44 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
protected by the shingle which is shifted from the left or northern to the 
opposite side, and by which, as it were, natural dams are thrown up. Thus 
nature assists the work of man to confine the river in a properly defined 
channel. 
There are very few other New Zealand rivers which for long distances 
have banks built up of soft incoherent materials, but where they exist they 
invariably conform to this law ; their left banks being always the highest 
and most conspicuous, with a tendency of their waters to undermine these 
left banks in whatever direction they may happen to flow. Of the large 
Australian rivers, I know only the Murray, at Echuca (Victoria), and also 
there the rule holds good, the left. or southern bank being the highest and 
best defined. 
I shall now proceed to offer you a description of the remarkable rock 
paintings found on a rock-shelter in the Weka Pass ranges. Of the latter, 
the spirited water-colour sketch of Mr. T. S. Cousins is a faithful repre- 
sentation. Ialso have much pleasure in exhibiting to you the original 
copies of the paintings made by Mr. Cousins on a scale of from six inches 
to one inch to the foot, according to their size, as well as a general view of 
the whole on the uniform scale of one inch to the foot. About a year ago, 
Mr. Alexander Lean informed me of the existence of these paintings, which 
are situated on an educational reserve about one mile on the western side 
ofthe Weka Pass road, not far from the last rise from which that pic- 
turesque road descends into the Waikari Flat. Shortly afterwards, in 
company with Mr. H. M'Ilraith, I visited them, and I need scarcely observe 
that I was very mueh struek with their peculiar character and their state 
of partial preservation, from which their great age could be inferred. The 
so-called] cave, which is, however, only a rock-shelter, is washed out of a 
vertical wall of rock, lining a small valley for about 800 feet on its right 
or southern side. It has a length of 65 feet, and is situated along 
the western or upper portion of the rock. The valley itself is now perfectly 
dry, but must, in post-pliocene times, have had a not inconsiderable volume 
of water flowing through it. The rock consists of the well-known calcareous 
Weka Pass sandstone, and the roof of the shelter is formed by the natural 
dip of the upper bed, having an inclination of about nine degrees to the 
south. The rock-shelter is, when standing, near the foot of the rock below 
it, which latter has, for about five to six feet, a backward slope about eight 
feet high, rising to about twelve feet at the outer edge. 
The average depth is twelve feet, and, offering from its aspect a splendid 
shelter from southerly weather, it forms a most favourable locality for 
camping. The two sections which I have the honour to submit to you 
will make you acquainted with the physical features of the locality. The 
