564 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. 



Palceontology. — Yery 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 

 impoiiiance.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 Saui-ian 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 

 to prove the existence in that district of a range of formations from lower 

 Jurassic to upper carboniferous. 



A comparison of the upper coal formations on the east side of the South 

 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 also requii-e a revision of the present classification 

 of the lower tertiary strata, as the evidence and re-establishment of a cretaceo- 

 tertiary formation having for its upper member a representative of the 

 nummulite limestone. 



A special geological survey of the East Cape district of the North Island 

 was made, to investigate the source of the petroleum which sjn'ings from the 

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

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

 bituminous shales of upper Jurassic ago. 



The particulars of the various geological operations in the field will appear 

 in a volume of Report of the Geological Survey ; and it may bo mentioned 



