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the Papakura series, which, in its turn, is also overlaid unconformably by the 

 Waitemata series. Also, that the Waikato coal series is overlaid unconform- 

 ably by the Aotea series, which, in its turn, is also overlaid unconformably by 

 reddish yellow sandstone with beds of blue clay containing plant remains, and 

 we have now to try to connect the two and see what is the parallelism between 

 them. 



The Waikato and Drury coal fields both lie on the same flank of the same 

 range of old slate hills, the hills of Pokeno, Razor-back, etc., which divide the 

 Waikato from the Manukau being of much more recent date, so that at the 

 time when the coal was forming they were both on the same shore of probably 

 a large lake or lagoon. Intermediate patches of coal occur between the two 

 on the Maramarua, and near Paparata, and although that of the Waikato is 

 the best and purest, because coming from the largest seam, the coal at all these 

 places is of the same class, and does not differ more than different parts of a 

 large coal field might be expected to do. The fossil leaves found both at Wai- 

 kato and Drury are dicotyledons. Those from the former place have not yet 

 been described, but Dr. Hector, I believe, is of opinion that there is no species 

 common to both, but as only seven species have been found at Drury, and 

 probably only four or five at Waikato, this evidence is not of very great 

 weight, especially as at Di-ury four species were found on Mr. Pollock's land, 

 and four on Mr. Fall well's, and only one of these, Fagus Ninnisiana, Ung., was 

 common to both. It is therefore probable that at one time the coal extended 

 from the present mines in Waikato, over Waikari Lake, across the Valleys of 

 the Whangamarino and Maungatawhiri to the Drury mines, and perhaps to 

 the Wairoa River, but that by far the greater part of it has been washed away, 

 patches only being left here and there, although it may still exist below the 

 Razor-back and Pokeno hills. 



With regard to the corelation of the Aotea and Papakura series, the 

 paleeontological evidence is scanty. Professor Hochstetter mentions Schi- 

 zaster rotundatus, Pholadomya, sp., and Turhinolia, sp., as common to both 

 formations, and to these I can add two others, viz., Pecten Fischeri, which I 

 found at Port Waikato, and Pecten, sp., belonging to the group P.pleuronectes, 

 which is common in the base of the Aotea series. These are, however, enough 

 to show that the two series are either equivalents, or very nearly on the same 

 hoi'izon, and I am inclined to think that the Papakura series forms the base of 

 the Aotea series. I have also found a Ttirhinolia in green sandstone, at 

 Whangarei Heads, which, as far as I can judge, appears identical with one I 

 found at Papakura, and Dr. Hector informs me that Pecten Hochstetteri has 

 been found in the green sandstone overlying the coal at Whangarei, and Lamna 

 teeth are found at Whangarei and Aotea • it is therefore probable that the 

 coal at AVhangarei and the Bay of Islands is of the same age as the Papakura 

 series, and, if such should be the case, it would appear that while the Aotea 



