334 Transactions. — Geology. 



survey was extended in that direction in the summer of 18G9, and resulted in 

 finding several localities extremely rich in Reptilian remains. These are 

 described in his report,* and his collections, having been forwarded to the 

 Colonial Museiim, form part of the material of the present communication. 



In 1871, Mr. H. H. Travers made a further exploration at the Amuri 

 Bluff; and during the early part of this year the relations of the different 

 formations have been studied by Captain Huttont ; and a skilled collector, 

 Mr. Alexander McKay, has also been employed to make an exhaustive 

 collection of the Reptilian remains and associated fossils. 



These different explorations have led to the accumulation of several tons 

 of blocks of cement-stone containing fossil bones, and during the last three 

 months these fossils have been worked out of the hard matrix by Mr. McKay, 

 The general result is, that portions of 43 individual reptiles, mostly of gigantic 

 size and all of aquatic habits, and belonging to at least 13 distinct species, have 

 been discovered. These species represent two distinct groups, the first, with, 

 flat or slightly bi-concave vertebrae, being true Enaliosaurians, belonging to 

 the genera Plesiosaurus, Mauisaurus,X (gen. no v. allied to Elasmosaurus of 

 Cope), and Polycotylus, Cope ; and the other having proccelian vertebrae, as in 

 most recent Lacertilia and Crocodiles, but provided with swimming paddles, 

 and thei'efore representing probably the order Pythonomorpha of Professor 

 Cope.§ This order is represented in the collection by two distinct genera, 

 Liodon (Owen), and Taniwhasa,urus,^ (gen. no v. allied to Clidastes of Cope). 



In addition there are several fragmentary remains, which, for the present, 

 I only venture to place provisionally under one or other of these groups, and 

 two vertebrae, which appear to belong to an exceptional form of the genus 

 CrocodUus. 



Lastly, from the lower mesozoic strata of Mount Potts, in Cantei-bury, a 

 single vertebra was collected by Dr. Haast,^ which I refer to the genus 

 Ichtliyosaibvus. 



The following is a schediile of the different Saurian remains referred to in 

 this paper, with the localities where they were found, and the names of the 

 collectors. When not otherwise stated the specimens are in the Colonial 

 Museum at Wellington : — ■ 



* Rep. Geol. Surv. N.Z., 1870-71, p. 25. 



+ Geol. Rep., 1872-73, p. 36. 



X After Maui, the traditional discoverer of New Zealand. 



§ "On tlie Fossil Reptilia of the Cretaceous Rocks of Kansas, "by Professor E. D. Cope. 

 Preliminary Ptep. on Geol. of Wj'oming, F. V. Hayden, 1S71, p. 385. I have not been 

 able to refer to the original paper, by Professor Cope, in the Trans. Amer. Phil. Soc, 

 1868-70, for the definition of this order. 



II After the Taniwlia, or fabled sea monster of the Maori. 



t Rep. Geol. Surv., 1873, p. 6. 



