480 Chronicles of Science. [July, 



showing the Glaciation during the Pleistocene and Eecent Periods as 

 far as Explored, with an Appendix on the Climate of the Pleistocene 

 Epoch in New Zealand." 



Dr. Haast believes that New Zealand was submerged during the 

 Pliocene period, and that, having been subsequently elevated, the 

 chief physical feature of the country was a high mountain range, 

 from which glaciers of enormous volume descended into the plain 

 below, removing in their course the loose Tertiary strata, and thus 

 widening and enlarging the pre-existing depressions, the occurrence 

 of which had at first determined their course. So far most geologists 

 will agree with him, in principle, at all events. But he further 

 endeavours to show that after the glaciers had become to a certain 

 extent stationary (meaning that their termination did not advance 

 or retreat), moraines were formed, and rendered impermeable by 

 glacier-mud ; new moraine matter would then, he thinks, raise the 

 bed of the outlet, and the water issuing from the glacier would con- 

 sequently be forced up through its fissures, until it reached the level 

 of the lowest portion of the moraine. Dr. Haast says that then the 

 ice would be prevented by the moraine from advancing, and would 

 expend its force in excavating a rock-basin near the termination of the 

 glacier. This seems a very extraordinary process, and is singularly in 

 contradiction to Mr. Jamieson's careful observations, which seem to 

 prove that a confined glacier can ascend a slope of considerable steep- 

 ness. 



Dr. Haast's second paper does not seem to be of any great import- 

 ance ; but Dr. Hector's short memoir on the Geology of Otago, is a 

 very valuable addition to our knowledge of the geological structure of 

 New Zealand, especially as it refers to a Province not described in 

 Dr. Hochstetter's work just noticed. This Province seems to have 

 the following geological constitution : — The South-western part is 

 composed of crystalline rocks forming lofty and rugged mountains, 

 and intersected by deeply-cut valleys, which are occupied by arms of 

 the sea on the west, and by great lakes on the east. These crystalline 

 rocks comprise an ancient contorted gneiss, and a newer (probably 

 not very old) series of hornblende slate, gneiss, quartzite, &c. ; east- 

 wards they are succeeded by various rocks of Mesozoic age ; then 

 follow the great auriferous schistose formations, which comprise an 

 Upper, a Middle, and a Lower portion, and upon these occurs a series 

 of Tertiary deposits, the lowest of which may, however, possibly be of 

 Upper Mesozoic date, while the Upper, consisting of a fresh- water and 

 a marine series, are unconformable to it, and are decidedly much more 

 recent. It will thus be seen, that there are many points of similarity 

 between this Province and those examined by Dr. Hochstetter ; but 

 that there are also important differences, notably, in the absence of 

 all mention by Dr. Hector, of the occurrence in Otago of fossiliferous 

 Jurassic and Cretaceous rocks ; for the age of his " Mesozoic " rocks 

 is merely inferred from their position and strategraphical relations. 



This number of the ' Quarterly Journal ' also contains a short but 

 very important paper " On the Coal Measures of New South Wales," 

 by Mr. W. Keene. The author is Examiner of Coal-fields and Keeper 



