274 Glacial Epoch of Australia. 
Mr. Woods states that I have found extensive evidence of 
glacial action in New Zealand, but that my observations are 
_rather too limited to allow conclusions to be based directly 
therefrom. | | 
As I have traced glacial action, during the last seven 
years, over the whole length and breadth of the south island 
of New Zealand, with the exception of its most southerly 
portion, which I have not yet visited, I do not consider 
my observations too limited for generalisations on that im- 
portant subject. eit 
Before entering into the consideration of the main areu- 
ment of Mr. Woods’ paper, I wish to point out that the ex- 
pressions glacial action or glacial deposits, are rather vague, 
as they do not convey a definite explanation of the pheno- 
mena to be described, and I therefore propose to call these 
deposits which are of glacier origin, glacier accumulations, 
and the time in which they are formed, the glacier epoch ; 
whilst I wish to restrict the expression glacial action to those 
forces produced by the moving of icebergs through aérial or 
marine currents, and the expression glacial deposits to the 
beds originally formed on the bottom of the sea, and de- 
rived from the stranding or melting of icebergs. Thus, for 
instance, it will at once appear important to express clearly 
if certain striz or rocks are made by glaciers on land or by 
icebergs on the sea bottom, by designating the first, glacier, 
the second, glacial, strize. 2 
Consequently, glacier accumulations are of subaérial, 
glacial of submarine origin. 
Having thus stated what I consider to be of great im- 
portance, when considering the nature of accumulations de- 
posited during the post-pliocene age, I may add that all 
the iceborne deposits in New Zealand are of glacier or sub- 
aérial origin. 
As no glacier accumulations are found close to the sea 
along the east coast of this island, any geologist when travel- 
ling through that district, and examining the nearest tertiary 
marine beds, will come necessarily to the conclusion (if he 
judges only from negative evidence), that no glacial or glacier 
epoch has ever occurred there, the more so as the newest 
tertiary marine beds seem to indicate that the tertiary plio- 
cene sea, even towards the close of its era, had a somewhat 
higher temperature, than the sea water of our day possesses 
near that coast. 
On following the sequence of these our youngest pliocene 
