50 -P^<2/- Owen — New Zealand Plesiosaurs. 



research, somewhat puzzling. As I told you, it is no easy matter exploring it, the 

 deep impassable ravines making it, in places, almost inaccessible. I am writing in 

 an uncomfortable Colonial steamer, rolling most horridly, but must try and give a 

 rough sketch, for your information. In the clay-beds in which the boulders are 

 imbedded I have found no fossils, except those surrounded by crystalline concretions. 

 If it were certain that the beds are marine, it might he that the fossils were washed 

 out of the cliffs of an older rock into the Eocene sea ; but, as it is, I see no reason for 

 calling them Tertiary. 



" Sketch. — No. 1. shows the deep gorge of a tributary of the Waipara river, cut 

 up by floods in the most fantastic and strange manner; the precipitous cliffs, in places 

 only 30 ft. or so apart, are many hundreds of feet in height ; so that the great con- 

 cretionary boulders stand out in relief against the sky. 



" No. II. is the deep ravine in the Limestone plateau, with large caves and a 

 natural bridge ; the Limestone here passes into Chalk, and is full of a peculiar cup- 

 shaped Coral, Bryozoon (?) and Echini. Cetacean remains are plentiful. 



"No. III. Waipara river-gorge, surrounding the plateau called ' Raui paddock,' 

 formed by great subsidence and denudation of Red Crag. This plateau is about 

 3 1 miles long and 3 miles wide. 



"I am afraid that my wretched writing material and worse drawing will not make 

 this hasty attempt to show the peculiar conformation of the place very intelligible ; 

 but it may serve to give an idea, meantime, until I have the pleasure of seeing you, 

 or can send something better, if I do not go on to England. 



" I think that the conclusion you will come to is that these beds aretbe equivalents 

 of the Wealden. 1 am very sorry that I had not another week to spend there, to have 

 enabled me to examine the clay-beds more thoroughly, and underlying sunArock, 

 not sa.nd-stone. 1 am sure, however, that their being Miocene or Newer Tertiary 

 strata is incorrect. " Tours very sincerely, 



(Signed) "J. H. Cockburn Hood." 



"P.S. — There are undoubted Triassic beds in the adjoining province of Nelson. 



" The boxes have gone in the ' Matoaka ' to London." 



I soon after received the following : — 



" Christchurch Club, Canterbury, New Zealand, May 18th, 1869. 

 "My Dear Professou Owen, — I wrote to you by last mail, and send this to let 

 you know what I have sent home by the * Matoaka,' in case it reaches England 

 before I do myself. The numbers I give to distinguish the fossils found in each 

 Boulder, some being 10 miles apart. " I am, yours sincerely, 



(Signed) "J. H. Cockburn Hood." 



List of Fossils as found in the different Boulders. 



No. 1. Portions of head, upper and lower jaws. 



No. 1*. Point of dilto, of a large Crocodilian {Teleosaunis ?). 



No. 2. Caudal vertebrae, Plesiosaurian ; the two last broken. 



No. 3. Lower part of femur (of a land-Saurian) ; with this were vertebrae and 

 ribs ; 6 and 8, very cyl ndrical; second rib 15 inches long ; one was 18 inches. 



No. 4. Ribs, etc., etc. 



No. 5. Vertebrae aiid humerus (Jc/ji/«2/osfl!MrMs .^). 



No. 6. Large, ditto. 



No. 7. T-shaped bone of sternum. 



No. 8. Vertebrae, fresh teeth, Ostrea, etc. ; shells frem coal-seam underlying 

 Saurian (boulder) -bearing deposit. 



No. 9. Vertebrae, convex on anterior, concave on posterior, side (from boulder, 

 apparently from coal bed). 



No. 10. Clavicle (found alone). 



No. 11. Ulna (found alone) . 



No. 12. Coracoid bone (found alone). 



No. 13. Pa.ldle 1 (alone). 



No. 16. Purt of backbone (12 large vertebrae) ; bones of sternum, pelvis, etc., etc., 

 apparently allied to TeUosaurus. 



No. 16. Cetacean, from overlying Tertiary. 



No. 17. Fucoids, etc., etc., from bone-bearing boulders. 



No. 18. Sulphureous clay, shells, etc , from boulder-bearing strata. 



