Hurros.— On new Tertiary Shells. 318 
the Waipara System, what is the age of the **chalk-marls and hydraulic 
limestone " which underlie them unconformably? These are also considered 
by Dr. Hector and Mr. McKay to be cretaceo-tertiary, and certainly they 
are not like any rocks in New Zealand that are older than the Waipara 
System. Again, if the Orakei beds belong to the Waipara System, what is 
the age of the green sandstones of Turanga and Papakura, which both Mr. 
Cox and myself have shown to underlie the Orakei Bay beds unconformably ? 
Dr. Zittel considered the Papakura series to be of eocene age, that is, to 
belong to the Oamaru System, and if this be correct the Waitemata series 
must belong to the Pareora System. This conclusion is quite in accordance 
with the evidence, both stratigraphical and paleontological, at Komiti Point, 
and at Mahurangi, and is not contradicted by the fact that the Mercer beds 
are apparently conformable to the underlying marls, for it is quite possible 
that two systems may be conformable at one place although unconformable 
at other places. 
It appears then (1.) That there is no evidence that the Orakei Bay beds 
are older than the Parnell grit; they may or may not be so; (2.) That 
there is no evidence of any unconformity in the Waitemata series between 
Auckland and the Tamaki; and (3.) That the evidence, both stratigraphical 
and paleontological, is altogether in favour of the Orakei Bay beds belonging 
to the Pareora System. 
Art. XL.— Descriptions of new Tertiary Shells. Parr I. 
By Carran F. W. Hurrow, F.G.S. 
[Read before the Philosophical Institute of Canterbury, 27th November, 1884.] 
Plate XVIII. 
Durme the past year I have received several collections of fossils from Mr. 
S. H. Drew, of Wanganui, and from Mr. A. Hamilton, of Petane, near 
Napier, and I now offer descriptions of the new species so far as I have 
made them out. There are, in addition, a few species which, although not 
known in New Zealand, are living in Australia or Polynesia, e.g. Drillia 
alabaster, Reeve. 
Ringicula uniplicata. 
Shell minute, ovate, transversely finely striated. Whorls 4, those of 
the spire small and smooth. Aperture narrow, obliquely notched in front ; 
the outer lip thickened, varicose ; columella with a strong anterior plication. 
Length, -08 inch. 
Locality. Petane. 
