an occurrence in the province of Nelson (in the beds of the rivers Roto-iti 
and Roto-roa, where the gold could apparently only have been derived from the 
decomposition or degradation of rocks of a syenitic or hornblendic character) ;—the 
attention of prospectors and miners, not only in the province of Auckland, but in 
that of Otago and, indeed, in all the New Zealand provinces (all of which will 
- probably be found to be toa greater or less extent auriferous), should be directed 
to drifts derived from granitic and hornblendic rocks, as well as to those resulting 
from the detrition of Silurian and other slates. 
7. That it is probable the auriferous system of rocks (the supposed Silurian 
slates) extends tom the province of Otago into the adjacent provinces of South- 
land and Canterbury—from Nelson (where they are already known to exist to an 
extent second only to that in Otago, and where, indeed, “ gold-fields” have 
been successfully worked for a considerably longer period) into Canterbury—and 
from Auckland into Wellington and adjacent districts—though to what extent re- 
mains to be determined by actual survey and experiment. 
8. Contrasting the Northern with the Middle Island of New Zealand, it is pro- 
bable that the latter is more extensively and largely auriferous than the former ; 
that in the former the auriferous quartzites are developed out of proportion to 
the derived drifts, while in the latter the reverse is the case; and that, should 
this supposition prove to be correct, the character of the gold-mining in the two 
islands will necessarily ditfer most materially. 
9. Speaking in general terms, auriferous rocks may be said to extend throughout 
the New Zealand islands, the exceptions being where they are interrupted by 
recent volcanic formations, traps of various ages (mostly Tertiary), limestones of 
various ages, extensive Tertiary beds, and other geological series or systems. 
The author concluded by strongly advocating the necessity of an immediate 
systematic Geological survey of the province of Auckland—one implying a duration 
of about five years, with an expenditure on staff, travelling, and publications of 
about £10,000. He recommended this equally for all the New Zealand provinces 
of which geological surveys have not yet been made; pointing to the example 
of Otago, which has recently appointed a Government geologist, who is now 
engaged on a three years’ survey oP that, geologically, most interesting province. 
On the Paleontology of Mineral Veins ; and on the Secondary Age of some 
Mineral Veins in the Carboniferous Limestone. By Cartes Moors, F.G.S. 
The author's attention was directed to this subject by the very fissured character — 
of the Carboniferous Limestone of the Mendip Hills, and by observing that many . 
of the fissures had subsequently been filled with deposits containing organic remains 
of later geological ages, some of them being probably as young as the inferior oolite. 
In a quarry near one in which the author had previously found the Wierolestes, Placodus, 
&c., there were as many as fifteen vertical fissures within a length of 200 feet, passing 
down through inclined beds of Carboniferous Limestone, one of them being 15 feet 
in breadth at the base. These contained organic remains belonging to the Carbo- 
niferous Limestone, the Rheetic bone-bed, and the Middle Lias. In the upper por- 
tions of some of the fissures, galena, sulphate of barytes, and iron-ore were present, 
showing that in these instances the above minerals must be of Secondary age. 
In further investigating this point, the mineral deposits of the Mendips, near 
Charter House, were examined. Tn descending a lead-mine at this place, the author 
found the vein-stuff very varied in its character—sometimes a conglomerate, then 
almost composed of Encrinital stems, with a few Corals, all much abraded by the 
action of water; and at a depth of 175 feet a deposit of eight feet of blue marl 
containing 7} per cent. of galena. In this he found about 130 species of organic 
remains, consisting of part of an Ammonite, Belemnites, ten species of Brachiopoda, 
together with numerous univalves and Foraminifera. Fish-remains were also abun- 
dant, of different species; and there were also pieces’ of drift-wood which had 
been converted into jet, It was thus evident that the Mendip lead-veins had been 
