﻿Neto 
  Zealand 
  Institute. 
  581 
  

  

  rendered 
  probable 
  that 
  we 
  have 
  m 
  the 
  New 
  Zealaud 
  area, 
  developments 
  of 
  

   Lower 
  Mesozoic 
  strata, 
  representhig 
  gaps 
  in 
  the 
  record 
  elsewhere. 
  

  

  A 
  further 
  examhiation 
  of 
  the 
  Mount 
  Potts 
  Spirifer 
  beds, 
  during 
  the 
  past 
  

   year, 
  has 
  afforded 
  a 
  large 
  number 
  of 
  fossils 
  and 
  proved 
  the 
  existence 
  of 
  

   three 
  marked 
  horizons 
  in 
  that 
  locality, 
  — 
  the 
  Upper 
  Plant 
  beds 
  ; 
  the 
  Spiri/er 
  

   beds 
  (although 
  no 
  true 
  Spirifer 
  is 
  present) 
  corresponding 
  to 
  the 
  Lower 
  

   Triassic 
  of 
  the 
  Hokanui 
  section 
  ; 
  and 
  at 
  the 
  base, 
  beds 
  containing 
  Glossop- 
  

   teris, 
  which 
  is 
  a 
  characteristic 
  fossil 
  of 
  the 
  New 
  South 
  "Wales 
  Coal 
  Fields. 
  

  

  A 
  thickness 
  of 
  2,000 
  feet 
  sejDarates 
  the 
  Glossopteris 
  from 
  the 
  Spirifer 
  

   beds. 
  From 
  the 
  bone 
  beds 
  associated 
  with 
  the 
  latter, 
  a 
  good 
  series 
  of 
  the 
  

   Saurian 
  bones 
  was 
  also 
  collected, 
  some 
  of 
  the 
  vertebral 
  centra 
  having 
  

   enormous 
  proportions, 
  being 
  18 
  inches 
  in 
  diameter, 
  and 
  3 
  J 
  inches 
  in 
  length. 
  

   Besides 
  vertebree, 
  rib 
  and 
  limb 
  bones 
  were 
  also 
  obtained, 
  and 
  what 
  appear 
  

   to 
  have 
  been 
  dermal 
  plates 
  ; 
  but 
  the 
  large 
  blocks 
  in 
  which 
  these 
  interesting 
  

   remains 
  are 
  embedded 
  are 
  not 
  yet 
  worked 
  out 
  sufficiently. 
  

  

  A 
  further 
  discovery 
  of 
  great 
  interest, 
  is 
  the 
  determination 
  by 
  Mr. 
  McKay 
  

   of 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  the 
  Maitai 
  calcareous 
  slates 
  near 
  Nelson. 
  These 
  underhe 
  

   unconformably 
  the 
  whole 
  of 
  the 
  beds 
  that 
  are 
  developed 
  in 
  the 
  Hokanui 
  

   section, 
  and 
  contain 
  the 
  true 
  Spirifer 
  bisulcatus 
  and 
  Productus 
  jyunctatus 
  of 
  

   the 
  Middle 
  Coal-measures 
  of 
  New 
  South 
  Wales. 
  

  

  The 
  discovery 
  of 
  Graptolites 
  in 
  the 
  strata 
  of 
  the 
  CoUingwood 
  district 
  

   during 
  the 
  past 
  year, 
  is 
  also 
  an 
  important 
  advance 
  in 
  New 
  Zealand 
  paleon- 
  

   tology. 
  

  

  In 
  Upper 
  Mesozoic 
  formations, 
  the 
  most 
  interesting 
  novelty 
  is 
  the 
  

   discovery 
  by 
  Mr. 
  Cox 
  of 
  an 
  extension 
  of 
  the 
  West 
  Coast 
  Coal-measures 
  

   towards 
  the 
  limit 
  of 
  Te 
  Anau 
  lake, 
  while 
  the 
  heavy 
  bedded 
  grits 
  and 
  

   conglomerates 
  enter 
  into 
  the 
  structure 
  of 
  lofty 
  mountain 
  ranges. 
  

  

  The 
  additions 
  to 
  the 
  tertiary 
  fossils 
  have 
  chiefly 
  been 
  from 
  the 
  East 
  

   Coast 
  of 
  Wellington, 
  while 
  the 
  evidence 
  of 
  the 
  relative 
  position 
  of 
  the 
  

   Greensands 
  and 
  Chalk 
  marls 
  to 
  the 
  Miocene 
  strata 
  of 
  the 
  Taipos 
  and 
  the 
  

   Pliocene 
  Tertiaries 
  of 
  the 
  Wairarapa, 
  have 
  received 
  support 
  by 
  ample 
  

   collections. 
  

  

  The 
  New 
  Zealand 
  Fossils 
  now 
  accumulated 
  in 
  the 
  course 
  of 
  the 
  

   Geological 
  Survey, 
  represent 
  collections 
  from 
  450 
  different 
  localities, 
  and 
  

   comprise 
  about 
  6,200 
  trays, 
  which 
  have 
  been 
  thoroughly 
  classified, 
  and 
  

   1,200 
  specific 
  types 
  withdrawn 
  into 
  a 
  separate 
  collection 
  for 
  publication. 
  A 
  

   large 
  number 
  of 
  types 
  have 
  been 
  figured 
  and 
  their 
  publication 
  will 
  be 
  

   proceeded 
  with 
  as 
  rapidly 
  as 
  the 
  other 
  work 
  of 
  the 
  Department 
  will 
  permit. 
  

   Publications. 
  — 
  The 
  volume 
  of 
  Geological 
  Keports 
  for 
  the 
  past 
  year, 
  is 
  

   now 
  in 
  the 
  press 
  and 
  will 
  contain 
  the 
  progress 
  reports 
  of 
  the 
  Survey, 
  

   and 
  in 
  addition 
  descriptions 
  and 
  figures 
  of 
  the 
  most 
  important 
  of 
  the 
  

   Lower 
  Mesozoic 
  fossils. 
  

  

  