134 Transactions.— Miscellaneous. 
Bluestone, which is so largely used for road metal, and ordinary rubble 
masonry, is to be found in almost all districts that have been disturbed by 
volcanic agencies. Sometimes it exists only in combs and small columns 
fit for nothing but road metal and pitching, but at other times it occurs in 
large dykes that yield valuable building stone. The best quarries in the 
Province are those in the Dunedin Town Belt, the valley of the Leith, and 
Ross Creek. The most of the bluestone used in Dunedin comes from those 
quarries. It forms excellent rubble, with a little labour-picked ashlar, but it 
is altogether too hard for chiselled work. The basements of nine-tenths of 
the buildings in Dunedin are built of bluestone rubble, and many important 
edifices, such as St. Paul’s Church; the Wesleyan Chapel, New Knox 
Church, Mercantile Agency Store, and the residence of the two Bishops, 
are built of coarse hammer-dressed rubble, with facing of lighter coloured 
materials, the effect of which is very pleasing. 
Greenstone is simply bluestone in a more tractable form, and is used for 
much the same purposes. There is, however, no supply near the centres 
of population, so its use hitherto has been comparatively limited. Green- 
stone is found in the Mataura Valley, on the.shores of Lake Wakatipu, and 
at Greenhills, in Southland ; its colour varies from light green to dark grey. 
Dolorite is a dark grey, or brownish stone, of vesicular texture, and 
harder, but more brittle, and easier worked than bluestone. It is usually 
found near volcanic centres associated with the other basaltic rocks. It is 
quarried for road metal. At Waihola and Tokomairiro a small vein that 
yielded building stone, now exhausted, was at one time worked near the 
top of York-place. The base of the University Building, one of the finest 
pieces of massive masonry in the Province is chiefly built of dolorite from 
this quarry. 
Phonolite, or clinkstone and porphyry, are found in Bell Hill. As they 
do not exist in masses, they are comparatively valueless as building material. 
Some of them are remarkably beautiful in colour and fine in texture, capable 
of being used for ornamental purposes. A polished block of phonolite in 
the Museum shows an arrangement and blending of various shades of 
grey colours that excell the best efforts of the grainer. The Gaol and some 
of the other old buildings of Dunedin are built of clinkstone. 
Timarite, an eruptive rock found on the Peninsula, resembles closely 
the Bluff syenite in colour and consistency, the only difference being that 
the latter has a slight tinge of green, intermixed with grey, instead of blue. 
It seems adapted for both useful and ornamental purposes, but has hitherto 
been little used. 
The Breecias and Trachytes, with their connecting links, come next in 
order, and they are the most important class of hardstones in Otago. They 
