386 Transactions. — Geology. 



that the majority of glaciers have no ice cascade at all, and nearly all partake 

 more of the character of "ice-rapids" than "ice-falls." As this point, 

 however, is of minor importance it is not necessary to pui-sue it any further. 



Dr. Hector and Dr. Haasfc base their opinion that our last glacier period was 

 in pleistocene times on the supposition that since then great subsidence has 

 taken place. I will, therefore, in the first place give the reasons that have 

 led me to an opposite conclusion, viz., that during the whole of the pleistocene 

 period elevation has been more or less continuous over the gi'eater part of 

 New Zealand, and I will then give the evidence in favour of the glacier period 

 having been in older-pliocene times. 



It is so universally acknowledged among geologists that river terraces 

 prove elevation, that it is quite unnecessary for me to go over again such well 

 trodden ground.'^ There may be some cases where, in a mountainous countiy, 

 rock-bound lakes have been filled up before the outflowing river had cut 

 down through the rocky barrier to its normal level, and whei'e consequently 

 terraces might be afterwards formed in the old lacustrine deposits as the level 

 of the river was lowered, or where a stream of lava from a volcano has 

 blocked up the course of a river, and thus led to a similar result ; but these are 

 exceptional cases which can always be recognized by the terraces being formed 

 of stratified silt or tine sand, but never of shingle, and it cannot possibly apply 

 to rivei'S running through plains or broad vallies. Now throughout the South 

 Island of New Zealand on both sides of the Alps, and in the central portions 

 of the North Island, all the rivers appear to be deeply terraced. I know, 

 from personal observation, that this is the case with the rivers of Southland, 

 with the Aorere in Golden Bay, and with the Waipa and Waikato in the 

 province of Auckland. Dr. Haast describes the same thing with the rivers 

 flowing into the Canterbury Plains. (Report on Cant. Plains, Christchurch, 

 1864.) Mr. Buchanan describes terraces in the vallies of the Awatere and 

 Eden rivers (Geo. Reports, 1866-67, p. 41), Dr. Hector describes those of the 

 west coast of the South Island (Progress Report, 1866—67, p. 29) including 

 the Buller (I.e., p. 32), and also of the Mohaka (Geo. Reports, 1870-71, 

 p. 160) in the proxince of Napier, and Dr. Hochstetter ('-New Zealand," 

 p. 467) and Mr. Travei-s ("Quar. Jour. Geo. Soc," 1866, p. 259) describe 

 those of rivers in the pro^"iuce of Nelson. 



But there are many other proofs of recent elevation besides that aflorded 

 by the river terraces. The Southland plains show unmistakable marine 

 action. Towards its mouth the Jacobs River runs through extensive deposits 



•Consult, inter alia, Lyell's "Elements of Geologj', " 6th ed. , pp. 118 and 120, and his 

 "Student's Elements," p. 79; Dana's " Manual of Geology;" " Geological Magazine," 

 1871, pp. 75, 190, 239, 333, 430, 526, 574; ditto, 1872, p. 48; Eamsay's "Physical 

 Geology of Gi-eat Britain," p. 109 ; Jukes and Geikie's "Manual of Geology," p, 402, 



