Otago Institute. 435 
crumbling rock at the end of the beach is said to contain fossil shells, The 
point opposite Gull Rocks resembles at some places great beds of hard, black 
cinders, and at others hard, compact, ribbon-like masses, the strata being very 
much inclined. In the next bay is a large sandy cave, 120 feet in diameter, 
the result of the action of the sea at a former time, when the land stood at a 
lower level, which is the abode of numerous rabbits. Further on immense 
cliffs of black rock stand straight up from the water’s edge to a height of at 
least 600 feet. The cliff then divides, forming a terrace, partly under cultiva- 
tion, on the slopes around which the timber is being rapidly destroyed. 
* Away before us extended a huge gap in the ground, the bottom of which we 
could not see. To our left rose a high precipice of black basaltic pillars, from 
the base of which sloped gently down a beautifully green patch of low bush. 
The precipice extended on our front to the sea, the pillars being brownish 
coloured, standing perpendicularly, like the pipes of a great organ, and ranging 
from 35 to 50 feet in height, capped by a great thickness of amorphous basalt 
in several beds. Down to our right was a patch of sandy-looking rock through 
which the sea came rolling in through a great archway." Nearly in front of 
the arch is a large pyramidal stack of rock in deep water, rising to about 
350 feet in a pretty regular cone, and frequented by numberless birds. From 
a lofty cliff an extensive view of the surrounding country was obtained, and 
“a short way down the other side of the ridge we came to a very curious 
piece of ground. There was no soil on it, but plenty of stones of all sizes. 
The south-west and north-east winds sweep over this tract of land with 
great force, and carry away every particle that is moveable, blowing it into 
the valley on either side ; the sand is thus kept perpetually passing, either one 
way or the other, over this arid belt. Asa result of this motion all the stones 
are worn and polished into peculiar triangular shapes, something like those 
found in the wind-hollows among the sand-hills on the ocean beach near 
Dunedin."* Several species of Raoulia were gathered here. 
2. “On the Skull of a Grampus killed by the Maoris at the Heads," by 
A. С. Purdie. 
(ABSTRACT.) 
This paper was a description of the Grampus phocena orcat of Owen, 
which was killed at the heads by the Maoris, and obtained from them for the 
Museum by the Hon. Captain Fraser. Tt has a very formidable-looking head, 
and large laniariform teeth well adapted for tearing and destroying whales. 
The Maoris call them “ killers," and say that they attack whales and tear out 
their tongues. The author had a photograph taken of this specimen, and 
forwarded it to Dr. Hector, in the hope that scientific men might take up the 
* See Trans. N.Z. Inst., Vol. II., р. 247.—[Ep.] 
* Orca pacifica, Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc., 1870, p. 70. — [Ep.] 
