56<± Sixth Annual Report 



bridge's introduction to the study of the Spiders of this country, and a 



Descriptive List of the Neuropterous Insects of New Zealand by Mr. R. 

 McLachlan. 



Palaeontology. — Very large additions have been made to the collection of 



Fossils, both from sections formerly examined and from new localities and 



formations. Chief among these are the richly fossiliferous limestones and 



quartzites of lower Devonian or upper Silurian age, which underlie uncon- 



formably the auriferous rocks of Reefton, and from which over 2000 



specimens have been obtained. As this formation enters largely into the 



structure of the highly mineralized N.W. district of the South Island, the 



establishment of an easily recognized zone is most advantageous to the geology 

 of the colony. 



The interesting character of the small collection of fossils formerly 

 obtained from the south-east district of Otago, indicating the probable 

 existence of a passage group from lower mesozoic to palaeozoic, suggested the 

 importance of having further collections made from the sections afforded in the 

 vicinity of Nugget Point and Catlin's River. For this work Mr. McKay, 

 who conducted the excavations for Saurian remains at Amuri Bluff so 

 successfully, was selected ; and in the course of three months he obtained 

 nearly 3000 fossils, which are as yet only partially worked out, but they serve 



ran 



Jurassic to upper carboniferous. 

 A comparison of the upper 



Island with those on the West Coast, and of more ample collections of 

 fossils from the overlying formations, has shown that the bituminous coal 

 seams on the west occur in a lower part of the formation that carries the 

 brown or hydrous coal seams on both sides of the island, and that the 

 whole, together with an immense thickness of overlying marine formation, 

 must be referred to the cretaceous period. This view has been further 

 established by a survey of the East Cape district of the North Island, and the 



general results obtained will 



and 



tertiary formation having for its upper member a representative of the 

 nummulite limestone. 



special geological 



spnn 



surface of the ground in many localities. This survey is not yet complete, 

 but the information obtained indicates that the mineral oil is derived from 



immous 



The particulars of the various geological operations in the field 



i volume of Report of the Geological Survey : and it mav be 



