Reparts and Proceedings. 377 
and less liable to disintegration from atmospheric influences. It 
appears highly probable, from the aspect presented in our immediate 
neighbourhood, and eastward, that the Bunter formation had been 
considerably upheaved and subjected to great denudation previous 
to the deposition of the Keuper; for it did not appear that the Bunter 
—which was 650 feet thick—was found on any of the promontories 
north of the Mersey; it was seen only on the low-lying plains from 
Widnes to Warrington, and along the river-valley eastward; and 
at Hill Cliff, where the lower beds of the Keuper are quarried for 
building purposes, they appear to lie unconformably upon the pebble- 
beds of the Bunter series. After making some remarks on the 
Lower Keuper, he concluded by referring to the forms of life which 
presented themselves during the New Red Sandstone epoch. 
Mr. Paterson exhibited a geological section of the country from 
Weston Point to Halton. 
The President expressed, on behalf of the Society, his warmest 
thanks to Mr. Paterson for the paper he had read. 
‘The Revs. W. Hamilton, J. D. Massingham, and R. R. Moore 
addressed the meeting; and after a vote of thanks to the Chairman, 
the Members separated.— Warrington Guardian, May 13. 
CORRESPONDENCE. 
—— 
ORIGIN OF ROCK-BASINS IN NEW ZEALAND. 
To the Editor of the GroLocicaL MAGazine. 
Sir,—As I had erroneously been led to believe that my eminent 
friend Dr. Hector, who conducts the Geological Survey in the 
southern portion of New Zealand, had adopted the same view as 
Dr. Haast respecting the power of Glaciers to excavate basins in 
hard rocks, I now transmit a letter I have recently received from 
him, which shows that his opinion is very different indeed to that 
which has been attributed to him. In fact, the views of Dr. Hector 
seem to coincide with those of the geologists who, like myself, refer 
in great measure the formation of valleys and lake-cavities to ancient 
plications and ruptures of the strata—doubtless deepened in moun- 
tainous countries, whether by ice or water.— Your obedient servant, 
July 14, 1865. Roperick I. Murcuison. 
Dear Sir Ropericx,—I feel greatly obliged to you for the 
trouble you took in laying the notes on our Geology before the 
Society, and for your kind expressions respecting my labours. It 
is only lately that I have been able to settle down to work up the 
materials I have amassed, so that there are many points only now 
becoming clear to my mind. 
I am afraid that, with respect to the Glacier-erosion of valleys, 
you are confusing my views with those of Haast. I cannot at 
all agree with him, as to the power he attributes to Glaciers, of 
excayating the floors of their valleys, so as to form rock-basins, 
