74 THE GEOLOGICAL FORMATIONS OF NEW ZEALAND 
The Mataura series consists largely of estuarine beds, marine 
fossils being absent or rare. It consists of dark-coloured mars — 
and fine-grained: sandstones, and contains the fossil remains of a 
number of plants, of which eight species have been recognized, 
elosing plant remains and irregular coal-seams, which have been 
ed in the next group as its upper member. 4 
The Putataka beds are of marine origin, and contain fossils, of . 
which eleven species have been identified. : 
_ The fossil plants found in the upper beds are especially interes 
ing from at least one species being identical with a plant found m 
e 
associated, but from the natural sections, and also from the v8) 
characteristic fossils below them, there can be no doubt that they a 
»Should be referred to the upper oolite period. : af 
The Flag Hill series is marine, and is characterized by eight 
forms of fossil shells which have been identified ; besides mY 
others which have yet to be examined. ‘ace 
The Brachiopoda are interesting, as besides seven i . 
“iynchonella and three of Terebratula, Spiriferina Tore 
the lias is abundant, and also a form of Hpithyris (oa : 
bratula of the type 7. elongata), which is not hitherto recon” — 
higher than of permian age. : 
TX,—Lias. . 
Catlin’s River and Bastion series. pe al : 
This formation consists in its upper part of conglomer. ation} 2 
wndy grits, with plant remains too indistinct for ig ye a 
and: in the lower of marly sandstones in banded layers which ba 
colours, at the base haying a concretionary structure," y and 
- led to thei being termed the “cannon-ball sandstom 
Sunilar sandstones also occur in the Otapiri formation. 
